P.K. Subban traded to Devils in blockbuster deal

The Predators have traded star defenseman P.K. Subban to the Devils, the teams announced Saturday. The deal, first reported by The Athletic, ends Subban’s tenure in Nashville after three up-and-down seasons that included one Norris Trophy finalist appearance.

Nashville receives defenseman Steven Santini, prospect Jeremy Davies, a 2019 second-round pick and a 2020 second-round pick in the trade. The 2019 selection is No. 34 overall, so it’s near the top of the round set to start Saturday afternoon.

Subban, 30, joined the Predators three years ago in a blockbuster trade that sent star blue liner Shea Weber to the Canadiens. He missed at least 16 games in two of his three seasons with the franchise, but thrived in 2017-18, when he finished third in Norris Trophy voting for a team with a 53-18-11 record.

However, Subban’s numbers and playing time dipped in 2018-19, when he recorded a career-low 31 points and his lowest ATOI since his rookie year.

As the highest-paid player on the roster, the Predators seemingly decided they could allocate their resources better elsewhere.

Subban, who played his first seven seasons in Montreal, has three seasons remaining on the eight-year, $72 million contract he originally signed with the Canadiens in 2014. He has a $9 million annual cap hit, which makes him one of the highest-paid defensemen in the NHL.