At this point all indications are pointing towards a short-term solution for PK Subban in Montreal. And that is not a solution Habs fans should be happy with....

Everyone basically agrees that PK has the Montréal Canadiens well over a barrel here. Aside from Carey Price, PK is the teams best player by a wide margin. He's also the face of the franchise and the player fans in town completely and utterly adore. I have very little doubt that Subban will remain the Canadian for at least the next couple years...but the way things are trending that might be it.

There are so many factors at work in this situation beyond the simple fact that PK is the best player on this team.

One very simple and plain issue is $8 million in Montreal is very different than $8 million in cities where the taxes aren't nearly as extreme. And as much as that's been talked about I will tell you that I have also had players say to me the taxes aren't that big of an issue when you remember at the end of the day that you're playing and living in Montreal. And PK loves to play in Montreal. And he loves to live there as well.

Another issue is coaching and how PK feels about the current coaching situation Montreal. We saw last year and the plows how PK grew frustrated by his playing time or situation she was being put into. Every hockey player wants to be on the ice all the time but what is needed of Subban, for success for the Canadiens, is extreme. It is one thing to ask a defenseman to play 35 minutes in a game. Many can handle that kind of workload because they are defenseman and they have the ability to play a controlled game using there and it utilizing their energy in short spurts.

PK Subban is not that kind of defenseman. He is not only their best defenseman he is there best forward. PK plays 200 feet games not 70 foot games. He does not play a controlled style utilizing his energy and spirits. He goes all out all the time.

And finally there is the issue of the much publicized Olympics last year. At the end of the day we publicly saw all the management and coaches comeout in support of PK for the team....but PK has friends close enough to the team to know that they weren't always as supportive and early on were the opposite of supportive. Word of that got back to PK. This I'm 100 percent sure of.

Subban should have been on the Olympic team for Canada last year. I know it is it is a debatable point, but in my opinion he's one of the top five defenseman the NHL and one of the top five defenseman in the NHL should be able to make his Olympic team.

Talking to people close to the Canadien's situation Gerard Gallant was one of Subban's biggest confidants...one of his supporters and a definite bridge between the player and the head coach. The loss of Gerard Gallant to this coaching staff really can't be underplayed, especially when it comes to certain players who found refuge in Gallant and feel as if he played a major part in their season last year.

And yet…

And yet I don't believe the above factors are going to keep Subban from signing a deal and staying a Montreal Canadien... That is just as long as the Montréal Canadiens are reasonable in these negotiations and willing to give PK anything he wants...including the respect he wants and has earned.

Another short-term deal is not enough. Been there done that. Going to arbitration is not enough. With all these other issues,and perhaps others unknown to everyone, arbitration feels like an absolute recipe for disaster.

I don't get the impression that PK can't look past the issues I listed above. However, if these negotiations get rocky... the kind of issues above always find their way in. Keeping Pandora's box closed is the only way this can get done.

And that is what concerns me based on what I'm hearing right now...

To start with PK is asking for $8.5 million a year while reports have the Canadians countering with 5 million year. 5 million year is an insult. I know it's a negotiation but even in negotiations there can be insults.

I don't see this situation going to arbitration. That's the good news. The bad news is with each passing moment it grows harder to imagine a long-term deal. The second bridge deal could almost certainly spell the eventual end of PK Subban in Montreal and that is really concerning.

Podcast at 1pm today.