As soon as the new CBA is ratified by both the NHL owners and the players, teams will finally be allowed to start making roster moves such as signing free agents and calling up players from their farm teams. In the case of a few teams, that also means signing their restricted free agents as soon as possible and bringing them into the team’s training camp.
The most notable RFAs still unsigned being forwards Jamie Benn (Dallas Stars) and Ryan O’Reilly (Colorado Avalanche), as well as rearguards Michael Del Zotto (New York Rangers), Dmitry Kulikov (Florida Panthers) and PK Subban (Montreal Canadiens).
PK Subban is still a restricted free agent (Icon SMI)
But now, let’s concentrate on the talented, but controversial Canadiens defenseman who is a now cornerstone of the team’s defensive corps. The 23 year-old defenseman did not go oversee during the lockout, preferring to make several TV appearances for CTV Montreal as a weatherman and Sportsnet as a hockey analyst between periods.
While the popular Subban may have a future on television, his current career is as an NHL defenseman and he must now concentrate on accepting the right contract from Habs’ general manager Marc Bergevin. The native of Toronto, Ontario, is coming off his entry-level contract and prior to the NHL lockout, it was rumored that Bergevin had offered him a three-year deal worth $11 million ($3.66 million/year), which Subban and his agent Don Meehan politely declined.
But how much money per year is Subban really worth?
Right now, the Canadiens payroll for 2013-14 is a tad over $60.16 million linked to 16 players and Subban’s new contract could push Montreal over the $64.3 million cap for next season. The team’s precarious financial position for next year likely means that Bergevin cannot afford to give Subban a contract similar to the eight-year deal worth $56 million ($7 million/year) that Los Angeles defenseman Drew Doughty signed prior to last season, which is reportedly the kind of contract that the charismatic rearguard was looking for this summer.
On one hand, while Subban is a very talented puck-carrying defenseman, he has only played two full seasons in the NHL and has yet to establish himself as a true #1 defenseman on and off the ice. On the other hand, Doughty had seasons of 59 and 40 points prior to signing his lucrative long-term pact. While under the new CBA teams can re-sign their own players to a maximum of eight years, do you really think that Bergevin wants to be tied up long term to a player who had a few scuffles with his own teammates Hal Gill and David Desharnais during practice last season? Subban doesn’t have unanimous backing in the Habs’ dressing room as he has a tendency to show off and be overly talkative, both on an off the ice.
Yesterday, team captain Brian Gionta even said that he had not speak with Subban for the past six months and that the best way to find PK recently is by turning on your television. As you can see, Subban’s strong presence in the media seems to bother some veterans, and until he can prove them wrong and show the organization and the fans that he has become more mature, disciplined and hard-working, the Bleu Blanc Rouge should err on the cautious side and offer him a short term contract.
PK likes to be in the spotlight (photo: Rob Elbaz – The Hockey Writers)
Since we know that any player whose contract has expired can declare himself an unrestricted free agent if he is at least 27 years of age or has at least seven years of service as an NHL player, the Canadiens would be best to offer Subban a three-year contract or less so that Subban is not older than 26 years old when the contract ends.
This way, the Canadiens would be able to assess Subban’s true value and contribution to the team and ensure that he doesn’t become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the pact. Now suppose Subban and Meehan agree to a three-year pact with Montreal: How much per year is Subban really worth?
Let’s have a look at some young defensemen with comparable offensive numbers who recently signed long-term deals with their respective teams:
Cam Fowler, 21, Anaheim Ducks: 2011-12 stats: 5 goals and 24 assists for 29 points in 82 games -> five-year contract with an average value of $4 million
Tyler Myers, 22, Buffalo Sabres: 2011-12 stats: 8 goals and 15 assists for 23 points in 55 games -> seven-year contract with an average value of $5.5 million
Erik Johnson, 24, Colorado Avalanche: 2011-12 stats: 4 goals and 22 assists for 26 points in 73 games -> four-year contract with an average value of $3.75 million
Erik Karlsson, 22, Ottawa Senators: 2011-12 stats: 19 goals and 59 assists for 78 points in 81 games -> seven-year contract with an average value of $6.5 million
Victor Hedman, 22, Tampa Bay Lightning: 2011-12 stats: 5 goals and 18 assists for 23 points in 61 games -> five-year contract with an average value of $4 million
John Carlson, 22, Washington Capitals: 2011-12 stats: 9 goals and 23 assists for 32 points in 82 games -> six-year contract with an average value of $3.96 million
SOURCE: CAP GEEK
As we can see, most of these players received long-term deals at an average value of approximately $4 million per year except for Erik Karlsson who earned a contract similar to Doughty’s contract, but he won the Norris Trophy following his career season in 2011-12, so we can undoubtedly say he deserved this contract.
