Canadiens sign P.K. Subban to two-year, $5.75M contract

Despite some tense moments, P.K. Subban signed a two-year contract with the Montreal Canadiens on Monday.

TVA Sports Louis Jean reports that the deal is worth $5.75 million overall, with 2012-13 paying out $2 million and 2013-14 providing a $3.75 million salary. That’s impressive work for new Habs GM Marc Bergevin, who apparently did hold strong and convinced Subban to take a deal worth just a little more than fellow RFA blueliners Dmitry Kulikov and Michael Del Zotto.

In fact, if you’re a Habs fan or Bergevin, this calls for a triple low-five (via Getty):

The team announced that Subban will join the team on Wednesday, although that doesn’t guarantee he’ll play against Ottawa on that day. He’ll miss Tuesday’ match versus Winnipeg for sure, then.

The 23-year-old has played an increasingly large role in Montreal’s defense since becoming a regular in 2010-11. Subban scored seven goals and 36 points last season, which represented a drop-off from 2010-11, but his 24:18 minutes per game showed that he was a cornerstone of the team’s defense.

Getting him for less than $3 million for the next two seasons (a $2.875 million cap hit, to be exact) is quite the steal.

Of course, it only holds off the next potential big payday, as this bridge deal covers Subban and the Canadiens until the 2014 off-season.