P.K. Subban sparks controversy with Canadiens Cup prediction
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P.K. Subban already has people talking about the Stanley Cup bracket before the first puck drop even lands.
The former NHL defenseman and current ESPN analyst put out a playoff prediction that doesn't just lean bold.
It swings straight into controversy, starting with a stunning path through the Western Conference.
Subban has the Colorado Avalanche, who were described in the original report as the league's most dominant club through the 2025-26 regular season, getting bounced in the second round by the Minnesota Wild.
That call alone is enough to stir debate across the league.
Then came another pick that turns heads for a different reason.
Subban has the Buffalo Sabres beating the Boston Bruins and winning their first playoff series since the 2006-07 season, ending a drought that has dragged on for nearly 20 years.
That prediction won't carry the same shock as his Cup Final call, but it adds to the sense that Subban isn't playing it safe with this bracket.
He's looking for chaos, and he's not hiding it.
The biggest reaction, though, will come from what he sees at the very end of the bracket.
P.K. Subban’s Canadiens Cup prediction is already sparking outrage
Subban predicts the Edmonton Oilers will reach the Stanley Cup Final again, only to come up short one more time.
And the team beating them in his bracket is the Montreal Canadiens.
That's where the controversy really kicks in.
Subban's history with Montreal makes this impossible to separate from his past, and plenty of fans are going to wonder whether emotion slipped into the call.
The source story openly raised that question, pointing to Subban's long connection to the Canadiens and his love for the city.
Even if he believes every part of the bracket, the pick is still going to be viewed through that lens.
And that's what makes the whole thing work.
Safe brackets get ignored.
This one won't.
Subban didn't just make predictions.
He handed playoff fans a fresh argument to drag into every group chat, every intermission, and every couch debate once the postseason opens.
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