Shea Weber traded straight up for PK Subban

[Randall Flagg]

We have to give Weber credit too, he's been the best defenseman in the NHL so far this season.

[That Aud Smell]

Yes. Carey Price

 

And, otoh, the numbers suggest that Pekka Rinne may be done.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

We have to give Weber credit too, he's been the best defenseman in the NHL so far this season.

 

Me thinks he has something to prove to the folks in Nashville, and Montreal for that matter.

 

P.K. has been pretty good in Nashville too.

[TrueBlueGED]

I believe myself and a few others predicted some would mistakenly attribute the Habs success this season to the swap of defensemen.

And, otoh, the numbers suggest that Pekka Rinne may be done.

They suggest he may have been done...two years ago. That contract is fugly.

Weber is playing phenomenal too. But Price is reason #1 - they were 9-0 when they started last season with Subban and Price.

Yup. Nothing to see here. If he goes down and gets replaced by AHL-level goaltending again, they'll be on the outside looking in for the second straight year.

[Iron Crotch]

Well, after 6-7 games, Nashville is 2-4 and the Habs are 6-0-1.

 

Coincidence?

 

Nope. Weber is much better in his own zone than Subban. I didn't like the trade from the Preds perspective and still don't. The Preds are terrible defensively thus far this year. Poille rid the team of any and all defensive-minded players and it is showing.

 

BTW - Pekka Rinne has been in decline since summer 2014. Right about the time that Mitch Korn left and went to Washington... and now Braden Holtby is one of the best goaltenders in the league. Coincidence? I think not.

[pi2000]

We have to give Weber credit too, he's been the best defenseman in the NHL so far this season.

 

At the time of the deal most everybody questioned Bergevin.   However, yours truly predicted Weber would shine for the Habs...

 

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/24342-bold-predictions-for-the-coming-season/?do=findComment&comment=856143

 

 As a player you would much rather face Subban than Weber.     

[Drunkard]

At the time of the deal most everybody questioned Bergevin.   However, yours truly predicted Weber would shine for the Habs...

 

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/24342-bold-predictions-for-the-coming-season/?do=findComment&comment=856143

 

 As a player you would much rather face Subban than Weber.     

 

Right now the deal is fine. It's down the road when Montreal will begin to regret this trade given that Weber is already 31 and is signed for another decade (probably not but I'm too lazy to look it up). Of course Nashville is probably the one on the hook for the majority of the salary cap recapture so by the time he starts looking like Joe Finley out there it's likely he'll retire and Nashville will be the ones dealing with the cap hit.

[Eleven]

At the time of the deal most everybody questioned Bergevin.   However, yours truly predicted Weber would shine for the Habs...

 

http://forums.sabrespace.com/topic/24342-bold-predictions-for-the-coming-season/?do=findComment&comment=856143

 

 As a player you would much rather face Subban than Weber.     

 

 

In what zone of the rink?

 

And, as others have said, it's Price, not Weber, making the difference in Montreal.

[Randall Flagg]

In what zone of the rink?

 

And, as others have said, it's Price, not Weber, making the difference in Montreal.

I really don't think we're giving Weber enough credit here, he's been absolutely incredible to start.

 

The issue will be whether he breaks down as the season goes on like he did last year. As he ages, those breakdowns happen earlier and earlier. 

[nfreeman]

Habs won again tonight (beating Tampa) and are 7-0-1. Weber led all skaters in ice time with over 25 min.

[Cisse]

The games I've seen Weber has been really strong.

[pi2000]

Right now the deal is fine. It's down the road when Montreal will begin to regret this trade given that Weber is already 31 and is signed for another decade (probably not but I'm too lazy to look it up). Of course Nashville is probably the one on the hook for the majority of the salary cap recapture so by the time he starts looking like Joe Finley out there it's likely he'll retire and Nashville will be the ones dealing with the cap hit.

 

You're right, the deal is 10 more years and expires when he's 40.    If you buy him out the remaining money due is spread over twice the number of years remaining or something like that, so if you buy him out at 35-36, that would be another 8-10 yrs they'd have to count the remaining money toward their cap...  which is bad yeah, so they better hope he plays well past 35 at a high level.    I think he can do it, he's not a guy that relies on his blazing speed. 

[Drunkard]

You're right, the deal is 10 more years and expires when he's 40.    If you buy him out the remaining money due is spread over twice the number of years remaining or something like that, so if you buy him out at 35-36, that would be another 8-10 yrs they'd have to count the remaining money toward their cap...  which is bad yeah, so they better hope he plays well past 35 at a high level.    I think he can do it, he's not a guy that relies on his blazing speed. 

 

I don't think there's any way in hell he gets bought out. If I remember right the last 3 or 4 years of his deal only pay him $1 million per season. Odds are he'll retire rather than play those final years for such a small payday. The recapture will be paid by the team who got the benefits as well which would be Nashville. I'm not certain but I also think the cap recapture penalties are worse if he's on another team's roster rather than Nashville when he retires. If that's the case Montreal will have leverage to force Nashville to trade them a kings ransom in exchange for a retired Weber just to keep the recapture penalties reasonable.

