You love hockey. You love SB Nation. You love reading hockey at SB Nation. Search your feelings. You know these things are true. But life’s too busy to browse the whole network for news. So, we’ll send hockey news to your inbox every morning. All you need to do is subscribe.
Morning Skate: All of the Canadiens’ leaders are wrong about P.K. Subban
Even ownership.
Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images
Lace ‘em up. Time for the Morning Skate.
* * *
THE DENIAL IS REAL
Canadiens (and hockey fans everywhere, really) were stunned by the P.K. Subban trade. They were stunned when it happened. They were stunned by the return. They were stunned when general manager Marc Bergevin said the trade made the team better, but refused to elaborate on why he thought that.
Most of all, they were stunned that ownership signed off on the deal. Geoff Molson and company hadn’t immediately spoken out about the trade. Perhaps there was some dissension in the front office? Perhaps ownership wasn’t behind Bergevin’s vision?
Molson laid those hopes to rest on Monday. From NHL.com (emphasis mine):
“For sure, P.K. is, obviously, we all know, an excellent hockey player and played an important role in the community as well,” Molson said Monday at a Place Bell press conference announcing the Canadiens’ AHL team will relocate from St. John’s, Newfoundland, to Laval for the 2017-18 season. “And at the same time, Marc Bergevin, he works to make our team better, and I think all of the work he has done this spring to improve our team has been 100 percent supported by me. And that’s what I pay him for, is to make our team better, and I’m really looking forward to seeing the evolved team on the ice and I think our fans are going to really appreciate the improvements.”
Well. So much for that.
Molson is an owner. Owners hire, pay and trust general managers to make smart hockey decisions that they know they couldn’t trust to make themselves. In that sense, he’s right. He pays Bergevin to make the team better.
So either Molson is completely hockey dumb or he doesn’t watch his team that often, because it’s almost universally understood that P.K. Subban is one of the best hockey players on the planet and made the Canadiens better as much as he possibly could. If Molson was smart, or paid attention, he would’ve stepped in and the deal wouldn’t have been made.
Many Habs fans are sure that coach Michel Therrien didn’t appreciate Subban. Clearly, that feeling was shared by Bergevin, a close friend of his. That ownership either supports or shares their short-sightedness or chooses to defer to their direction without question completes the trifecta of hopelessness for Canadiens fans.
OFFSEASON RUMOR NEWS REACTION CORNER
- Ryan O'Reilly's DWAI (Driving With Ability Impaired) charge was dropped this week. That still doesn't excuse Buffalo writers nominating him for the NHL's sportsmanship award, though.
- Chris Kelly is headed back to Ottawa.
- Shane Doan is back for at least one more season in Arizona.
- Vancouver is sticking with Jacob Markstrom as their backup for the next three seasons.
- You already know what Sean Monahan's new contract should look like.
- Anaheim traded for Jonathan Bernier, so the Leafs and Ducks have basically just traded goalies this summer.
- New Jersey's moves this summer should help their possession numbers.
- If the Bruins are planning on trading David Krejci, the Blue Jackets should pass.
- The Rangers missed their chances to offload huge contracts.
- Nathan MacKinnon will be an Avalanche for the next seven years.
- And Mark Scheifele will be a Jet for the next eight years. Holy term lengths, Batman.
OFFSEASON DOLDRUMS ANALYSIS
- Toronto needs to hedge their Frederik Andersen bet, and they have plenty of options.
- So, uh ... what does the Habs' power play look like without P.K. Subban?
- Speaking of Subbans, his younger brother is waiting in the wings in Boston. Is a Tuukka Rask trade worth it?
- Fear The Fin ranks the best California-born NHLers.
- This will shock you, but the Oilers will have goalie problems next season.
- Pensburgh looks back on the year that was for Phil.
- An Islanders fan pays tribute and bids adieu to one of his favorite players.
- So how do the Flyers evaluate prospects, exactly?
- Second City Hockey sits down to discuss the perception surrounding the Blackhawks and their front office.
- Dallas needs their youth to step up next season.
See More:
