On a less quantifiable level, he's one of the most electric players in the league and generally stands out; when you're watching P.K. Subban, you know you're watching P.K. Subban.

He's also 24. Subban is really, really good. Yet, for whatever reason, we've got this:

"If I were picking the CDN Oly team, Subban would be on it. Based on intel gathered, at this pt, he's a longshot...behind Boyle and Letang," TSN's Darren Dreger tweeted Thursday. "Doesn't mean P.K won't make the Oly team, but, management concerns with high risk play still outweigh his offensive strengths."

Now, a few things: Team Canada is stacked at the blue line. Shea Weber, Drew Doughty and Duncan Keith are locks to make the team. Only Keith is left-handed. The best guys beyond that are right-handed: Alex Pietrangelo, Dan Boyle, Kris Letang and, apparently, Subban. That's not preferable for Team Canada, so lefties like Marc Staal and Jay Bouwmeester are in the mix.

So this is more of a numbers game; maybe Canada truly is committed to bringing a couple lefties to Sochi, and that's affecting the rest of the roster. But to leave Subban, one of the few best defensemen in the world, off the plane for a mix of concerns over handedness and "high-risk" play would be baffling.

Letang, for one, could be called at least as high-risk as Subban. Part of that: they're unbelievably talented. They know it, they use it, and the stuff they pull off because of it is eye-catching and would be high-risk ... for lesser players. When they make mistakes, they come in the midst of opportunities other players couldn't capitalize on or create for themselves, and the mistakes tend to be memorable.

Meanwhile, concerns about those mistakes aren't exactly borne out in results; at minimum, the good seems to outweigh the bad. The reward outweighs the "risk," in other words.

On the other hand, maybe that's what we're dealing with here; maybe Canada is so stacked that a few rough games combined with preconceived notions and concerns about handedness enough to turn the tide. It's just hard to imagine assembling a team purportedly to compete against the best in the world and leaving Subban off it, for any reason.


BIG BAN


Sabres winger John Scott's height cost him after all.

Scott was suspended seven games for shouldering (and injuring) Bruins winger Loui Eriksson on Oct. 23.

"Although this is not an elbow to the head, the follow-through that occurs after contact indicates to us a significant amount of force delivered on this illegal check to the head," NHL director of player safety Brendan Shanahan said, adding that because Eriksson's positioning didn't change before the hit, the onus was on Scott to avoid it.

Further, Shanahan noted that Scott, at 6-8, is indeed a physical player who hadn't been suspended previously in his career — and used that clean record as proof that Scott's size doesn't make illegal contact inevitable.

During the suspension, Scott will forfeit $26,923.05. He's eligible to appeal the decision but hasn't played since the incident and the three games he's missed count against the total length.

Eriksson, meanwhile, is concussed and hasn't played himself.


SWAP SHOP


The Avalanche have the best record in the league — and it's not stopping them from making moves.

On Thursday they sent winger Steve Downie, a frequent linemate of Matt Duchene and Ryan O'Reilly, to the Flyers for forward Max Talbot.

Downie, 26 and a former Flyer, is the more useful player at this point. He had seven points in 11 games, largely on the Avs' top line, after tearing his ACL last season. His best season came in 2009-10 with the Lightning, when he had 46 points (22 goals, 24 assists).

It's easy to wonder how he addresses the Flyers' most pressing need, goal-scoring, but he's a better source for that than Talbot. Maybe he plays with Claude Giroux and effectively creates space with his 5-11, 190-pound frame.

He'll likely be replaced on Colorado's top line by P.A. Parenteau, which isn't a bad thing; Parenteau has had success with elite players in the past—specifically, a 67-point season on a line with John Tavares and Matt Moulson with the Islanders in 2011-12.

Talbot can play wing or center on the bottom six, and was having a decent season for the Flyers in a defensive role. He started just 45.2 percent of his even-strength shifts in the offensive zone and finished there 59.2 percent of the time. He also won a Stanley Cup, which is tangentially relevant at best, with the Penguins in 2009. He had 19 goals in his first season with the Flyers, 2011-12, after two years as a non-factor in Pittsburgh.

Downie carries a $2.65 million cap hit through this season, which means that Colorado saves money short-term. Talbot has two more years at $1.75 million annually, which means that Philadelphia frees up some future cap space.


LESS OF MOORE


Rangers center Dominic Moore will miss at least a week because of a strained oblique muscle from Tuesday's game against the Islanders.

Moore, 33, logged four-plus minutes of ice time and didn't play in the final two periods of a 3-2 win. He played in the Rangers' first 11 games but sat out Thursday against the Sabres.

Brandon Mashinter, a healthy scratch in the Rangers' previous three games, replaced Moore in the lineup. Mashinter's only game action this season was a four-minute stint against the Flyers last week.

The Rangers are missing top forward Rick Nash (concussion) and captain Ryan Callahan (broken thumb). Callahan took park in the team's morning skate Thursday for the first time since he was injured on Oct. 16. He wore a non-contact jersey, but could return in a week to 10 days.


MANNY HAPPY RETURNS


The Hurricanes agreed to terms with center Manny Malhotra on a one-year, two-way contract and placed forwards Jeff Skinner and Radek Dvorak on injured reserve.

The team announced the moves Thursday.

Malhotra will be paid $600,000 at the NHL level or $125,000 in the minor leagues with a guarantee of $250,000.

Malhotra, 33, gives the team depth at center and strength in the face-off circle, general manager Jim Rutherford said.

That will help in Skinner's and Dvorak's absences. The team did not disclose what their injuries are but said Dvorak's placement is retroactive to Oct. 25 while Skinner's dates to Oct. 24.

Malhotra played in nine games with Vancouver last season because of an eye injury. He has 108 goals and 170 assists in 864 games.


DEAL IS DONE


Hard-hitting defenseman Alexei Emelin has a new deal with the Canadiens.

The pact is reportedly worth $16.4 million over four years and takes effect in the 2014-15 season. Emelin, 25, has yet to play this season because of a knee injury. He is being paid $2 million this season.

General manager Marc Bergevin said Thursday that Emelin is an "important part of our group of core players" and "can play big minutes against the opponents' best players."

Emelin was eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. He tore a knee ligament April 6 and is expected back in late November or early December.

Contributors: Sean Gentille, The Associated Press