VANCOUVER, British Columbia _ In the last 24 hours the New Jersey Devils have added a generational talent in top draft pick Jack Hughes and one of the most popular defensemen in the NHL. The Devils have acquired defenseman P.K. Subban in a trade with the Nashville Predators, sources told USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey and NorthJersey.com.
Just hours after general manager Ray Shero said he was in the market for a defenseman the Devils picked up the controversial blue-liner in exchange for two second-round picks, defensemen Jeremy Davies and Steven Santini, one second-round draft pick (No. 34 overall) in this year's draft and one in 2020.
According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Nashville is not retaining any of Subban's salary. The 30-year-old defenseman has a cap hit of $9 million in each of the next three years, but the Devils are flush with salary cap space and Shero has continually said the cap is not a problem for New Jersey.
Subban is also a gregarious personality who actively engages with fans on social media and has a children's charity. However, his big personality and on-ice antics have caused controversy in the past.
The Toronto native came up with the Montreal Canadiens before being traded to the Music City in 2015, part of the same frenzied trade day that saw Taylor Hall coming to the Devils from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Adam Larsson. He scored nine goals with 22 assists for 31 points last season. The three-time All-Star won the Norris Trophy in 2013.
The right-shot defenseman is an exceptional skater who should give the Devils a boost on the power play with his quarterbacking abilities and his booming shot. He can play physical and fast and is adept at getting under the skin of his opponents.
The Devils have been lacking a shutdown presence on the blue line and in Subban, they get exactly that, plus the mobility they covet for their speed-based system.
Santini, a 24-year-old right-shot defenseman, was drafted by the Devils in the second round of the 2013 draft. The Boston College product opened the 2017-18 season on the main roster but the club acquired Sami Vatanen from the Anaheim Ducks and asked Santini to go back to the American Hockey League to develop further.
However, the team pledged their commitment to him with a multi-year contract last summer. His $4.25 million deal runs through 2021. The Devils and Santini both had high hopes coming into the 2018-19 season but he suffered a broken jaw in the second shift of his first game of the season.
He seemed to fall out of favor after he returned. A smooth, mobile puck-mover, coach John Hynes wanted more from the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Santini. The Devils wanted to see more physicality and more of an edge to his game and Santini seemed to disappear at times and he wasn't on the ice in key, crunchtime situations.
Santini's New Jersey career concludes with five goals and 16 assists.
Davies was a seventh-round pick in 2017. He was one of the top college defensemen in the country at Northeastern last season and turned pro shortly after the conclusion of the collegiate year to join the Devils.
