P.K. Subban is finally home in New Jersey with Devils

On his third NHL team, P.K. Subban is looking for a permanent home. He’s never had a better fit than his current franchise, the New Jersey Devils.

Taylor ham. Diners. Jughandles. Gas attendants. Attitude.

Welcome to New Jersey.

The Garden State isn’t know for glitz. It’s cities? Trenton, Paterson, Newark, Atlantic City and Jersey City. Nobody is doing a Norman Rockwell based on those skylines. New Jersey is often overlooked and undervalued, seen as New York’s bratty stepchild. Bad disposition and all.

Enter P.K. Subban.

On Saturday, the New Jersey Devils acquired the Norris Trophy winner for a pair second-round picks, prospect Jeremy Davies and defenseman Steven Santini. Subban joins a franchise attempting to find its way out of the darkness, with only a single playoff win since reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2012.

On a roster with superstar rookie Jack Hughes, Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall and fellow No. 1 overall pick Nico Hischier, the Devils suddenly have a frisky feel. Subban gives them another star, but he also gives them an undeniable swagger. In his former cities of Montreal and Nashville, that specific quality was uncomfortable in the former and under-the-national-radar in the second. There will be no such issues in New Jersey.

In Jersey, people wake up angry. By game time, it’s a full-on rage. Everything is fueled by an underdog mentality, a toughness developed from driving on the Turnpike.

After seven years in Montreal, three-time All Star was dealt away to the Predators for Shea Weber. The thought was Subban became too much about Subban and not enough about the crest on his jersey. In Nashville, he and the team thrived, coming within two wins of the franchise’s first Stanley Cup. Unquestionably, he helped develop a fanbase in a non-traditional market with his outlandish outfits and famously generous charity work.

Both of the aforementioned qualities will continue in Newark. For the Devils, the need for a top defenseman is met fully by Subban’s arrival. For Subban, the freedom of self-expression will be given to him in the shadow of the world’s largest media market.

Whether Subban wins a Cup in Jersey remains the be seen. New Jersey has the four-most cap space in the NHL entering the free agency period, and needs remain on the roster along both wings.

For now, though, dreams of the season ahead begin coming into focus. In October at Prudential Center, expectations for Subban will center around great hockey and an in-your-face persona matched in full throat from the stands.