From Ken Campbell of The Hockey News:
P.K. Subban seeking $8.5 million in arbitration and the Canadiens are seeking $5.25 million on a one-year deal.
— Ken Campbell (@Ken_Campbell27) July 30, 2014
Habs elected for one-year award for Subban because they can take him to arb next summer. Also can negotiate new deal earlier on one year.
— Ken Campbell (@Ken_Campbell27) July 30, 2014
Try not to be too surprised at the numbers being reported. Is the Canadiens’ submission low for a Norris Trophy winner? Yep, it is. But that’s just how these things go. (And why players and clubs typically try to avoid actually going to arbitration, which can be an uncomfortable exercise for all involved.)
On that second tweet, see Ryan O’Reilly in Colorado as an example of a restricted free agent who was taken to arbitration by his club. In that case, the move was not received particularly well by the player and his agent, even if the two sides eventually settled on a two-year deal before an arbitrator actually got involved.
In Subban’s case, it would not be a huge shock if he and the Canadiens came to an agreement on a long-term contract before Friday’s hearing. The 25-year-old defenseman has said he wants to be a “lifer” in Montreal, and we’re quite certain the Habs would like to keep him for a while, too.