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Postseason here, Predators hope trade for Subban pays off
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) The adjustment period is over for P.K. Subban along with the regular season, and now expectations for the All-Star defenseman could not be higher.
The Nashville Predators swapped their captain and own All-Star defenseman Shea Weber to Montreal last June , believing that Subban could provide both a boost to the offense and help a franchise that has never gotten out of the second round finally win its first Stanley Cup.
Well, the playoffs start Thursday night with the eighth-seeded Predators in Chicago against the Blackhawks.
The former Norris Trophy winner, who had to get used to living in the United States for the first time in his life, understands that for all the fun of learning about Music City and his new teammates that the postseason is the biggest reason why he is here.
''Me coming into this team was about helping us win a Stanley Cup and being a part of that,'' Subban said. ''And now we have our opportunity, so I'm really excited about everything.''
So are the Predators and their fans. This franchise has reached the postseason 10 of the past 13 years, advancing to the second round three times.
They came closest to the Western Conference Final a year ago by pushing San Jose to seven games . The Predators start this postseason Thursday night in Game 1 against the West's No. 1 seed, the Chicago Blackhawks.
With Subban, the Predators are scoring more goals (238) than a year ago (224), a two-spot jump to 11th in the league. Subban ranked 22nd among defensemen with 40 points in 66 games. Weber finished with 42 points over 78 games.
The Predators' biggest improvement came after Subban returned from an upper-body injury that kept him out 16 games . After the All-Star break, the Predators were the NHL's seventh-best scoring team with 102 goals.
Subban wasn't the only injury Nashville dealt with in its defensive group. Roman Josi missed 10, while Ryan Ellis was out 11. Playing with new defensive partners also slowed the process.
''He's been a great addition,'' Josi said of Subban. ''I mean we know he's a big-time player, so we're looking forward to him to be a big player for us in the playoffs.''
That's where Subban is expected to make the biggest impact. He has 38 points in 55 playoff games - 10 more than Weber in 59 postseason games - and was nearly a point a game player for Montreal in 2014, scoring 14 points in 17 playoff games.
Nashville captain Mike Fisher said the Predators are excited to see that part of Subban.
''He brings a lot of enthusiasm and offensive ability to our team, and he's had a great year,'' Fisher said Monday. ''I think he's poised for an even better playoff.''
Nashville doesn't see Subban only as an offensive threat. Coach Peter Laviolette has been impressed by Subban's defensive skills too so much that the Predators regularly pit Subban and Mattias Ekholm against an opponent's heaviest players.
''He's delivered for us from an offensive standpoint, and our defensemen scoring is still in a good place and he's a big part of it,'' Laviolette said. ''I think he and Eky have done a great job defensively handling the other team's biggest customers.''
Now that the postseason is here, general manager David Poile and Laviolette want to make clear that this isn't a one-man show.
''It's not just hinging on him,'' Laviolette said. ''I've said Chicago has got a good team. We're going to have to play good hockey. P.K.'s going to have to play well. All of our guys are going to have to play well.''
Notes: The Predators signed forward Tyler Moy to a two-year, entry-level contract Monday. Moy played 36 games for Harvard, scoring a team-high 22 goals. A native of La Jolla, California, Moy helped Harvard reach the Frozen Four. He was the 175th pick overall in 2015 by Nashville and finished with 101 points in 131 games over four seasons at Harvard.
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Follow Teresa M. Walker at www.twitter.com/teresamwalker
