Kalman: Malcolm Subban's Progression Slow, Still On Target
WILMINGTON (CBS) – Malcolm Subban's progression from 2012 first-round draft pick to NHL-ready goaltender had been slow and steady but still on target when last February it took a shot to the throat, literally.
Subban's serious throat injury required surgery, five days in the hospital, several days of writing out notes on his phone in place of speaking and then eight weeks off the ice.
What could've been the senior year of his AHL apprenticeship with graduation to the NHL the next step ended with that Febuary 5 game. He hasn't played competitive hockey since, so this week he's joined the Bruins' sub-professional prospects at a development camp at Ristuccia Arena. Typically a 22-year-old with nearly 100 games of AHL experience wouldn't be at development camp, but the Bruins wanted Subban to get some action rather than have training camp be his first serious competition in half a year.
"I feel pretty good right now. Just working toward getting ready for training camp," Subban said after the first session of development camp Tuesday.
In his third full season in the AHL, Subban played 27 games and posted a 14-8-5 record with a 2.46 goals-against average and .911 save percentage. He was clearly hitting his stride, though, just before the injury. In January he had a 1.84 GAA and .935 save percentage.
Now it's going to be up to Subban to pick up where he left off in early February in order to make the goaltending position behind No. 1 Tuukka Rask into a strength again in the Bruins organization. He has to redeem former general manager Peter Chiarelli's decision to use a first-round pick on a goaltender and give the Bruins some options in the trade market. Down the road, Subban or Anton Khudobin, who the Bruins signed as a free agent to battle for the backup spot, could be value assets in the hunt for a new "transitional" (GM Don Sweeney's word) defenseman.
"As it's been since I got drafted, it's just to focus on myself and focus on my game," Subban said about his plan for the fall. "That's all I can really control is how well I play at camp, wherever I am, how well I play there. Obviously my goal is to make the team, same as it is every year. So that's what I'm going to try to do."
Even if Subban hadn't suffered his injury, the Bruins probably would've signed a veteran free agent to compete for the backup position. Sweeney intimated after the Khudobin signing, though, that the Bruins' decision to go for a two-year contract worth $1.2 million per season with the Kazakh was partly affected by Subban's situation.
With Rask ticketed for Team Finland at the World Cup of Hockey this fall, there will be plenty of reps for Subban, Khudobin and others in training camp. The battle will be on and Subban plans to meet the challenge.
"I feel that every year. You look at Tuukka, I'm sure he thinks of all us as competitors," Subban said. "It's healthy competition... If you think a goalie's not a challenge for you or anything's not a challenge to you, that's when it can come back to bite you. You take everything as a challenge and everything as a positive note."
Subban's attitude is just right and his development might be back on the right track.
