Is it wrong that i'm nearly as excited about Jordan Subban as Tavares?
Guy has some serious potential. (yes, the D-man)
I would temper your expectations. As an Ontario Reign season ticket holder last season these are my observations: Subban is an excellent puck mover with a hard shot, but he is so undersized he is man handled around the net and he is not good at defense. In fact, he was a healthy scratch often the last month of the season for the Reign (rotated with Falkovsky), and didn't play one minute in the Calder Cup playoffs. There was a reason he wasn't qualified. He's not an NHL defensemen for sure in my eyes. Might be better to see if he can play RW. He is right handed.
Here is a review I wrote about him on April 28th
Player: Jordan Subban
Position: RD
Shoots: R
Age at start of 2018-2019 season: 23
Size: 5-9 185
Draft position: 4th round 2013 by Vancouver
How obtained: Trade from Vancouver in exchange for the Nic Dowd on December 8th, 2017
Years pro: 3
Prior season Team: Utica Comets (AHL)
GP: 65
G: 16
A: 20
PIM: 36
+/- : -12
2017-2018 Team: Utica Comets (AHL)/Ontario Reign (AHL)
GP: 52
G: 4
A: 9
PIM: 66
+/-: -12
Signed through: 2017-2018 season (RFA)
Review: Whenever the last name of Subban arrives in town a buzz is created, and that buzz reverberated throughout the Kings organization when Jordan Subban was obtained in a trade for Nic Dowd. There was some reason for the excitement as the now 3rd year pro potted 16 goals for the Utica Comets the season prior in just his 2nd season as a right-handed defensemen, something in short supply around the professional ranks. A quick check around the internet to see what the pundits were saying quickly tempered those expectations. Subban received significant praise for his hard shot from the point on the PP and for his puck moving abilities, but his play in his own end was widely questioned and he is undersized, so perhaps this was a project the Kings were willing to take a chance on to see if they could develop his defensive abilities. Upon his arrival to Ontario (he missed several games after being acquired due to an existing injury) his offensive game play was as advertised. He was dynamic skating with the puck out of his own end, and registered 2 goals, 1 assist, a +3 rating and 10 shots in his first 4 games and he quickly became a fan favorite. However, as the season dragged along, the reality of his overall play soon came into focus, as his lack of size, no matter how hard he battled, became an issue. Subban battles very hard, no doubt, but when you are physically over matched, there is only so much you can do. That, coupled with not having the best defensive acumen and positioning, soon became a burden for defensive oriented coach Mike Stothers. Subban soon found himself in a rotation for playing time with Falkovsky, as he was often a healthy scratch if there were enough healthy bodies. His offensive game also tapered off with only 2 goals and 3 assists in his last 32 games in ONT, not exactly what you would expect from an offensive minded defensemen receiving some PP time on the point. His last goal was on February 9th. Subban did not end on a high note, going scoreless his last 3 games with a combined -5 rating on the ice, and he never saw one minute of ice time in the Calder Cup playoffs.
Outlook: It is hard to say what is ahead for Subban and the Kings organization. As a restricted free agent, there is some question whether or not the Kings give him a qualifying offer at this point. At only 23 years old, it may be too early to give up on this prospect and he does possess some intangibles that are creative with an offensive punch if he can develop some consistency. Right now, he does not appear to have enough defensive prowess to play NHL defense. While it's in his favor that he is right-handed, the Kings have a whole slew of new defensemen coming up from the junior ranks and college next season. It's getting very crowded at the blue line once again.
Chance for success at the next level: It's difficult to imagine based upon his play in his own end this season that Subban could play as a defensemen in the NHL, even in the new and speedier version of the league. Perhaps his only path would be to convert to RW and see if his skill set could be maximized offensively, but it's unknown if that is even being considered.