The Rundown

After publicly stating that P.K. Subban wasn't being actively shopped, Marc Bergevin and the Montreal Canadiens shipped out the talented defenseman to the Nashville Predators for Shea Weber. The move could be described as out of left field, head scratching, and a no brainer with two of the three being technically correct depending on your point of view.

For Nashville, there are two main benefits. First, the Predators get out from an unbelievable 14 year, $110M contract that still has 10 years remaining for the 31 year old defender. Second, Nashville simultaneously got out from the contract while upgrading Weber's spot, if that can be believed. Subban is an elite talent and is four years younger than Weber at the time of the deal, while having six years left on his contract. That means he'll be 33 when his deal is up, and assuming he shows decline at that point, he can be resigned at a more reasonable clip compared to Weber's deal, which will go on longer than he will be able to compete.

For Montreal... well... at least moving Subban resulted in a comparable replacement, though it's ultimately still a downgrade on the blueline. It's not immediately evident as to why the Canadiens felt they needed to move Subban, unless there are off-ice issues that aren't publicly known. Subban was a very active member of the community, recently donating a large amount of money to a Montreal children's hospital, so any off-ice issues are likely within the locker room (this is purely conjecture).

In any event, the Habs will add an aging defenseman that gets by a bit more on name recognition than elite level play. To be sure, Weber is no slouch, but his game has come down a bit over the last few years, though this was masked some by the talented stable of blueliners Weber often played with (typically, Roman Josi).

Last season, Subban finished with a 52.3 CF% at five-on-five play, good for 45th amongst defensemen with at least 300 minutes, while Weber clocked in 64th with a 51.5 CF%. That difference may not seem overwhelming, but Subban was often playing with a deteriorated Andrei Markov while Weber saw time with Josi. Subban had something of a down year offensively, but he still notched 51 points in 68 games despite netting just six goals (thanks to a low 3.4% shooting rate). Weber similarly netted 51 points, though he did so on 20 goals.

Fantasy Fallout

Look for P.K. Subban to get a bump from playing on the blueline next to a fellow top tier defenseman in Roman Josi, as opposed to dragging Andrei Markov up and down the ice. Nashville's top six is comparable to that of Montreal, as Filip Forsberg continues to blossom and with Ryan Johansen now in the fold. The Predator's top power play unit, of which Subban will likely be a part, should be phenomenal as well (Nashville had the 10th best power play last year at 19.7%). One area Subban will receive a downgrade is in plus/minus, however, as he will go from playing in front of Carey Price (when healthy) to Pekka Rinne, who is in decline.

As for Shea Weber, his offense shouldn't drop off too much. Weber will log heavy minutes with the likes of Max Pacioretty, Alex Galchenyuk, and Brendan Gallagher. That trio will also help him retain his power play prowess, and playing in front of Price will help boost his plus/minus.

One other item to note that affects each player oppositely is the change in venue. Subban will go from playing in the Atlantic Division, quite possibly the weakest division in the league, to the brutal Central Division, the toughest competition in the league. The opposite is true for Weber, who will no doubt enjoy having divisional games against the Sabres and Red Wings than the Blackhawks and Blues.

Way Too Early Trade Judgment

The immediate impact won't be overly severe for either team, as both teams will still ice a strong defenseman next season. The issue with this trade is that the Canadiens gave up a player in his prime on a cheaper and shorter deal for a player in decline on a prohibitively long contract. Coupled with the recent Andrew Shaw contract, a highly questionable move in and of itself, and Montreal is not helping its salary cap situation moving forward. (Note that the potential impacts of an early Weber retirement, which would create a salary cap recapture penalty for Nashville, are not considered here.)

This is a great deal for the Predators no matter how it is sliced, however, and their defense not only remains the top unit in the game, but it actually improved. Watching Subban against the talented Western Conference will be fun for fans of both the Predators specifically and the league generally, and Nashville has upgraded a top pairing defenseman and a first line center in less than one year -- kudos to Dave Poile.

Advanced statistics courtesy of stats.hockeyanalysis.com; salary information courtesy of generalfanager.com