It is easy to love and admire P.K. Subban, with all his flash and bravado and show and all the fun he brings to every hockey game he plays. He makes us smile.

He is not just unique in how he dresses or makes appearances or how he seems to be the centre of attention no matter where he is or when he plays. That’s great for fans, journalists, local charities, the game, for the sport, just not what the Montreal Canadiens wanted — and they are not alone.

There is, and may always be, a clash between style and substance in the staid, non-individual culture that is hockey. We don’t want to be noticed. We don’t want to stand out. We are part of a team, not the face of it.

It is no accident that hockey fans in Montreal and in Canada are upset about the trade that sent Subban to the Nashville Predators for Shea Weber, barely for a second considering that some of hockey’s wisest men — Mike Babcock, Joel Quenneville, Steve Yzerman, Doug Armstrong, Ken Hitchcock — would probably make the same deal for Weber in a heartbeat.

Weber played top-four minutes for Team Canada in Sochi against the best in the world while Subban barely dressed. He was named early to Team Canada for this September’s World Cup team and Subban was left off the roster. The fancy numbers favour Subban: The veteran eyeballs with championship pedigree prefer Weber.

In hockey, to its detriment, dull and team always seems to triumph over dash and individual.

THIS AND THAT

Steven Stamkos wants to conduct all his business in private. Even now, after it’s over and he’s signed back to play in Tampa Bay, his team of advisors are sworn to secrecy on the meetings they had with other teams, who attended, what the sell was. Just before Stamkos re-signed with the Lightning, I reported that Stamkos had met in Toronto with the Maple Leafs, Mayor John Tory and the CEO of Canadian Tire, Michael Medline and apparently others from the corporate community. “We were shocked when that got out,” a Stamkos insider said. The report had 15 good minutes until the story broke that Stamkos was staying put and signing back in Tampa ... I asked Joffrey Lupul if he saw himself as a candidate to play for the Las Vegas expansion team a year from now. His answer: “Me? Vegas? I don’t think that’s a good fit for either of us.” He said it laughing. Sort of ... Cliff Fletcher told me this years ago: Don’t worry about what you’re trading away. Worry about what you’re getting and how it makes your team better. That’s why I don’t mind the Taylor Hall or Adam Larsson deal for the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers used to have Hall. Now they have Larsson, rookie Jesse Puljujarvi and Milan Lucic. Makes the team stronger ... I like the idea of having Matt Martin, Nikita Soshnikov and Leo Komarov on the same Leafs roster. They should open up much needed space for Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander ... For the first time in a long time, the Red Wings seem caught between past, present and future. Ken Holland usually has a plan. The signings of Frans Nielsen, Thomas Vanek and Steve Ott seem a little all over the place.

HEAR AND THERE

Hard to know what to make of Troy Tulowitzki, 377 at bats into his career as a Blue Jay. He plays terrific shortstop, which is nice, and he’s just come off his best hitting month in a year, batting .263, which is nice, and he’s hit 18 home runs as a Jay, also nice. Not so nice: he’s batting .230 as a Jay, with a horrendous on base percentage of .310, and 97 strikeouts ... Using position players to pitch basically guaranteed a loss on Canada Day. But losing Ryan Goins to the DL because of it is rather ridiculous ... The first-place teams in baseball are all 10 games over .500 or more at home. The Blue Jays, first in the AL in attendance, are 20-19 at home ... Josh Donaldson isn’t having an MVP-type season yet, although close, but the WAR numbers so many are in love with have him as the third best positional player in all of baseball in the first half of the season. With a strong-second half — Mike Trout once again has the best numbers in the American League — Donaldson can be in the MVP conversation again ... My first half Cy Young leaders: Danny Salazar 10-3, 2.22; Chris Sale 13-2, 2.79; Cole Hamels 9-1, 2.60 ... Bottom of the 16th on Canada Day. One out. Tulowitzki at third. Longtime National League guy Darwin Barney at the plate. One run to the win the game. Can you say squeeze? ... Another oddity about the Chris Colabello suspension. He can’t return to the majors until July 23, but he’s eligible to begin a rehab stint on July 13. If he can return to form, the Jays could use his bat.

SCENE AND HEARD

Life is great if your name is Brad Richards and you’re pretty much at the end, hockey -wise. You got a $4-million cheque on July 1 from the New York Rangers, who you played for two teams ago ... The loser on free agency day: the St. Louis Blues. They lost two really important players in David Backes and Troy Brouwer, two leaders and grind guys, and so far replaced them with David Perron ... Good week for the Thomas family: Dad Stumpy got hired by the Blues as an assistant coach; Son Christian signed with the Washington Capitals ... It was odd to see Florida give James Reimer five years, but the feeling with the Panthers is Roberto Luongo at 37, coming off hip surgery, is physically slowing down ... I praised young general manager John Chayka in this spot a week or so ago and then a bunch of hockey executives jumped all over me. “Dave Tippett made the (Alex) Goligoski deal,” I was told. “He’s running the show. Chayka is green as grass,” said a well-informed insider ... Another odd Florida story: The players on the Panthers went to ownership to try and save the training staff from being fired. The owners agreed. For about two weeks. Then they fired the very competent training staff.

