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Bob McKenzie was on Vancouver’s TSN 1040 on Thursday afternoon.

On P.K. Subban:

“Pierre LeBrun reported yesterday that the Canadiens were getting more phone calls on P.K. Subban. And I do kind of chuckle a little bit at how we’re kind of characterizing this. The Canadiens obviously don’t want it out there, ‘We’re trying to dump P.K. Subban.’ And in fairness to them, they’re not trying to dump P.K. Subban.

“But, I mean, they’re not playing tiddlywinks on these calls either. These are serious calls, and they’re entertaining offers on P.K. Subban.”

LeBrun: ‘Phone calls coming in hot and heavy’ on Subban trade interest

We’re past the tire-kicking, you mean.

“Yeah, exactly. The notion that this is simply nothing more than, ‘Oh, you know what. He’s just a player who happens to have a no-move, no-trade clause that comes in July 1. We’re just doing our due diligence, just to see what’s out there.’

“I believe – and this is an opinion, this is not based on fact – I believe that under the right circumstances, the Montreal Canadiens are prepared to trade P.K. Subban. Under the right circumstances. I don’t know if they’re going to get those right circumstances, to be honest. That’s a real hard deal to do. But that’s what the talks are aimed at happening. And those calls are legitimate. Teams are calling up, and I think they’re horse-trading on what they would give the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for P.K. Subban.”

Dreger/Subban: "Edmonton is interested. No question about that. The Vancouver #Canucks, no question, are interested." #Oilers #Habs 1050 — Chris Nichols (@NicholsOnHockey) June 23, 2016

Do you think the Vancouver Canucks have the assets or desire to get that deal done.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if the Canucks made a call, I would say that.”

Dreger has reported they’re in, as is Edmonton.

“Yep, absolutely. We discussed that, I just wasn’t sure what we’d put out for public consumption. When I came into Buffalo this morning, Dregs and I talked. Yeah, I’m well aware the fact that the Vancouver Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers, amongst others, have called the Montreal Canadiens, on P.K. Subban.

“It’s probably a lot more difficult for Vancouver to pull that deal, than it would be for Edmonton. I think there would be a lot more moving parts. It would get a lot more complicated.

“And obviously, part of what Montreal is doing here – and again, I’m not suggesting for a moment that part of the reason that they might entertain trading P.K. Subban is because they want to get the 4 or 5 pick in the draft. I mean, that’s not enough justification to trade a player like P.K. Subban. But if that could be part and parcel of what it is that they want to do, then absolutely, that plays into it as well.”

On how many teams could actually afford to take on that contract/cost:

”And that’s why teams, they will call, and they probably have legitimate interest, but they’ve got to be careful too. When those numbers are as high as they are, that affects the acquisition price. And then when Montreal starts looking at the acquisition price, they’re like, ‘Nah.’

“But, having said, that, there’s obviously reasons, whatever they are, why they would entertain this.”

Source: TSN 1040/ Transcript: Nichols

McKenzie: Canadiens are ‘entertaining offers on P.K. Subban’