Following the extensive analysis above, I am willing to predict that Marc Bergevin will offer a three-year deal worth $13.5 million (or $4.5 million/year) to PK Subban, or an increase of $2.5 million over his previous offer. With that in mind, Subban would be foolish to refuse this offer and hold out during the team’s training camp as a refusal would tarnish his reputation towards fans and harm the Canadiens’ chances at making the playoffs this season.
How much do you think Subban will earn per year? What will be the term of the deal?
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A long-time Joe Sakic fan, Fred, 34, is a freelance sports writer and translator. Fred earned a Bachelor of Translation in 2002 at Laval University in Quebec City. He also writes on the Montreal Canadiens for thehockeywriters.com and he is an associate editor and a baseball columnist on Dobberbaseball.com. He is also fluent in English, French and Spanish.
11 comments:
very little, the guy is uncoachable and a huge liability on the blue line.why he is still their is the question. the habs of sent a lot better than subban packing for a lot less.
Give PK what he wants. Montreal always does this... All we get are old has beens and still pay the big bucks for them. They simply don't understand how to handle young and promising talent.
Hockey stars equal STANLEY CUPS, we know this from experinece... Do you really believe Galencheyuk or Subban and any other potential NHL star will sign in Montreal when they can get better deals elsewhere? Are we truly going to be a horrible, pathetic and andisappointing team forever? No more Stanley Cups? Montreal Fans need to stop going to a few games and then we'll have be a contendor again.
P.s. Bettman is a fool and should be beaten by a mob.
@fraz really? If this is your opinion then I am led to believe that you do nt follow this team at all. When a 22 year old leads your team in ice time, PP, points among d and best +/- then he is hardly a liability.
Secondly if MB made him available there would be 29 teams lined up to "take him off our hands".
Subban is the best D on this team and there is nobody on the horizon who can do what he does either.
@fraz - I have to agree with Bryan. You also have to take into account that since his arrival in the NHL, Subban has been under the over-defensive tutelage of Jacques Martin.
Given Michel Therrien's own experience as a defenseman, and the incredible job he did in remolding the defense in Pittsburgh, it's safe to say that Montreal would be making a critical error in judgement if they let him go.
Fraz, you commenting on wrong post maybe?
The Truth, you sound just a tad bit bitter, it is just entertainment?
Re: Bettman, generally fools dont fall into a $10m/year gig. Do you not realize he is simply a puppet of 30 billionaires, who have sports franchises as a little hobby on the side.
It isnt how much is PK worth, it is what can he be paid and still fit under the cap, while also figuring in at what age (free agent status) he will be when this contract runs out. But ignoring all else, i guess he is worth $30m for 6 years.
fraz must be a leaf fan. Hoping the leafs make an offer. Oh but wait, the leafs have nothing to offer:)
Bryan he also led the team in fights in practice! i am from belleville and i am telling you the side show never ends. when can we expect the schedule?
You're wrong...the Leafs have lots to offer. They have amazing top draft picks that will be coming up for many years to come. And they love to get rid of those to maintain their continuous level of mediocrity
Subban needs to be signed period. He has considerable upside and as he matures, his game will only get better - everyone said the same thing about Price. Knowing our luck he will end up becoming the next coming of John Leclair.
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A black NHL super star with flare is worth x2 whatever his usual contract is worth. If I am Atlanta, NY, Philly I offer 6 years 10 million each year and I know Montreal can't match, so what if I give up some draft picks and my best player (quick can you name any of those teams best player)
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