Former Montreal Canadiens forward says PK Subban not worth the money

Despite the fact that the Montreal Canadiens signed PK Subban to a contract that made him the highest paid defenseman in the league, few have panned the team for making a bad move. Subban is at the top of his position and his contributions at both ends of the ice have made him one of the most valuable players in the league. Just don’t tell that to former Montreal Canadien Alexei Kovalev.

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“I’m not saying he isn’t a good hockey player, but he’s not the guy,” Kovalev told Phillipe Lehoux of RDS, as translated by Habs Eyes on the Prize. “He’s a risky defenseman, and he’s a wide open defenseman….he can give up five goals and score five goals, and the score’s still going to be zero-zero. So if for example he saves five goals and scores five goals, that’s a different style of hockey. He just plays like we used to play on the street.”

These comments are interesting given Kovalev’s own past in the league. He was one of the best snipers of his time, but his effort was constantly in question and while his defense could be underrated, it was more of a matter of how much effort Kovalev put toward it on a nightly basis. Perhaps it’s just a forward diminishing the role of a defenseman.

“Maybe because he won best defenseman of the year (Norris Trophy) that’s how they get paid these days. You know, you win best player of the year and you get a big contract right away. But for his game, I don’t know why he got so much money.”