Confirmed with Link: Montreal Canadiens re-sign PK Subban!!!!! 2 years/$5.75M

[HockeyF3ind]

So in my excitement for the PK signing I made a facebook post celebrating the signing, and then a girl from my elementary school told me that PK's dad was my principal in my junior high school in Toronto (Arlington). Good guy, helped me through some things in my year there. ****ing small world.

 

[Jay Wolf]

Those insufferable Antichambre yahoos are at it again! Let me see if I've got this straight:

PK should be playing on the 3rd pairing with Bouillon.

PK has too much swagger and that has to change because - apparently - his teammates are not emotionally developed enough to deal with it.

and worst of all...

The first thing that must go is the Triple Low Five. Why? Who the **** knows!!

The fact that some of these opinions are coming from Carbo and Damphousse is even more distressing. Why the hell did I start watching this show again??

Antichambre? Anti-cerveau!!

 

[Poulet Kostopoulos]

with all this talk of pk getting paid next time with big $ and big term...who says hes gonna want to sign long-term with us? hes an emotional guy and i wouldnt be surprised if this HAS left a bad taste in his mouth and bad blood has developped. he might refuse long term contracts and we might be forced to trade him. im not sure were gonna get full value for him then.

That's a pretty cynical view. It is possible but very unlikely. If PK is so freaking pissed about this contract that he's still mad, vengeful after two years, then he wouldn't have signed the current contract in the first place.

 

[Haburger]

mb could have easily dealt with this befor the season started.is it worth chancing pissing off you re best d man for 1.5 mil over a couple years?this was becoming a bigger and bigger distraction by the day.thank god pk buckled.

 

[Saintpatrick*]

You have to think that Pierre McGuire feels a little dumb right about now. He wanted to double what DelZotto got for PK. This coming from a McGuire fan.

I'm glad Bergy stuck to his guns. Seems like a really good gm pick.

So stoked to have PK back!!

Now if we can stay healthy until patches gets back, we'll really be able to see what we got.

Go Habs Go!!!

Which is probably why he's still a commentator and not a GM. He's a brilliant hockey mind but I'm glad that the Habs went with Bergevin.

 

[Alexdaman]

Those insufferable Antichambre yahoos are at it again! Let me see if I've got this straight:

PK should be playing on the 3rd pairing with Bouillon.

PK has too much swagger and that has to change because - apparently - his teammates are not emotionally developed enough to deal with it.

and worst of all...

The first thing that must go is the Triple Low Five. Why? Who the **** knows!!

The fact that some of these opinions are coming from Carbo and Damphousse is even more distressing. Why the hell did I start watching this show again??

Antichambre? Anti-cerveau!!

Bunch of old failures mumbling their cluelessness. MT often had a better judgement on the show ( not always ).

 

[Saintpatrick*]

Bergevin has been very professional and stood his ground.

Much character and hard work has he brought to this organization since his appointment.

It's a breath of fresh air after enduring the Gauthier era. I don't think Gauthier would have had the cojones to stare Meehan down and come ahead like Bergevin did.

 

[coolasprICE]

It's a breath of fresh air after enduring the Gauthier era. I don't think Gauthier would have had the cojones to stare Meehan down and come ahead like Bergevin did.

What did he really accomplish? Saving 2 million in total cap space for a year and half of hockey?

If he continues to progress to the player we all unanimously predict, the question to ask is: how much cap space did MB waste by not going long term?

Right now there is a legitimate risk that Subban will command a 6.5 to 7.5 million cap...

 

[Jay Wolf]

Bunch of old failures mumbling their cluelessness. MT often had a better judgement on the show ( not always ).

I couldn't have said it better!

 

[Mr. Hab]

So happy right now!!!! Just came back home and had no idea about this!!!! Woohoo!!!!! Time to rock n' roll!!!!! Subbie's back!!!

Markov: please! please! please...stay healthy for a long long time!!! (can't wait to see Subban and Markov playing at the same time!!!! we're going to finally hopefully have the chance to see them play at the same time for a long long time!! woohoo!!).

Where are the Bergevin haters?:
Right here (I won't hide!)...I was so bitter with that low offer (still think it's such a rip-off contract...3.5mil/year should have been the bare minimum, imo, but Subbie will get his fair value in next two contracts and I'm not even for high salaries but Subbie is our star/superstar dman), and/but...I'm also too ecstatic to be grumpy or bitter right now towards Bergevin!! I want to like Bergevin...not hate him...same with Subbie (always loved his style of play...always). Subbie was right to wait...I totally respect him for waiting (I would have done the same thing...and we all know how much Subbie loves to play for our CH...he grew up a hardcore Hab fan).

