A Winning Habit
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Canadiens Final Report Card: P.K. Subban

By William Mccomb

March 3, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban (76) celebrates after scoring a goal against Los Angeles Kings during the first period at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
March 3, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban (76) celebrates after scoring a goal against Los Angeles Kings during the first period at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
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As the Canadiens most charismatic player, Subban displayed continued growth and success despite having what was widely regarded as a down season.

P.K. Subban is absolutely adored by the vast majority of Montreal Canadiens’ fans. He is far and away the most popular player and for good reason. Just prior to the 2015-16 season, Subban pledged $10 million to the Montreal Children’s Hospital, marking one of the biggest donations by an athlete in Canadian history.

In an era where most athletes are generic and monotone when dealing with the media, Subban’s colorful personality makes him one of the most sought after interviews in sports. An example of this was when he openly admitted to purposely farting on opponents during games.

Those two examples aren’t even the biggest reasons why Canadiens fans love Subban. P.K.’s on-ice play and his patented rushes up the ice put crowds on their feet. Chants of “PK, PK, PK!” rain down from the Bell Centre rafters on a nightly basis. Add in a Norris Trophy, two 1st Team All-Star selections and being one of the most offensively gifted defenders in Canadiens history, Subban is firmly on his way to some big historical numbers in his Canadiens career.

P.K. Subban – Defenceman

Games Played: 68

Goals-Assists-Points: 6-45-51

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Only in Montreal and only with P.K. Subban would a 50 point season by a defenceman be deemed a “disappointing year”. And that is exactly how the 2015-16 season has been described for the Canadiens star defender. A disappointment.

Admittedly, coming off a 60 point season in 2014-15 and being named a Norris Trophy finalist, this year may seem like a let down. But in reality, Subban did something that only two other Montreal Canadiens defencemen have done in team history. He joined Larry Robinson and Guy Lapointe as the only defenders to have recorded three consecutive 50-point seasons. That’s an elite trio of players.

So, let’s breakdown Subban’s season. Subban’s season was cut short due to a scary-looking neck injury. However, before that, he was actually on pace to exceed his point total from 2014-15. He tied a career high in assists and set career-highs in power play assists and time on ice. He also posted his 3rd consecutive season of being worth 8+ Points and led all Canadiens players in Point Shares.

Jan 30, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Atlantic Division defenseman P.K. Subban (76) of the Montreal Canadiens scores a goal against Central Division goaltender Pekka Rinne (35) of the Nashville Predators during the Breakaway Challenge during the 2016 NHL All Star Game Skills Competition at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 30, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Atlantic Division defenseman P.K. Subban (76) of the Montreal Canadiens scores a goal against Central Division goaltender Pekka Rinne (35) of the Nashville Predators during the Breakaway Challenge during the 2016 NHL All Star Game Skills Competition at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /

On the flip side, Subban did see a small dip in his overall play. Namely, Subban posted a career low in goals thanks to a career low in shooting percentage(3.4%). He saw a noticeable decline in blocked shots while also seeing a significant drop in Corsi Relative. Yet, despite the drop off, Subban still led all Canadiens defencemen in Corsi Relative.

He also saw an uptick in giveaways, averaging 1.56 per game. However, giveaways will always be part of Subban’s game and it should be accepted. Erik Karlsson also hovers around 100 giveaways per season and its due to the style each defender plays.

Subban did have some run-ins with Canadiens coach Michel Therrien, most notably, after an offensive turnover against the Colorado Avalanche led to the eventual game winning goal to be scored. Therrien was obviously upset at the play and truth be told, Subban did technically cost the Canadiens that game.

However, P.K. Subban is paid a lot of money to be the Canadiens star defender who is capable to scoring and carrying the team on his back. Had Subban been able to protect that puck against Colorado, the story would have been completely different.  Had he been able to either score or create a goal on that play and the Canadiens won, everyone would have been singing Subban’s praises.

Next: Canadiens Final Report Card: Defenceman Jeff Petry

So let’s recap. Subban posted another strong offensive season though he did see some drop off in other aspects of his game. This now begs the question, what do fans and media expect from Subban?

Honestly, the Canadiens don’t play a wide-open style which will always cap the amount of offensive production Subban has. Yes, Subban will make some mistakes but that is a small price to pay for all the great things he does and is capable of doing.

My grade for PK reflects what he did instead of what he didn’t do. He does take some small hits for some areas that were lacking. But overall, Subban had a very good year.

Final Grade: B+

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