Former General Manager Regrets Blockbuster Trade With Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens made one of the most surprising, and most controversial trades in franchise history in late June of 2016.

Coming off a miserable season as the team learned what life was like without Carey Price who missed most of the season with injury. It wasn't pretty and they dropped near the bottom of the NHL standings after an incredible start (when Price was healthy).

The Canadiens shocked the hockey world when they traded P.K. Subban, who had won the Norris Trophy three years earlier, to the Nashville Predators for Shea Weber. The trade involved two excellent top pairing right defenders who both happened to be on massive contracts at the time.

Subban had six more years on his deal with a cap hit of $9 million and Weber had ten years to go on his gigantic contract with a cap hit just north of $7.8 million per season.

The trade resulted in great controversy amongst Canadiens fans. Some were glad to have a player of Weber's ilk on the team, and others were quick to suggest it was the worth thing ever. The debate raged on for years and even now, with both players careers in the rearview mirror, there are people ready to go toe to toe online about who won the deal.

David Poile would know who won the deal, and that is because he was the general manager of the Predators at the time. He was the one who pulled the trigger and decided to move Weber for Subban.

In a recent interview with Paul Skrbina of The Tennessean, Poile stated he wished the trade never happened. He said he did what he had to do and suggested when agents get involved and there is money in play the business part can get in the way of the hockey side of things.

Weber would play five seasons with the Canadiens and helped them reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2021. Subban immediately helped the Predators make the final in 2017 so it is not like neither of them had success in their new homes.

However, when one of the general managers involved in a trade says he wished it never happened, it tells you who won the deal. That should really put an end to the debate. But it won't.