Devils decline to extend P.K. Subban, trade a possibility

While the New Jersey Devils aren’t exactly true sellers, as we outlined in our Trade Deadline Primer last month, there is one name that appears to be on his way out. P.K. Subban met with Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald over the weekend according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, and was told that the team wouldn’t be extending him. That means as Fitzgerald put it, “if the move makes sense for the New Jersey Devils … I have to do what’s best for the organization.”

Subban of course comes with a huge $9M cap hit, meaning that it would need to be a perfect fit and would likely require the Devils to retain 50%. But with the number of depth options that are moved at the deadline each year that don’t possess anywhere near Subban’s upside, it does seem like some teams will at least inquire about the veteran defenseman.

There’s no doubt that a 32-year-old Subban is a shadow of the player that won the Norris Trophy in 2013 and was a finalist two other times, most recently in 2018. He is averaging fewer than 20 minutes a night for the first time in his entire career and still provides risky, inconsistent play in his own end. He does have 18 points in 53 games, though — none of which have come on the power play — and can contribute offensively when put in the right situations.

Not to be overlooked is the simple fact that Subban is right-handed, a trait that seems to be in higher demand at the NHL trade deadline than at any other time in history. There are simply not very many NHL-level right-handed defensemen available at any given time, and contenders are always looking to add an extra one for a potential long playoff run.

For his own part, Subban does have a long, successful history in the NHL postseason. He’s suited up in 96 playoff games during his career and has 18 goals and 62 points in those contests. That includes a run to the Stanley Cup Final with the Nashville Predators in 2017 and several other lengthy runs, usually logging more than 25 minutes a night. That’s not the role he would play on any acquiring team, but the experience is still valuable as the games get tighter.

An unrestricted free agent in the summer, it’s unclear what the future holds for Subban. It won’t be in New Jersey, though, something that seemed obvious when the team went out and signed Dougie Hamilton to a massive seven-year, $63M contract last offseason. With Damon Severson still in place on the right side for at least one more year (unless he too is dealt at some point) and more youth coming through the pipeline, Subban will have to find somewhere else to play next season; he’ll potentially get a sneak peek at a new market in the coming weeks.