Disaster Averted as Nashville Predators retain Shea Weber, match Philadelphia Flyers offer -NHL Update
Nashville Predators made a bold move on Tuesday, July 24, 2012, by matching the offer made to their captain and top defenseman, Shea Weber, by Philadelphia Flyers, ultimately retaining the player and saving themselves from a potential disaster.
After losing their right hand defenseman to Shea Weber, Ryan Suter, to the Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators were put on the edge as the team that was known for its dynamic defensive duo was nearly about to become a hallow club.
Despite the loss of Shea’s All-Star defensive partner, Nashville is confident that at least retaining Shea Weber has not taken everything away from them just yet and hope to avert this issue for the next 14 years with $110 million at stake.
"I think that Shea and us knew that [the match] could possibly happen, and I think Nashville's still a very good organization, and a great team -- they had good success this year," one of Weber's agents from Titan Sports, Kevin Epp, said on TSN Radio. "And
I think this is a big step by their ownership in the sense that ... they are showing that they are a team that is willing to contend and compete for a Stanley Cup."
Surprisingly, after the Philadelphia Flyers made an offer to the veteran captain, it was learnt that Weber had actually wanted to play in a city like Philadelphia but Nashville could not lose their defender at any cost.
On the club for sure now until he turns 40, it seems like Shea Weber will stay with the Predators until the final years of his career, if not traded in between.
Flyers also issued a statement of their own after learning about Nashville matching the offer.
"In tendering an offer sheet to Shea Weber, we were trying to add a top defenseman entering the prime of his career," Flyers general manager, Paul Holmgren, said. "With Nashville matching our offer, we wish Shea and the Predators all the best."
In a total of 480 games played, Shea Weber has 263 points (99 goals, 164 assists) along with 369 minutes in the penalty box.
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