[nfreeman]

Habs win again tonight, 2-1 over Toronto.  Weber led all skaters with 27 min of ice time and had the GWG in the 3rd period.

[Eleven]

Habs win again tonight, 2-1 over Toronto.  Weber led all skaters with 27 min of ice time and had the GWG in the 3rd period.

 

Weber is good.  REALLY GOOD.  But healthy Price is the reason.

[nfreeman]

Weber is good. REALLY GOOD. But healthy Price is the reason.

Healthy Price is probably the biggest reason, I agree, but I think Weber is a significant reason too. Some great players are not only great themselves, but they also lift everyone else up. I think he is one of them.

[pi2000]

Weber named one of NHLs 3-stars of the week.   

 

Here's his ppg against TOR.... https://www.nhl.com/video/webers-go-ahead-ppg/t-282916402/c-45816503

[Iron Crotch]

Shea leads the Habs in scoring with 10 points thru 9 games and leads the NHL with a +12 (next closest is +9).

 

PK has 5 points thru 8 games and is a -7 (worst on the Preds, and 1 off worst in the NHL).

[Randall Flagg]

Relevant facts: 

 

-Habs started out 9-0 with PK and Price last season, missed playoffs because of Price
-Rinne has been the worst starting goalie in the league still, he's done
-Forsberg, Neal, and Johansen have combined for a whopping one goal, a Sabre equivalent would be Eichel/Reinhart/O'Reilly being healthy and having 1 goal total through 8 games

 

That said, Weber has been tremendous, he always starts out very good. Better than usual this season. His collapse should come sooner this season than it did last, though, and sooner and sooner each year after that.

This trade has a decade to play out yet.

And I'll believe that Weber will be better than PK for the team when they get past the ECF with him. And even if they do that, they'll have had a first line center Galchenyuk over a 3rd liner Galchenyuk, and an extra top 15 winger in the world in Radulov.

 

Weber wins the Norris if his play continues though, especially because he's always been so close but has never won one. 

[LGR4GM]

I expect Nashville to trade for Bishop at some point if feasible

[TrueBlueGED]

Relevant facts:

 

-Habs started out 9-0 with PK and Price last season, missed playoffs because of Price

-Rinne has been the worst starting goalie in the league still, he's done

-Forsberg, Neal, and Johansen have combined for a whopping one goal, a Sabre equivalent would be Eichel/Reinhart/O'Reilly being healthy and having 1 goal total through 8 games

 

That said, Weber has been tremendous, he always starts out very good. Better than usual this season. His collapse should come sooner this season than it did last, though, and sooner and sooner each year after that.

 

This trade has a decade to play out yet.

 

And I'll believe that Weber will be better than PK for the team when they get past the ECF with him. And even if they do that, they'll have had a first line center Galchenyuk over a 3rd liner Galchenyuk, and an extra top 15 winger in the world in Radulov.

 

Weber wins the Norris if his play continues though, especially because he's always been so close but has never won one.

I was with you all the way. And then you just had to go and call Radulov a top-15 winger.

[Randall Flagg]

I was with you all the way. And then you just had to go and call Radulov a top-15 winger.

How many Habs games have you watched this year, my friend?

[TrueBlueGED]

How many Habs games have you watched this year, my friend?

Even if I had watched any, you really think I'm going to be sold by a couple of viewings?

 

Kane

Benn

Ovechkin

Tarasenko

Kucherov

Gaudreau

Voracek

Forsberg

Nylander

Hall

Panarin

Perry

Parise

Wheeler

Marchand *douses self in gasoline and lights a match*

 

And that's without even trying! Top-30 probably, though.

[Randall Flagg]

Even if I had watched any, you really think I'm going to be sold by a couple of viewings?

 

Kane

Benn

Ovechkin

Tarasenko

Kucherov

Gaudreau

Voracek

Forsberg

Nylander

Hall

Panarin

Perry

Parise

Wheeler

Marchand *douses self in gasoline and lights a match*

 

And that's without even trying! Top-30 probably, though.

He's playing right now the same way he has been for years in the KHL. He's been the Habs' best forward, his motor never stops, and his player-discussion thread on the Habs board has pages with fans saying he should be CAPTAIN. Now, they're crazy, but he's got absolutely elite skills and a higher motor than almost every guy on that list. He's better than Nylander and Parise, and probably Perry now too (I've never been high on Perry) and he's also probably better than Forsberg.

Edited November 1, 2016 by Randall Flagg

[TrueBlueGED]

He's playing right now the same way he has been for years in the KHL. He's been the Habs' best forward, his motor never stops, and his player-discussion thread on the Habs board has pages with fans saying he should be CAPTAIN. Now, they're crazy, but he's got absolutely elite skills and a higher motor than almost every guy on that list. He's better than Nylander and Parise, and probably Perry now too (I've never been high on Perry) and he's also probably better than Forsberg.

I need to see him sustain it. Not jumping on the bandwagon after 9 games, especially since his previous stints have been less than stellar. Also think you're underrating Nylander, kid looks like a superstar and has looked to be on that trajectory since last year. He's been their best forward IMO.