With PK Subban on the bench late in close games and on the penalty kill, rumors have spread that the Montreal Canadiens might be trying to gain leverage in what will be a costly contract negotiation, or that head coach Michel Therrien simply does not trust Subban.
Averaging just under 25 minutes a game, the defending Norris Trophy winner is ranked 18th in time on ice per game among defensemen. Strangely, many pundits have avoided answering the most pertinent question: Is there a hockey reason for Subban to sit in defensive situations?
Beyond his obvious skill and consistent statistical results, we will see below just how and why PK Subban is an effective and underrated defender, as well as the likely reason Therrien is keeping him stapled to the bench in defensive situations. Like most young defensemen, Subban makes mistakes. Still, his typically cerebral defensive work outweighs his occasionally risky behavior, and Therrien would do well to play him in every situation.
What Subban Does Well
While he leads Montreal defenders in powerplay minutes, Subban is last a ...
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Article written by Kevin McCartney