Who actually won the Shea Weber for P.K. Subban trade?

Just under one year ago, the Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators shocked the NHL world with a blockbuster trade. The Predators sent their captain and the face of their franchise, Shea Weber, in exchange for the Canadiens’ star defenseman, who had become the scapegoat for the team’s bad play, P.K. Subban.

Naturally, the 2016/17 NHL season was rife with comparisons between the two elite-level defensemen, and public opinion in one poll has the Habs as winners of the trade. But, who really won in the Weber-Subban trade?

The battle of numbers

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P.K. Subban featured in 12 fewer games than Shea Weber, but only scored two fewer points. Weber’s 17 goals to Subban’s ten puts him up in the scoring category, and the Habs blueliner also put up a mighty +20 rating to Subban’s -8.

However, in the postseason, Subban showed up, helping the Preds reach the Stanley Cup final. They ended up losing to the dynastic Pittsburgh Penguins in six games, but Subban was a driving force throughout the playoffs. Weber, on the other hand, fell with the Canadiens in round one, struggling to make a difference in their only series.
Nashville filled a need, Montreal reshaped

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At the time of the trade, the Montreal Canadiens had just come off of a terrible season that was largely a result of Carey Price’s injury. However, the team needed a defenseman who could be effective in all three zones. Shea Weber has filled that need, and then some. But Weber’s arrival signaled a change from skill to physicality with the Habs, which contradicts the modern NHL’s style of play.

The Nashville Predators, however, needed offense. Shea Weber provided some, but not enough, for the team bursting at the seams with top-class defensemen. P.K. Subban brought a huge amount of offensive prowess with him, making the Preds one of the most well-rounded teams in the NHL. Because of this, Nashville is +1400 to win the cup in the NHL betting odds next season, with Montreal trailing by five places.

A group of Canadiens fans still hold contempt for Subban despite him being one of the team’s best skaters, if not the best, during his time with the team. Despite this, Subban still felt the love in Montreal when he returned in March to be honored by the Governor General for his $10 million in donations to Montreal Children’s Hospital over seven years.

So, who won the trade?

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On the ice, Shea Weber may have scored more goals, more game-winning goals, dealt out more hits and produced a better rating, but P.K. Subban added an element to the Nashville Predators that transformed them into Stanley Cup finalists. There’s no denying that Weber is one of the best all-around defensemen in the league and is a leader of the team, but Subban’s team ethic, speed, and offensive tenacity was game changing.

While the Montreal Canadiens get bigger, tougher, and more physical, the Nashville Predators become a goal-oriented and slick moving team sitting on the best defensive unit in the league. Player-to-player, Montreal won the trade this season, but based on the impact on the team, Nashville takes the win with P.K. Subban.