NHL Free Agency: 5 Teams Who Could Steal PK Subban from the Canadiens

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Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban is the best restricted free agent defenseman on the market right now.

For teams looking for a young defenseman who can skate, run the power play, play physical, and shoot well form the point, Subban is a perfect fit.

Unfortunately for Canadiens fans, the talks between Subban and the team are not progressing at an ideal pace, according to L.A. Lariviere of TVA Sports.

I can add this about Subban: sources say that, merely 1 month since talks have kicked off, negotiations are going VERY slow right now #Habs

— L.A. Lariviere (@L_A_theRiver) August 23, 2012

The only way for teams to get Subban from Montreal would be to sign him to an offer sheet and hope the Canadiens choose not to match, or via trade.

Let's look at five teams who should extend an offer sheet to Subban.

Philadelphia Flyers

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The Flyers' failure to sign Shea Weber to an offer sheet shouldn't make the team any less interested in attempting the same thing with Subban.

The RFA offer sheet is in the current CBA to be used, so if there's an opportunity to improve your team, extending an offer sheet to a player is definitely worth it.

Subban would be a great fit on the Flyers blue line, one that desperately needs a top-pairing defenseman who can star offensively.

The most effective way for the Flyers to improve their skill on the blue line would be to make a run at signing Subban via an offer sheet.

Chicago Blackhawks

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The Chicago Blackhawks have two franchise defensemen in Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, but the rest of their blue line can't compare.

Since it's unlikely that the Blackhawks will make significant changes to improve their goaltending before next season, building the strongest blue line possible is the team's best option for improvement.

Subban would give them another offensive force that can improve the team's power play in a major way. Chicago was 26th in power play success last season.

Pursuing Subban and signing him would be a better option for Chicago than having to overpay to acquire a veteran defenseman at the trade deadline.

Carolina Hurricanes

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The Carolina Hurricanes were busy this summer adding star forwards such as Alexander Semin and Jordan Staal, but they did not do enough work to improve their depth or talent on defense.

The departure of defenseman Bryan Allen, and the physical play and veteran experience he brought to the ice each night has yet to be replaced.

For the Hurricanes to really contend in the Eastern Conference, they need another top-four defenseman. Subban would be a perfect fit on the Carolina blue line.

The team ranked 20th in power play success last season, and need someone who opposing teams fear when they are on the penalty kill. Subban can be that player for Carolina.

The Hurricanes are one top-tier defenseman away from being major contenders in the Eastern Conference, so pursuing Subban before the season starts would be a smart move.

Detroit Red Wings

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The Detroit Red Wings aren't a team that you would expect to extend an offer sheet to a player, but when you lose players like Nicklas Lidstrom and Brad Stuart, you must do anything necessary to make improvements.

Subban would greatly benefit from Mike Babcock's coaching, and since he's played in Montreal as a star player for a few seasons, Subban knows what it's like to deal with pressure and high expectations on a daily basis.

Detroit had the 22nd best power play in the NHL last season, and that was before they lost Lidstrom, Stuart and Jiri Hudler this summer.

Subban's skill set is needed on the Red Wings blue line, and he would be a fine choice as their No. 1 defenseman of the future.

He and Niklas Kronwall would be a fantastic offensive/defensive duo on the blue line.

Nashville Predators

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The Nashville Predators are well under the salary cap, and would send a positive message to their fans if they were to sign Subban after losing Ryan Suter to the Minnesota Wild in free agency.

Successfully signing Subban would make the Predators a legitimate Stanley Cup contender again.

You could even argue that having Subban would be better than if they re-signed Suter because the Canadiens star is four years younger and a lot less expensive.

A quick way for general manager David Poile to rebuild his blue line would be to sign Subban via an offer sheet, but the chances of Nashville doing this are likely very slim.