- Kosta Papoulias: Told that P.K. Subban was offered a five-year, $36 million contract but turned it down: $6 million, $7 million, $7 million, $8 million and $8 million. Subban is looking for a longer deal and more money. Subban is not looking for less than $8 million.
- Habs Links: Craig Button thinks the Canadiens are trying to sign Subban to a long-term deal around Carey Price’s cap hit, which is $6.5 million.
- Chris Johnston: None of the principle people left the Subban hearing in good spirits.
- Brian Wilde: From sources it is fair to say that Subban was given a low number on a long-term contract.
- Bob McKenzie: “Arbitrator must hand down ruling on Subban salary within 48 hours. Both sides requested one-year term, so that’s what it will be. MTL and Subban still free to negotiate a long-term contract up until the arbitrator’s ruling comes down. But once ruling is down, that’s it. Subban is two years away from UFA. MTL has been using every tool in the CBA tool belt (bridge contract/salary arb) on Subban. Subban’s primary CBA tool is going to UFA. The longer Subban goes without a new long-term contract in MTL, logic suggests the odds increase of him going to UFA or being traded. Lots of racetrack still to be run with Subban and MTL but it’s far from an ideal situation. My uneducated opinion from afar: MTL likes, maybe really likes, Subban but doesn’t LOVE him. And you have to LOVE someone at 8 x $8-9M+ per. More importantly, I guess, IF Subban doesn’t feel the love from MTL, how eager is he to re-up there for eight years? Gonna be interesting. Final Subban thought(s): there is no hard and fast point of no return, but just having a salary arb hearing crossed a threshold…Next threshold is arbitrator’s ruling. If that comes down without long term deal in place, dynamic changes again, and not for the better.
- Elliotte Friedman of CBC:
It’s not the end of the world if Subban plays next year under an arbitration award. Montreal can sign him to a new deal after Jan. 1, 2015. Everyone can go back to their corners and calm down. But the Canadiens have to know by next summer. They simply cannot allow Subban to start the 2015-16 season without a long-term deal.
Subban can decide to accept Montreal’s offer, but, as we move closer to his UFA status, history says that’s unlikely.
Montreal has four choices now. It can accept the award and sit for a while. It can offer Subban eight years at what he wants. It can offer him a four-year deal at $34-$38 million and say, “Worst comes to worst, you hit the market again at age 29 with a higher cap.” Or it trades him.