P.K. Subban will be a Montreal Canadien for at least eight more years. After a contentious arbitration hearing on Friday, the Habs and their star defenseman came to an agreement on an eight-year, $72 million contract Saturday afternoon, thus eliminating the need for the arbitrator's decision, which had yet to be announced.
P.K. Subban, Canadiens agree on 8-year, $72 million contract
The defenseman’s future in Montreal seemed shaky after a contentious arbitration hearing Friday, but that’s all in the rearview mirror now.
Harry How
At an average of $9 million against the salary cap per season, Subban becomes the third-highest paid player in the NHL behind Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin.
Subban’s agent Don Meehan said after the arbitration hearing Friday that his client wasn’t planning on negotiating further with the Habs, leading to fears that the hearing damaged the relationship between the two sides. It’s impossible to know what changed in the ensuing 24 hours, but none of it matters anymore: Subban has his long-term deal, and the Canadiens have their franchise star.
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"We are very pleased to have reached a long term agreement with P.K. Subban," Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin said in a press release. "This agreement helps consolidate the future of our team. A key element of our group of young veterans, P.K. plays with a high level of intensity every time he steps onto the ice. Despite his young age, he carries a great deal of experience and brings contagious energy to the team. Defensemen of his level are a rare commodity in the NHL."
In arbitration, Subban had asked for a salary of $8.5 million, while the Habs were pushing for an annual salary of $5.25 million. He earned $2.875 million per year against the salary cap on his last contract, a two-year deal that expired this summer, which was considered a “bridge” contract between his entry-level NHL deal and this long-term deal.
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