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    All-Centennial Team

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    Stanley Cup Champs

    Canadiens sign P.K. Subban to eight-year, $72 million deal

    Who needs the final word of an arbiter, anyway? The Habs and defenseman P.K. Subban certainly don't.
    Here (or there) to stay: the Habs have locked up Subban on an eight-year deal (via o.canada.com)

    After being unable to come to an agreement before their hearing on Friday, and after going through the arbitration process and chewing over the happenings the meeting brought, both the Habs and Camp Subban were still unable to commit on a new deal immediately following the end of the meeting.

    Turns out both sides needed just a little more time to come together. And that coming together comes in the form of an eight-year, $72 million contract that pays Subban an annual average value of $9 million flat, making Subban the highest-paid defenseman in the NHL, as he surpasses Shea Weber ($7.857 million) to take over the top spot. Subban now carries the third-highest cap hit in the league, behind only Alex Ovechkin ($ 9.538 million) and Evgeni Malkin ($9.5 million).

    The Canadiens took a gamble two years ago when they signed Subban to a two-year, $5.75 million bridge contract. Subban proceeded to win the Norris Trophy in 2013 and lead the Habs to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2014 through his game-breaking ability, something the Bruins know all too well about.

    So the Habs have their franchise-player locked up, and Subban will continue to be a thorn in the side of the B's for a very long time.