GM Marc Bergevin is convinced the Montreal Canadiens have better NHL betting odds – not his exact words but people who bet on hockey get the idea – with Shea Weber, whom he traded PK Subban to the Nashville Predators for. However, Bergevin doesn’t seem quite sure why that is the case. Also, there’s the possibility that his “we feel we are a better team” is a mechanism defense to shield himself from a potential fan backlash. Along with goalie Carey Price, Subban was the most popular player in Montreal. Additionally, he was a locker-room and on-the-ice leader, a role model outside of the rink, and an all-around nice guy. And he’s black. How many black hockey players can there really be?
Predators GM David Poile also had to do some soul searching before trading Weber, who has been the face of the team for years. And while both Subban and Weber are All-Star defensemen, most NHL betting experts think that the Canadiens got a raw deal. Weber – whom Bergevin called a “diamond in the rough” – will be 31 years old in August (and will be 40 when his contract expires) and, as good as he’s been, he is already on he’s way down, though he’s getting paid as if he was still in his prime and Montreal will have to pick up the tab. Again, Bergevin thinks “Shea Weber’s got a lot of good hockey [left].”
On the other hand, 27 year old Subban is one of the best defensemen – ranking third in scoring by a defenseman over the last three seasons – in particular and one of the best players in the league in general. Moreover, NHL.com says there has been an “analytical revolution… over the past few seasons,” of which “Weber and Subban are on opposite ends.” And if, according to the Toronto Star, “Subban is an analytics darling,” well, then people who bet on hockey can just imagine on which end of the spectrum Weber is.
Subban is actually “excited” to be Nashville bound (as should be Predators NHL betting fans), and why wouldn’t he be? If Groucho Marx would not belong to any club that would accept him as a member, Subban should not belong to any club who would trade him for Shea Weber – no disrespect to the latter, though. If I didn’t know any better – and I don’t – I would think this whole trade thing is just a nefarious scheme by Bergevin – possibly in cahoots with coach Michel Therrien – to stop Subban from raising $10 million for the Montreal Children’s Hospital, but that would be way too early 90s, direct to video, kiddies flick to be actually true.
