The addition of P.K. Subban to the Nashville Predators' blue line seems to finally be paying off.
While Shea Weber made an immediate and noticeable impact with the Montreal Canadiens, Subban's new club got off to a slower than expected start.
The Predators, however, have picked up at least a point in six November games, and it appears as though Subban is finally finding his way in Peter Laviolette's system.
Why is it taking time?
For starters, Subban is no longer a lone offensive driver, but one of many players capable of grabbing the wheel.
"The way the team has been built, there's a lot of skilled guys here," Subban explained to Adam Vingan of The Tennesean. "The styles are different. In terms of in Montreal, it was like I had to defend, but I was expected to drive offense. If I wasn't scoring goals, it's like, 'Why aren't you scoring?' Here, it's a little different. It's about producing offense. ...
"It's not about who scores the goal, but it's about generating offense and influencing it."
Subban has recorded three goals and five assists in 14 games, putting him on pace for 47 points. For his career, he's averaging 52.3 points for every 82 games, meaning he's close to his regular pace despite the change in circumstances.
Weber, on the other hand, was brought in to shore up Montreal's defense with a view to settling things down as a calm and steady presence. It's been a boon for the Canadiens that he has played well above his normal production rates, and as the beneficiary of a significant amount of "puck luck," his numbers are likely to level off sooner than later.
For his part, Subban isn't trying to force things.
"I'm still trying to learn how to bring my attributes that I was traded for, to implement that into our system and work within our system to give us the best advantage," Subban said.
He added, "I still want to be patient, because it's a process. It just doesn't happen in the first 10 games. It might take a full season. It might take 40 games. I don't know. But I'm just happy to see that every game that goes by, it feels like we're gaining ground and getting better and better. That's the important thing."
Subban, of course, is set to be a Predator through to the end of the 2021-22 season, and some growing pains will be quickly forgotten should Nashville win when it matters most.
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