Subban

[Chuck]

Another reminder of just how much his trade sucked.

https://www.tsn.ca/must-see/video/must-see-subban-disguises-himself-as-old-man-in-latest-holiday-surprise-video%7E1290718

[Mike]

On 2017-12-25 12:32 PM, Chuck wrote:
> Another reminder of just how much his trade sucked.
>
> https://www.tsn.ca/must-see/video/must-see-subban-disguises-himself-as-old-man-in-latest-holiday-surprise-video%7E1290718
>

I hope some day he writes a book and gives us all the gory details.

[Chuck]

I blame Mike Babcock and Olympic team for greasing the rails for Subban's trade. MB and MT didn't like Subban but due to his popularity, they coudn't trade him for just anyone. A trade would a be difficult public relations nightmare. But the Olympic team chose a highly coach compliant defence corp, which would leave all equal strength offence to the star forwards playing in front of them, with risk aversion to the max. They did not trust Subban to buy in, nor give him the chance to prove that he could. But the could play the numbers game, arguing all their picks were all stars, and someone had to lose out. If Nashville had not been willing to trade Weber, I think Subban would not have been traded. PR spin, we traded our star defenceman for an even better Olympic blueline star. Perfect storm as I think MB lacked the nerve to have made any different trade (And continues to lack nerve when considering to trade any current rostered player)

[Jim Bauch]

We'll probably never know for sure, because I think MB has settled on the story of "gosh, we had some talks about Subban, but we weren't really TRYING to trade him until this fabulous possibility of getting Weber was dangled in our faces" and will cling to it until his dying day, but I don't buy it.

I think MB was absolutely determined to trade Subban before his no-trade clause kicked in. MB's (and his foxhole partner's) dislike of P.K. is pretty well-gone-over ground here, so I won't elaborate. MB had to know that, if he didn't make a deal then, he would likely be stuck with Subban indefinitely, given P.K.'s youth, his apparent love for playing in Montreal, and the unlikelihood of MB winning any PR battles against him to force him to waive the clause.

One way or another, Subban was going to be gone. If not to the Predators, then to the Oilers for some offensive help, or some other team for a center.

Jim

[Nyssa]

Just mark it down as another huge mistake made during the
MB administration, right up there with extending MT and
keeping him in place WAY too long.

It may well be that this season's trade with Tampa Bay may
be shown to reach that level of incompetence too based on
the players' performances on their new teams over the course
of this season and those going forward.

The high level and number of these poor decisions (plus
Radu, Markov) simply will not be offset by occasionally
finding a bargain such as Byron.

Anyone else with that record of decision and deal making
would have been shown the door by now. I can't understand
why Molson is so hesitant and seemingly unconcerned with
the state of the team.

Nyssa, who still wishes we could have gotten Gallant as
a coach after Florida kicked him to the curb which also
would have meant that MT would have been gone months
before he finally got the boot too

[Chuck]

Just look at MBs underwhelming trade record, other then Subban when it comes to evaluating his nerve when it comes to trades

[Mike]

Therrien hated Subban from before he was coach and continued to despise
him afterwards. Given Therrien's well recorded record of young player
abuse, I've theorized that his hatred was based on under the covers
racism. I still believe that too. I'll never know for sure of course
unless Subban comes out with some tell all book that points the finger
at his color as an issue with Therrien. If he does, he'll have a
believer in me.

[Nyssa]

If PK ever does write a book of his travels in hockey, it
won't be until long after he's retired, so we've got a very
long wait for any revelation.

Meanwhile, given MT's attitude from even before he was
Subban's coach and his actions afterward, I have no trouble
making the connection that racism was in there somewhere
paired up with a pattern of bad attitude and treatment of
younger players in general, it was a perfect storm that
ended up with us losing one of the most dynamic players
of his generation.

That it was allowed to continue and resulted in The Trade
is all on MB though, so he shares much of the blame.

Nyssa, who is pleased that Mete did well enough to be
named Team Canada's Player of the Game in yesterday's
win over Finland

[Chuck]

Too bad the Habs will try to simplify that out of Mete’s game. :(

[Gerry]

Looks like another reminder today! Norris finalist!

Although I will say from watching, he's STILL not where he was before they crushed him, and he really only had maybe a 30-40 game streak of Norris-worthiness this year. He tailed off again for the last couple of months of the season, which will cost him. He won't win it. But even being #3 is a pretty great accomplishment.

l8r,
Gerry

[Mike]

Yeah but we got Man Mountain for him!

[Gerry]

On Friday, April 20, 2018 at 7:56:32 AM UTC-4, Mike wrote:
> Yeah but we got Man Mountain for him!

The man, the mountain... he will be back and better than ever with a bionic ankle... and possibly his rightful "C" on the jersey, once they get rid of that Subban-loving problem child Pacioretty.

I bet Bergevin still thinks he'll have "the last laugh" on that trade.

l8r,
Gerry

[Gerry]

And on another note, Markov wins the KHL championship last night. Nice to see he got something after the Olympic snub.

l8r,
Gerry