Subban Trade Doesn’t Move Predators’ Stanley Cup Odds; Nashville Still +2000 On Average

• Nashville traded away All-Star defenseman P.K. Subban at the 2019 NHL Entry Draft
• Subban has three years left on his contract at an AAV of $9 million per year
• The Predators are hoping to use the cap space to sign a free agent like Matt Duchene or Artemi Panarin

The Nashville Predators were somewhat expected to move P.K. Subban this offseason. Even so, it still stunned many people when they found a willing partner in the New Jersey Devils at the NHL Draft.

The Predators’ odds to win the Stanley Cup haven’t changed, though. Are the 2017 finalists a good bet to win it all?

Updated 2020 Stanley Cup Odds

*Odds taken 06/25/19. Click on the link in the table above to see odds for all teams. 

Subban Traded To Devils

One of the reasons the Subban trade surprised so many people is that it was a straight-up salary dump. He had three seasons left on his eight-year, $72 million contract (annual average of $9 million per year) and was shipped off for Steven Santini, Jeremy Davies and two second-round picks.

While these kinds of trades are common in basketball, they’re still relatively new to the NHL, so they catch a lot of people off-guard.

The Predators aren’t getting much back for their All-Star defenseman in terms of talent but they are getting plenty of cap space, which they can then use to sign two or three players.

Subban Struggled In 2018

There’s no question that Subban was much off the elite production he delivered in previous seasons. He had just nine goals and 31 points last season while playing 22:40 per night.

That’s his lowest point total since his rookie season and the lowest time-on-ice per game since his second year.

It’s clear that, at 30 years old, the Predators felt he wasn’t worth $9 million per year for the next three seasons. At the same time, he’s still a top-four defenseman and Nashville is currently close to Stanley Cup contention, so one has to wonder what the plan is.

Why Haven’t Nashville’s Odds Dropped?

The answer is that the Predators now have room to be players in free agency. We’re talking about a team that has long had a dire need for offensive help and now guys like Matt Duchene, Artemi Panarin and Joe Pavelski are in play. This team averaged 2.88 goals per game last season (19th in the NHL).

On top of that, the Preds feel like they have plenty of depth on defense with youngsters Dante Fabbro, Frederic Allard and Alexandre Carrier waiting in the wings.

They traded from an area of strength and gave themselves the chance to add to an area of need.

Preds Are Still Worth Considering

If you liked the Preds to win the Stanley Cup before, don’t shy away now. This team was third in the NHL in goals-against last year, and did that while having Subban during one of his worst years. On the surface, it appears they can take that hit and give their offense a boost.

The question is will they sign someone? If they swing and miss on the big-name free agents, then don’t touch their futures. If they manage to get someone like Duchene, Panarin, or Gustav Nyquist, then this team immediately becomes one of the top contenders in the Western Conference.

Remember, this conference is wide open and this is a team that finished with 100 points last season and made the Cup finals the year before. As long as they use their new-found cap space on one of the top offensive pieces, they’re still worth a play to win the Stanley Cup in 2020.