The PK Subban smear campaign has already begun. Our Norris Trophy winning superstar was dealt to Nashville just a few hours ago and the spin machine is already hard at work.

And part of me hopes the smear campaign is actually accurate. It would be comforting, in a way, to believe that PK Subban truly was a poison in the locker room. It would be kind of great to discover that Shea Weber‘s leadership and gravitas were what was truly lacking, and he’s able unite the Canadiens’ dressing room, taking the Habs to the next level.

For what it’s worth, I’d sort of like to learn that, actually, Marc Bergevin is smarter than I am. Wouldn’t it be great if MB was right? Wouldn’t it be great if this turned out to be an astute hockey decision?

I mean, it’s not that difficult a task to start talking yourself into it, even if only slightly. It’s not as though Bergevin got Adam Larrson in exchange for PK. At least he got Shea Weber back, right? That’s not so bad, is it?

Is it?

Another part of me still wants Marc Bergevin to be wrong. And it has nothing to do with wanting to be right just for the sake of being right, except for a little bit, and mostly to do with the fact that I loved the PK Subban experience in Montreal.

I want to believe PK Subban was what I believed him to be, because, to me, it seemed like he was greatness. And I love watching greatness, especially greatness in our sweater.

He did things we’d never seen before. He was singular. He was incendiary. He was everything the city of Montreal believes itself to be and, in it finest moments, truly is.

He was enormously self-confident, but had a chip on his shoulder. Sound familiar, Montreal? He was passionate and fiery, which was, at times, his only weakness, but usually his greatest strength. He had tremendous style and good looks. Global appeal. Unadulterated charisma. He was massively charitable and beloved. He was the perfect Montreal superstar.

He still is all those things, of course. He’s just not Montreal’s.

Don’t worry about PK. He’ll be more than fine. In so many ways his bravado and creativity will also perfectly reflect the city of Nashville. Fret not for PK Subban, he’ll be pointing upwards wherever he goes.

As for me? As for us? Personally, it looked to me like PK Subban was poised to be one of the true Montreal greats. I had hoped we were watching the defining of a Montreal legacy. I even thought maybe we might build a statue to him some day.

And now none of that will ever happen for us.

This is your legacy, Mr. Bergevin, and only a Stanley Cup can save it.