By: Sam Minton | Follow me on Twitter @sam_minton22
The Boston Bruins are linked to a familiar face. Former Montreal Canadian and current New Jersey Devils defensemen P.K. Subban could be making his way to TD Garden.
According to Boston Hockey Now’s Jimmy Murphy, the B’s have checked in on the veteran defensemen on multiple occasions. A key part of this is the fact that the Devils might be willing to meet at least $9 million in cap space in order to move Subban.
“You’re getting a motivated player that wants to prove he’s still got game heading into free agency next summer,” the source said to Murphy. “PK lives for the spotlight and big games as we know, and there will be way more of that in Boston than New Jersey. Still can work a powerplay too.”
The 32-year-old defensemen is far from his prime. After a few seasons in Nashville, his numbers have started to take a dip.
While he still boasts a powerful slapshot, last season Subban only put up five goals and 14 assists in 44 games. Even in his first season with New Jersey, he struggled scoring seven goals and racking up 11 assists.
Boston would be banking on the fact that Subban simply needs a fresh start. They would be hoping that he could return to form and put up numbers similar to the 2017-18 season when he tallied 16 goals and 43 assists.
The chances of that happening are not in the B’s favor. While I would love to see the dichotomy of a team that has both Brad Marchand and Subban on the ice, it might not be the best move for the B’s.
The Bruins are undergoing a necessary youth movement. Veteran players such as David Krejci, Zdeno Chara, and Kevan Miller are out of the picture and it’s time for young players like Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak to establish themselves as leaders.
Sadly for Bruins fans, the days of watching Patrice Bergeron and even Brad Marchand are nearing their end. Boston needs to prepare for the future, or they could return to the dark ages once these players retire.
Acquiring a veteran defenseman would definitely boost the blue line, but at what cost? Who would Boston have to give up in terms of talent? Would they have to give up draft picks?
The Bruins are in a similar situation that the local football team is in. (Mark might kick me off the site if I mentioned their name). Boston needs to be acquiring assets like draft picks, not getting rid of them.
So while acquiring a player such as Subban might seem like a good idea (especially if it was about a decade ago), Boston has the tools to compete for a Stanley Cup already. They don’t need to blow up their farm system in order to make one last run.
The trade deadline will be an interesting time for the Bruins as Subban among others will continue to be linked with a move to Boston. Fans will just have to wait and see what Don Sweeney is able to pull off this time.
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