Nashville Predators fear possibility of losing Ryan Suter, Shea Weber -NHL Update
With recent reports that Nashville Predators’ Ryan Suter might be dipping his feet in the free agency to test his value, fresh rumours about their top defenseman, Shea Weber, as also looking for a new team to play with next season, which would definitely
mean disaster for the National Hockey League (NHL) franchise.
Prior to the rumours, Nashville Predators’ general manager, David Poile, was confident that Suter was not going to test the July 1st free agency, but as the deadline gets closer with each passing day, the possibility seems to be turning into an
undeniable reality.
"Right now, as we get closer, it appears [Suter] is going to take a peek on July 1," Poile said on Wednesday, June 20, 2012. "I'm certainly hoping -- based on our conversations, everything I know about Ryan, his personality, his comfort level, everything
we have to offer in Nashville both on and off the ice -- we still are the right place for him.”
Last year was not easy for the Nashville Predators either, as they had issues with re-signing Shea Weber and going into a salary arbitration hearing was the last option both stakeholders had to use in order to get a deal done.
For Weber, he has learned from what happened last time around as the hearing termed him to be the best defenseman in the league, something he hopes to remind the Nashville Predators of.
"We went through a lot last year, it was a tough summer," Weber said. "I think we've learned from that and both sides understand where we have to go and what we need to do from here."
Suter is in the final days of his four-year, $14 million contract which had an annual salary cap hit of $3.5 million. Shea Weber on the other hand, will definitely be demanding much more this time with a previous one-year deal of $7.5 million.
Both players are known to play well together and have expressed their desire to continue doing so, but now that the ball is in Nashville’s court, Suter and Weber are expecting lucrative long-term contracts to keep them going.
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