W.O.T » career games, giving him the third best

Should the Montreal Canadiens appear in front of an arbitrator on Friday, they will have the unenviable task of making a case against the value of P.K. Subban. The Norris Trophy-winning defenceman is a restricted free agent coming off a two-year bridge deal worth $5.75 million and is looking at a sizable raise in the neighbourhood of the NHLs elite defenders. What general manager Marc Bergevin must do (hypothetically for the time being, unless a deal is signed) is come up with a list of knocks against his No. 1 defender in order to determine a fair price. Subban has already made his case to be considered among the NHLs elite defenceman. He won the Norris Trophy in 2013, an Olympic gold medal at the Sochi Olympic Games in February and is an offensive threat every time he hits the ice. The question is, what can the Canadiens say about Subban in arbitration that would keep the price south of the elite-level salary he would likely fetch on the open market? NORRIS TROPHY When Subban won the Norris in 2013, he did so after just 48 games (42 played of 48, actually) due to the lockout. Could the Canadiens argue that a strong half season is not enough time to crown a player among the games elite? Subban tied for the league lead in scoring among defenceman with 38 points - 26 coming on the power play - and finished second in goals and third in assists. By comparison, when Ottawa Senators defenceman Erik Karlsson won the Norris in 2012 he did so by outscoring his counterparts by 25 points and leading defenders in both goals and assists. OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL Subban was a constant topic of discussion leading up to the selection of Canadas mens Olympic hockey team for Sochi and throughout the early stages of the tournament as well. As Team Canada searched for offence in the group stage, many wondered whether it was time to inject a full dose of the electric Subban into the lineup. The verdict? Subban played one game and Canada shut down opponent after opponent en route to a second straight gold medal. His selection is a boost, but does his contribution, or lack thereof, hurt the cause? P.K. THE SCORER Subban is an exciting player with a stellar combination of size, speed and creativity. His biggest assets come on the offensive side of the puck, and more particularly the power play. He has 167 points in 284 career games, giving him the third best points per game average (.588) among active players behind Sergei Gonchar (.636) and Mike Green (.626) and tied with Dan Boyle. His high-risk, high-reward style has burned the Habs on occasion in the past, but does his production outweigh a few bad plays? As mentioned, its an ugly part of the business when a team has to give reasons why one of its stars is not worth a particular amount of money. But since it has to be done, the question remains. What evidence, if any, can the Canadiens use in arbitration to make Subbans payday more reasonable for the club? As always, its Your! Call. Evan Longoria Jersey . They signed their first kicker. Ottawa inked Nick Setta, a 32-year-old native of Lockport, Illinois, to a contract. Wilson Ramos Jersey .K. Subban has picked the right time of the year to go on an offensive tear. http://www.cheapraysjerseys.com/?tag=cheap-wade-boggs-jersey. How foolishly wrong I was. Forget the now inherent corruption and back handed favours that plague the beautiful game. Goal Line Technology? Youre having a laugh. As for them penalty cheating bandits, footballs lawmakers upend them by awarding the penalty to the opponent each time a player attempts to con the referee into awarding ghost penalties. Cheap Rays Jerseys .Y. - Joe Johnson hit six 3-pointers in his 27 points, Mason Plumlee added 18 points, and the Brooklyn Nets won their 11th straight at home, beating the Boston Celtics 114-98 Friday night. Matt Duffy Jersey . To get things started, heres a little photo tour to get you acquainted with all the main characters.MINSK, Belarus -- When Alex Burrows was on the ice in pain following a knee-on-knee hit from Italys Joachim Ramoser, it didnt look good. When he needed to lean on Brayden Schenn and Nathan MacKinnon to get off the ice, it was all too easy to fear the worst. A year after Team Canada lost Eric Staal to a sprained medial collateral ligament at the world hockey championship, it was something of a relief that Burrows did not suffer a knee injury. In announcing a one-game suspension for Ramoser, the International Ice Hockey Federation revealed the Canadian medical staffs diagnosis of a charley horse. Coach Dave Tippett said Saturday that Burrows was a game-time decision for Sundays showdown with Sweden. "A little better today," Tippett said after an optional practice at Chizhovka-Arena. "(Burrows) took steps forwards overnight, and doctors and trainers will work on him today and hopefully we can get him close tomorrow." Asked if he was confident the Vancouver Canucks forward would be able to play, Tippett responded: "Well see. Lets see where it is tomorrow, but certainly better than last night." Burrows did not return after the scary collision with 56 seconds left in the first period that Tippett and Italian coach Tom Pokel agreed was not intentional. The IIHF disciplinary panel agreed but added that Ramoser "endangered the safety of Burrows." "He did initiate contact illegally with his knee and must take responsibility for causing the injury to Burrows," the IIHF said in a statement. Told of Ramosers suspension Saturday, Tippett called it a tough play. "Its a knee-to-knee kind of hit," he said. "I dont think the kid meant to do it. Just when you miss by a little bit, those things happen." Burrows did not skate Saturday, but he was far from alone. Only four skaters -- deffenceman Morgan Rielly and forwards Jonathan Huberdeau, Mark Scheifele and Sean Monahan -- took the ice along with goaltenders Ben Scrivens, James Reimer and Justin Peters.dddddddddddd It was not clear which goaltender would start against Sweden in Canadas second-to-last preliminary game that very likely will determine first place in Group A. Reimer has a 2.27 goals-against average and .918 save percentage in two starts, while Scrivens has a 1.00 and .963. Sweden is Canadas biggest test before the quarter-final. Two players are back from the silver-medal-winning Sochi Olympic team -- forwards Gustav Nyquist of the Detroit Red Wings and Jimmie Ericsson. Goaltender Anders Nilsson of the New York Islanders has been phenomenal for Sweden, which has gotten seven points from former NHL forward Joakim Lindstrom. "Obviously were expecting a high-paced game, and theyve got some good, skilled players," said Cody Hodgson, who leads Canada with seven points and is tied for the tournament lead with six goals. Hodgson is thriving in part because hes healthy, and while some teammates are banged-up, Tippett thinks theyll be OK. Defenceman Braydon Coburn lost a few teeth in Fridays victory over Italy, and Troy Brouwer and Kevin Bieska also had mouth injuries. Defenceman Jason Garrison, who missed the game against Italy with illness, was doing better Saturday, according to Tippett. The flu bug has gone through some other teams in Minsk, but beyond Garrison it hadnt done the same to Canada. "Knock on wood it seems to be all right today," Tippett said. Even more fortunate for Canada is that Burrows seems to be OK. "It was a tough-looking hit, but hes been around a while," Tippett said. "He knows when he thinks he can get up and moving, and it was good to see him today a lot better than last night." ' ' '