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With absolutely nothing happening in the hockey world right now, and for the foreseeable future, I’ve decided to take the plunge and write player profiles for each member of the New Jersey Devils.
As was the case when I did them last summer, we’ll be looking at the season they just put together and expectations moving forward.
I’ve written up five players thus far, with Jack Hughes being the most recent.
Today we’re going with P.K. Subban.
Counting stats: 68 games played, 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists), 22:07 average time on ice
5v5 underlyings: 0.57 points/60, +1.75 CF% Rel, -6.20 GF% Rel, -0.99 xGF% Rel, 97.5 PDO
2019-20 review: I think most people realized the Devils weren’t getting peak P.K. Subban. There’s a reason – beyond just money – Nashville was willing to part with him for Steve Santini, Jeremy Davies, and a couple of draft picks. But the Devils, like everyone, surely thought they were going to get much more out of Subban than they did. He would be the first to tell you his season was a failure.
Subban mustered up 11 points at 5v5, tying a career low. The previous low, however, came in just 42 games.
His efficiency completely bottomed out. Subban averaged .57 points per 60 minutes, a far cry from the .92/60 he put up a season ago.
Subban only produced 2.24 points/60 on the man advantage. That was good for *checks notes* dead last among 52 defenders to play at least 120 PP minutes. Put simply, Subban submarined the offense in all situations.
His on-ice numbers didn’t paint the most encouraging picture either. The Devils were expected to score a lesser share of the goals with him on the ice, and they did just that.
Subban’s average Game Score was -.10, putting him in the same range as names like Matt Irwin, Anthony Bittetto, and Kurtis MacDermid. That doesn’t exactly scream $9 million player.
Fun fact(s): Subban’s average GS was lower than that of Dangerous Dakota Mermis and Matt Tennyson.
2020-21 outlook: I don’t know what next season will bring for P.K. Subban. I do know what it *won’t* bring, though, and that is more than 22 minutes per game.
Even if he rebounds a little offensively, it’s pretty clear he doesn’t have the explosiveness and ability to carry the mail up ice like a few years ago. I don’t think we’re going to see the 40+ point Subban again.
While he did try and adjust to more of a defensive-minded player – he was one of the few who would body opponents in the corner and around the net – I don’t think he’s good enough in that area to warrant so much ice. I mean, only Mirco Mueller and Connor Carrick were on for more xGA/60 than Subban.
I don’t think anybody is touching Subban’s contract, even with money retained, so the Devils just have to hope he can reinvent himself in the summer.
My expectation is he’ll play closer to 20 minutes on a nightly basis. I’m talking 2nd pairing usage at 5v5 and occasional power play time on PP2.
numbers via naturalstattrick.com, hockeystatcards.com, and hockey-reference.com
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