Couturier rumors and Schenn brothers' rumors...see ya in another life!!

Markov is healthy (for once...hopefully for a long time this time!)
Subban is back
Galchenyuk is playing well (and is center)
Gallagher is on fire
Kaberle and Weber are not playing (we're a better team )
Prust, Bouillon, Moen, White, Armstrong...love the grit
Price is on fire



Go Subbie Go!!
Go Habs Go!!

p.s.: next good news we will hear...Leblanc is back to the old self (a player similar to Patrice Bergeron...a solid 2nd or 3rd line winger/center version of 1st line P. Bergeron).

 

[Price is Wright]

We shouldn't be judging a GM this early anyway. He has made some key moves but this is still largely Gainey/Gauthier's team, for better or worse.

Bergevin clearly has a plan and has made some interesting moves. Right now it looks like he's in control, and as a Habs fan I hope he knows what he's doing. But right now, he's the man. This team needed to move in a new direction.

There's nothing wrong with early evaluations. It's rash decisions on early evaluations which is another thing entirely. Anyone trying to make a radical or risky gamble is going to be judged for it. That isn't just sports.

 

[Mr. Hab]

We shouldn't be judging a GM this early anyway. He has made some key moves but this is still largely Gainey/Gauthier's team, for better or worse.

Bergevin clearly has a plan and has made some interesting moves. Right now it looks like he's in control, and as a Habs fan I hope he knows what he's doing. But right now, he's the man. This team needed to move in a new direction.

Ok. But...it's just funny that he had to start being dirt cheap/unfair with our best dman since decades!! $3.5mil/year should have been the minimum, imo. But...no time to be bitter anymore towards Bergevin...time to be happy that Subban is back


Now I'm really curious as to what Bergevin will give Markov this summer! $5.75mil/year again? I hope Bergevin will do most of the valuing/evaluating during the most important time of the season...the playoffs. I want to believe that Markov will finally stay healthy and help us during the playoffs. We need him (that's what $5.75mil is saying). I'm staying positive. (love that we will be able to finally see Subban and Markov at the same time...really thought it was a fantasy).

 

[Redux91]

Wow. I hoped that negociation would end with a two year deal, but I thought it would be at least 3,5 M$ per. Nice job Bergie, setting a good example for our young stars. When Gally reaches that point, we'll be pretty happy our GM stood his ground on this one. As for PK, he will break the bank in 2014, but that's perfectly normal, we should be happy to be paying top dollars for an elite dman. And PK will be one two years from now, I have no doubts about that. Congrats to him for being reasonable on that one.

great post i feel the same way, ..all these people that are freaking out about how much more money pk is gonna make in 2 years i just dont get it, of COURSE he is and hopefully will deserve it even more in those 2 years, its just great to not have to pay him something that high until he is truly unbeleivably at the elite level we all know he can reach, THEN make it 7 mill a year , i dont care, because paying that in 2 years SHOULD mean that hed be near scoring 15+ goals a year and hovering around 60 points, and thats great!

everyone saying "oh my god imagine how much more money hes gonna get in 2 years" , uhhhh ONLY if he reaches superstar numbers, and if he does it will only mean great things for the team! bergevins not an idiot, look at what he did just a couple hours earlier, if pk really was that freaking evil and wants to "take it out" on the habs management next contract negotiation because of how "lowballed" he was before,, wouldnt he just of asked for a trade? why wait a couple of years before hatching your "master money making plan", he knows he would of got alot more money elsehwere, he didnt , he took 2 years out of the respect he now has for this guy, and in 2 years, that respect will still be there as bergevin will be more then happy to pay him a large amount of money, because pk will have deserved it

 

[Mr. Hab]

Nice...PK rounds out the defense corps nicely...pushes Cube down the depth chart, and adds some talent to the back end of the 2nd PP unit.

I wonder what was promised/threatened to get PK to sign for only 2 years at what seems like a discount.

#1 understatement of the thread!!
(3.5mil/year would have been a discount...a fair discount but a discount nonetheless...$2.875mil/year is a huge bargain...makes me believe there are still players out there that can play for less...but of course it probably was not esay for Subbie to finally sign... I'm a huge huge Subban fan for signing...was always a fan of his hockey style, but this is something else).