AND ANOTHER THING

One thing to know about the athletes pulling out of the Rio Olympics: Almost all of them are wealthy from sports like golf and basketball, where the major championships in their sport are not won at the Games. Haven’t heard of a sprinter, swimmer or gymnast pulling out yet ... The U.S swim team, led by Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, teenager Katie Ledecky and Missy Franklin, is going to be awesome in Rio ... Good for NBA champ, Tristan Thompson, playing for Canada in an attempt to qualify for Rio when others like Andrew Wiggins and Jamal Murray declined ... One of Tyler Bozak’s biggest fans: Lou Lamoriello ... With the giant upset of Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon, Milos Raonic has an amazing opportunity here. The only player who should stand between him and the men’s final is Roger Federer ... I confess: I’m a George Stroumbolopoulos fan. Not necessarily hosting Hockey Night In Canada but as a broadcaster, an interviewer and as a friend. I hope he’s back on TV soon. Same for Glenn Healy, talking hockey. I’m biased. I love the guy even though many don’t. Healy doesn’t only know more than most: He says more than most ... Lindsay Vonn wants to have kids. Problem, as she see it: “I kind of need a guy first.” ... I have a personally autographed Joe Namath photograph on my office wall. It was given to me by the late Buddy Ryan, when he was a coach with the New York Jets. His son Jim was in my high school class at York Mills Collegiate. He told us his dad coached in the NFL. Back then, no Internet, no Wikipedia, we didn’t believe him. Buddy passed away this week, one of the great defensive minds in NFL history ... Happy birthday to Bret Hart (59), Teemu Selanne (46) Moises Alou (50), Jarmo Kekalainen (50), Frank Tanana (63) and Hakan Loob (56) ... And hey, whatever became of Coco Laboy?

DEROZAN’S DEAL A SIGN OF THE TIMES

Here is what’s right and wrong with the NBA, all in one contract negotiation: The money around is enormous and that’s great for those who play the game. But the money doesn’t necessarily equate to the level of player and therein is the situation DeMar DeRozan will find himself in for the next five seasons as a Toronto Raptor.

He will be paid a whopping $137.5 million US, the most money ever given to an athlete on a Canadian professional team. With that comes a certain expectation DeRozan may not be able to match. He is probably a better scorer than he is a player, a star but not a superstar, a necessary piece on the Raptors, but not their most indispensable player. That’s Kyle Lowry.

The timing of DeRozan’s free agency and the possibilities out there for him meant the Raptors had to pay him this much and general manager Masai Ujiri acted accordingly. He was a must-sign. A status quo signing. The new deal doesn’t make DeRozan a better player, just a wealthier one. The deal doesn’t make the Raptors a better team, just the same team. This, unfortunately, is the new price of doing business in the NBA.

YZERMAN DOING A GREAT JOB

The winner of the free agent frenzy in the NHL: Steve Yzerman.

He didn’t sign a player who wasn’t already on his roster. But he held firm on Steven Stamkos, not moving, not budging for months on the price of the deal he offered his captain. Once he had Stamkos under contract, he proceeded next to Victor Hedman, his star defenceman. And now the GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning has both of those signed up for the next eight years. Yzerman went from there to get his young goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy under contract.

Even with a contract still to be worked out with the restricted free agent Nikita Kucherov, he is well on his way to keeping the Tampa Bay Lightning as Stanley Cup contenders.

Yzerman had two major problems over the past 12 months. One was the pending free agency of Stamkos. Second was the disconnect between the club and young star Jonathan Drouin. Drouin asked to be traded, walked out on the AHL team and, only after Stamkos was hurt, did he return and play exceptionally well in the playoffs.

Drouin no longer wants out, Stamkos and Hedman are signed and the tightly wound Yzerman stood his ground on both situations, making it work for his team. The Lightning should contend for this year and many more.

JAYS NEED TWO AARON SANCHEZES

In the final days of spring training, Aaron Sanchez was a bundle of nervous energy, not sure whether he would end up starting or relieving, knowing full where he wanted to be. He was named the fifth starter at the end of camp, which seems almost funny in retrospect, as Sanchez inches closer to the being a top of the rotation pitcher for the Blue Jays.

And here was are at the halfway point of the Jays season, and what do they need? They need Sanchez in the starting rotation, and they need him in the bullpen. They need two Aaron Sanchezes.

They need a quality starter and a guy who can own the eighth inning. The eighth inning and the seventh as well, has been disaster time for the Jays bullpen.

Maybe Brett Cecil can help in that area. Maybe Jason Grilli can continue to fool hitters. But as the Jays continue to fight for a playoff spot, what’s become apparent is Sanchez is a Top Two starting pitcher on this staff and a Top Two reliever.

And to think, there were those in management who wanted Gavin Floyd to start the season in the rotation, with Sanchez in the bullpen.

Now the challenge for the Jays: Determining when to remove Sanchez from the starting rotation, when to put him in the bullpen, and wishing they had two of him to fill both roles.