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New Jersey Devils: Early expectations for PK Subban

By Joseph Stanislau

NASHVILLE, TN - APRIL 10: Nashville Predators defenseman P.K. Subban (76) reacts following his third period goal during Game One of Round One of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, held on April 10, 2019, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - APRIL 10: Nashville Predators defenseman P.K. Subban (76) reacts following his third period goal during Game One of Round One of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, held on April 10, 2019, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Here are some early expectations for PK Subban as he prepares for his first season with the New Jersey Devils.

If there is someone not named Jack Hughes on this team that really is exciting and makes us all WOOO for it’s PK Subban. After beginning to watch him play for Les Canadiens du Montreal he is the kind of player who has the skill, talent, and character to break the ice, no pun intended. However, after making the playoffs in Montreal and being shipped off to Nashville he made a big playoff push a few times and has helped Nashville get to the Stanley Cup Finals, and fell short last season in early rounds.

After the trade for PK Subban to New Jersey on Draft Day number 2, everyone on social media had begun tweeting and messaging one another hashtagging #isitoctoberyet. Heck, even our buddies over at The Let’s Go Devils Podcast had a follow-up podcast for The PK Subban trade.

Now back to the 2019-2020 Expectations standards for PK are already high, to begin with, and he’s already training to uphold these “great expectations.” Subban seems to be able to play in at least 75 games after he was in 63 of them last season.

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The bar points-wise would be 20 goals and 56 assists, so a 76 point mark can be pretty doable. Minutes wise there will be a big spike in Time On Ice to about 28 minutes on average per game. Subban is going to rely on a lot and maybe Sami Vatanen and Severson can split the load in blowout win games.

PIM’s being penalty minutes should be lesser than 60 because there are a lot of other guys that can do the dirty penalty minutes in Subban’s place.

PK, however, is going to be more fine-tuned in nailing the puck on net 175 times due to the fact he has more decoys and a few snipers on each of the 4 forward lines that would enjoy a huge slapper of a shot on net.

John Hynes and Ray Shero have big expectations for PK going into this season especially since the Devils haven’t had a guy who was as skilled offensively from Brian Rafalski as a righty. Speaking of which, Rafalski retired with 515 points, and PK has 408 career points.

Having a guy like Subban for three seasons pacing 36 points or more a season will help him eclipse a former Devils career points total. If PK can be himself and getting pucks on net, and being that fantastic Corsi For and Offensive Zone Strength defender, his metrics point out as a 52.4 percent CF. He could have an oZS of 48.8 percent then this Devils defenseman can lead a big charge and output of offensive and defensive prowess each game he steps in a Devils uniform.

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