P.K. Subban retired in 2022 and now serves as an ESPN panel member. It wasn’t a great surprise that Subban would get a job in T.V., and nobody was surprised to see him be good at it.
Subban was always a great defenseman but also had a great personality off the ice. He was always a fan favorite, and it raised some eyebrows that he wasn’t offered a contract from any of the 32 NHL teams during September.
Several teams are currently in the market for a defenseman. Someone who can bring some experience to the team and who can help them on their way to the Stanley Cup. Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs are two of the teams needing a D-man, and Subban now claims he’s surprised that neither offered him a job last autumn.
“I was pretty surprised,” said Subban, per canoe.com. “I felt I could have helped a number of teams. As a free agent, I wanted to play on a contending team. I think Edmonton showed some interest. Carolina had showed some interest. I did not have discussions with the Maple Leafs. They were not interested in signing me.
“I think a lot of people wanted me to continue to train for the first part of the season, but that’s not the player I am. I never thought of myself as a replacement player. I was always a top player in this league. I didn’t want to be a player who is in and out of the lineup every night.
P.K. Subban even said he could’ve signed and played for ”practically nothing.”
”Money was never an issue for me. It was about the opportunity to come in and help a team win. I wanted to win a Stanley Cup. But those opportunities were never presented to me.”
P.K. Subban won the Norris Trophy in 2013 and was a finalist on two more occasions. He was also in five All-star teams and finished his career with 467 points in 834 NHL games.