With less than 12 hours to go before Montreal Canadiens superstar defenseman P.K. Subban's scheduled player-elected salary arbitration hearing, it remains likely that the two sides will reach an 11th hour agreement and avoid pleading their respective cases in front of a neutral third-party.

"It's very likely still that P.K. Subban is going to agree to a long-term deal before this goes to an arbitrator," Sportsnet's Chris Johnston reported on Thursday night.

"I've been told (the Canadiens) have a significant offer on the table, believed to be an eight year deal," Johnston continued. "In these final hours it's just about trying to massage that number back and forth and get to that final point."

Though the Canadiens have reportedly tabled a lucrative, long-term offer to Subban, the star defenseman's agent Don Meehan wasn't willing to write off the possibility of going through with Friday's scheduled hearing during an appearance on TSN 1050 radio in Toronto on Thursday evening.

"I wish I could," Meehan responded when asked about whether or not a settlement was all but inevitable. "But I really couldn't tell you at this point in time either way whether we'll have a settlement or will engage in a hearing."

The Hockey News' Ken Campbell meanwhile, suggests that talks between the two sides are quiet at the moment and that nothing is even remotely close.

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