 

[Forgedias]

This thread will get pretty long so I will make this short, signing Subban to a 2 year is the most important part of this deal. I'm not going into who won in this deal or if Subban got lowballed.

The most important part is the 2 year deal. Its why this is called a bridge deal, a deal that is between the entry level contract and your big paying contract. This deal is right in between the RFA window for a player and that is very important for the club. The reason why Montreal have been so determined with Carey Price, Max Pacioretty and now PK Subban. The club, the Montreal Canadiens want to control where their players sign next after this deal. They are fine after this bridge contract in giving them their big contract. Price with his 6.5million should be evident of that. But having some say to a player's future is the smart approach to going about keeping their future franchise players with the club long term.

Clubs who immedietely reward their players with long term deals after their entry level contracts (The Edmonton Oilers being the key example) do the league no service since what if the players regress and not produce which has happenned many times in the past. What does that do the club then? They are now stuck in a long term contract that locks them up for years. Bridge deals protect the club and help motivate the players to get that big paying contract after the bridge contract. Both parties win out of this and frankly I am surprised more clubs don't go about this.

Kudos to the Marc Bergevin and the Habs organization to staying true to what is important to the club and to the player.

 

[CocoPops]

2 year deal is good because it keeps Subban hungry. Giving him too much could have led him to try and get by on his raw talent and potential but a 2 year contract now means he has to work hard to earn the next contract.

 

[29dryden29]

A little more than expected but only 750K great work MB he didnt need any more than that.

 

[Mr. Hab]

I'm so happy! What a top-4 we have on D!

Markov-Emelin
Gorges-Subban

Darn right!! Best top 4 we've had in a long long time, imo.

Gorges-Subban
Markov-Emelin

So much suffering before we could finally officially type the above top 4

Emelin...so much waiting before he finally became a Hab.
Markov...waited 3+ years for what we're seeing now! (stay healthy!).
And, finally...Subban signed

 

[ECWHSWI]

funny yo see all those who were saying MB was destroying the Habs now giving him props

 

[BaseballCoach]

All this commotion, holding out, going to the media and he just caves? Someone should slap him, and I hope it's Bergevin.

Getting 3.75M in year two instead of $2.9M is quite significant, as that will have to be his minimum qualifying offer in two years, when he will also have arbitration rights.

Also, the structure of THIS deal is interesting. Basically PK gave in and let Bergevin have the one-year screwing that the CBA allows between the end of the 3-year ELC status and the onset of arbitration rights after 4 years pro, but the second year he gets what an arbitrator probably would give him anyway yet avoiding a dispute next year.

 

[habsfanatics*]

Glad we got it done. I'd be an idiot to say I don't like the cap hit, but PK must really want to be here, which is great.

He'll get paid next time, I suppose.

 

[HockeyF3ind]

I would wager part of PK's calculation was regarding how much money he could make on the Habs through endorsement deals. The Habs fan base elevates PK to a status that will enable him to continue to get hefty endorsement deals and that will shore up any "losses" he might have otherwise taken in salary. Had he requested a trade he may have ended up in a city where no one cares about hockey and his endorsement potential is nil.

 

[habsfanatics*]

I like Markov/Emelin
Gorges/Subban
Boullion/Diaz

Diaz is hot, but still give him 1st wave pp time with the general. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Do you think he won't pan out? Of course he will. He's already shown he's a five million dollar player now. Even with a short bridge we should've at least given him more than we have.

Do the math man...

Not only that but we just pissed off a player we're counting on heavily for the future.
The whole way this was handled was extremely dumb.

Bergevin was able to do a bit of cap circumvention on this backloaded deal. He stayed within the 100% rule for contracts that are not frontloaded, but effectively gave Subban 0.58 seasons at $2M and 1.00 seasons at $3.75M, and got a cap hit of $2.875M instead of $3.11M, the weighted average.

It's a pretty unique circumstance, there have not been many deals since the lockout ended, and this loophole won't be available again until the lockout in 10 years.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

I still don't know why people wanted a 5 and 5. Would've been horrible. Only buys one of his UFA years and not a very cap friendly hit.

This is exactly the deal I wanted and even less a cap hit than I thought. In 2 years we'll have way more wiggle room, the cap should also be higher by then plus PK actually gets a chance to prove that he can go up to that next level before he gets paid like it. I'm not saying he hasn't been fantastic but he still hasn't reached his ceiling.

He saw first hand how the Blackhawks lose so many good players because of the cap. Looks like he's learned his lesson. Great job by Bergevin.