Nashville Predators: Let’s stop with the P.K. Subban trade rumors
Trade rumors are part of the sports landscape. No matter the source, the Nashville Predators are not trading P.K. Subban. Period.
Social media is a confounding tool. It is a great way to get information out to the masses and have discussions about on-going events. Then you have those that use Twitter and other media to shout out opinions in order to feel important or more intelligent than others. None of us are immune. And, to be honest, some Nashville Predators fans can be rather, well, brutal.
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With the offseason comes rumors. Fans expression opinions on who they believe David Poile and the Predators front office should target. Trade for a high scoring forward? Sure, let’s just send a few key players over. Media outlets send out tweets stating they have talked with X number of teams that confirm a possible trade.
Let me give you a tip: never believe trade rumors on Twitter or anywhere else. It doesn’t matter if the account is verified or not. Don’t trust them.
This week, Twitter was laced with stories of the Nashville Predators in talks with at least two teams. The targetted player? P.K. Subban.
PK Subban has been in trade discussion this season and will continue into the off season. @TheFourthPeriod said today that two teams told him they talked to #Preds this year about him and will try again this summer. Feels like the same problems in MTL followed him to Nashville..
— InsideSource (@InsideSource22) May 19, 2018
Just stop
Now, I am not saying teams have not called the Predators about Subban’s availability. Any General Manager worth his weight in salt would ask about one of the best defensemen in the NHL. Subban’s talent and skill make most every team better instantly. No matter the offer, Poile is not letting go of Subban.
Period.
Now, there are some concerns over Subban. Does every single person in the locker room like him? Not likely. I am sure his personality does not mesh well with others in the room 100% of the time. He is not getting text messages from everyone asking him to hang out or grab dinner. That is just life. Stories abound over Subban’s locker room antics and being a poor teammate. As far as I can tell, the Predators love him. I know Poile and Peter Laviolette do.
When asked about the trade possibility, Laviolette said the following:
"P.K. is here, for me. Listen, he’s been here for two years, and we’re moving in a pretty good direction here with him as part of our club. He’s been awesome. His regular season, I thought, was really good last year; he might have been the best player on our team in the playoffs last year, just with regard to the way he and (Mattias) Ekholm played and defended."
Is Subban perfect? No. But he is one of the best, if not the best, Nashville Predator. The team’s recent success mirror his play and performance.
Let’s look at this from another team’s perspective. Subban is owed $9 million per year for the next four years. There are teams with room to take on the salary, but they would need to give up current NHL roster players. Significant players at that. The Predators are not in rebuilding mode, and won’t be for some time. Draft picks and prospects won’t cut it. Teams looking to add Subban is also looking to make a run at the cup. Every talent they hold will be crucial to that run.
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So, don’t go believing everything you read on Twitter. P.K. Subban is not going anywhere.