Subban will not be traded by Predators, GM says: report

P.K. Subban will not be traded by the Nashville Predators this offseason, general manager David Poile told The Athletic.
"Nobody has even called me about him," Poile said in remarks published Wednesday. "P.K. played terrific this year. He played really well. He's a really good player. He's one of the three candidates for the Norris Trophy. I really don't know where this comes from."

Subban has played the past two seasons for the Predators after being acquired in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens for defenseman Shea Weber on July 29, 2016. There have been rumors that Nashville would attempt to trade Subban, who had 59 points (16 goals, 43 assists) in 82 games this season, helping the Predators win the Presidents' Trophy with a 53-18-11 record.
The 29-year-old had nine points (five goals, four assists) in 13 Stanley Cup Playoff games for Nashville, which was eliminated in the Western Conference Second Round by the Winnipeg Jets in seven games. He is a finalist for the Norris Trophy, given to the player voted the best defenseman in the NHL, for a third time; he won the award in 2012-13.
He has four seasons remaining on an eight-year contract he signed with the Canadiens on Aug. 2, 2014.
Poile said Nashville's focus is on signing defenseman Ryan Ellis to a contract extension. The 27-year-old, who signed a five-year, $12.5 million contract with the Predators on Sept. 26, 2014, will make $3.5 million next season. Ellis, who played 44 games this season following knee surgery Sept. 7, can become an unrestricted free agent after next season and is eligible to sign an extension July 1.
"Yeah, we're trying," Poile said. "We've talked to Rick Curran, his agent, and we'll continue to talk. It's a big contract and it's an important one."

Defenseman Roman Josi has two years remaining on the seven-year, $28 million contract he signed with the Predators on June 10, 2013. The 29-year-old Predators captain can become an unrestricted free agent after the 2019-20 season.
"I have my parameters of what I can pay, so that's part of the trick is to make it work for everybody," Poile said. "If we do Ellis this year and then it would be Josi next year around the same time (one year out), those are the two big ones that we have going forward."
Poile said the Predators, who lost the 2017 Stanley Cup Final in six games to the Pittsburgh Penguins, are ready to take another run at a championship.
"The playoffs didn't go as well as we thought," Poile said. "Winnipeg was a tough team and we all knew that. We still felt we could win and we didn't. We need to find a way to be better next year. But you know, based on our team and what we've done the last few years and who we've signed, I don't expect a lot of changes within our club.
"I think the players have basically said they hope the team comes back next year. I think we're in a pretty good spot. So we will fight another day."