Thoughts on Weber...

[Mongoose87]

If you don't think Letang is a number 1, there's probably only about three in the league.

[MRandall25]

Trade for Weber now or go through the same Parise/Suter torture/disappointment next summer - and next summer, we might lose to the Flyers!

Puh-lease... Weber would command $8 mil +. No way Shero would pay him that.

[thepittman]

I dont think any dman is worth that much cap hit

[Jasmine]

Trade for Weber now or go through the same Parise/Suter torture/disappointment next summer - and next summer, we might lose to the Flyers!

Puh-lease... Weber would command $8 mil +. No way Shero would pay him that.

Where did you come up with the $8 mil figure if he's not worth that? Just curious.

[Jasmine]

I dont think any dman is worth that much cap hit

Hmmm . . . what did Weber's former partner Ryan Suter just sign for? Cap going up . . . salaries going up.

[Jasmine]

Hey, if you guys don't want Shea Weber, fine. But the Pens need a big, physical d-man. If you can find an up-and-coming younger lesser known player like this to sign cheaper, go ahead. Fact is, since Hal Gill (for example) left, Pens have been ousted early. And Kris Letang is a skilled superstar . . . not his job to be the physical force, but he has to playing against opponents' top lines. Too much chance for needless injury.

[Noise]

We don't have the assets for Weber.

Maybe he'll do a one year deal with Nashville & then he'll do a package deal with Corey Perry to the Winnipeg Jets or somewhere stupid next year in UFA.

[Gaucho]

Hey, if you guys don't want Shea Weber, fine. But the Pens need a big, physical d-man. If you can find an up-and-coming younger lesser known player like this to sign cheaper, go ahead. Fact is, since Hal Gill (for example) left, Pens have been ousted early. And Kris Letang is a skilled superstar . . . not his job to be the physical force, but he has to playing against opponents' top lines. Too much chance for needless injury.

I don't think not wanting him is the issue here. If the Preds have any sense they'll make him an offer he cannot refuse and that's that.

[sil]

Yeah, I think most of us would LOVE to have him here...it's just hard to see that happening. If he insists his way out of Nashville, we certainly have defensive prospects to offer, though there are teams out there (DET for one) that would throw everything and the kitchen sink to Nashville for Weber.

Still, it's possible Shero once saved David Poile's like while he worked for the Preds...and Dave still owes Ray a life-debt...that's about the only way I could see Shea Weber in a pens uni.

[Penspal]

Shea Weber declined arbitration with Nashville.

One of his agents said “He’s still in disbelief,” Epp said. “They were so close this year in terms of the team’s chances. They really had a shot. Shea believed there was a good chance that Ryan would stay there. So right now, Shea is still processing this news.”

The article is in the link below.

Nashville will match any offer, but I think the Pens should still go all out to get him. Try to trade for him if need be. He is shutdown, hard hitting, offensive skill and STILL HAS UPSIDE. Nashville could be in financial trouble, and GMRS knows this, he's probably got calls into GM Poile's office now, let alone Weber's agents. In GMRS I trust

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120706/SPORTS02/307060020/Weber-declines-arbitration?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Sports%20Nashville%20Predators&gcheck=1&nclick_check=1

[Idoit40fans]

He's not shutdown, he's hard hitting.

[Penspal]

He's not shutdown, he's hard hitting.

He runs you over, hits you with shot or even looks at you gary roberts style, your shut down.

[Idoit40fans]

He's not shutdown, he's hard hitting.

He runs you over, hits you with shot or even looks at you gary roberts style, your shut down.

He lowers his shoulder and you pass it to your teammate, he's out of position and you have an odd man attack.

[Sarcastic]

I don't want to pay this guy a contract like Suter got. These 10+ years, $100 millon, should be reserved for superstars. That's Crosby and Malkin with us. Letang's going to get paid. In a way, I'm glad we didn't get the two Minnesotans, and I hope we aren't going to do that with Weber. What happened to nice 6 year deals? These lifetime contracts are too crazy. I think Minny will regret it once those guys hit 35.

[joopen]

Why waste thoughts on a guy who has as close to zero chance of being acquired as is possible?

[sil]

I agree about the 'shut-down' thing. Weber is a great defender...a true number one, but he isn't a Scuderi/Gill type shutdown guy. Weber wouldn't serve as an addition for us, as much as he'd be an upgrade over Letang...meaning if we traded for Weber, Letang would be the centerpiece going to Nashville.

This is obvioulsy not a likely scenario, but it sheds light onto the type of player Shea is. He and Letang on the same line would be an absolute nightmare for Fleury/Vokoun.

[Penspal]

He's not shutdown, he's hard hitting.

He runs you over, hits you with shot or even looks at you gary roberts style, your shut down.

He lowers his shoulder and you pass it to your teammate, he's out of position and you have an odd man attack.

I'm giggling if you are in any way saying that Weber is not effective. Top defenceman at 2009 Worlds. He was in Canada's top D pairing on the Gold medal team, playing against the world's best. Weber playing alongside Letang would be the top NHL D pairing.

[Idoit40fans]

He's not a shutdown defenseman. Noticeable room for improvement in his own zone for sure.

[Pens12x]

Tanger would never be traded for Weber. Shero sees Letang as a centerpiece in Pittsburgh.

Weber is probably a top 3, and at the worst, top 5 blueliner in the game. He will command big dollars on his next contract. It wouldn't surprise me at all if it's 8 million per. While that's a ton for a defenseman, Weber brings so many elements to the table, teams will throw that money at him easily. He's a better rearguard than Suter. He can shoot bullets, lead the transition game, put points on the board, be pretty solid in his own end defensively most of the time, and he's a physical son-of-a-beeeatch in the corners and around the net, too. He's as good of a two-way defenseman as there is in the league.

The most interesting dynamic with him -- and one people aren't talking about much -- is the fact that Weber can basically dictate his own fate. After the Predators took him to arbitration last summer, and with yesterday's deadline passing for Weber to choose that this year, that's not a possibility again, so if he doesn't want to stay in Nashville -- particularly with Suter bailing -- he doesn't have to sign a contract and can remain an RFA. Basically, he can refuse to re-sign and force Poile to move him. It might result in him not playing for part of this year and would be an ugly divorce, but it could happen. The point is that he can be done as a Predator if he wants to be.

If it gets to that point, and Nashville is forced to deal him, teams will be throwing offers in Nashville's direction. The Pens have some fair assets to move in such a deal, including established blueliners to help replace Weber (Orpik, Martin), as well as young rearguard prospects, and there's no question Nashville would want blueliners after losing Suter and then being forced to deal Weber. A #1 pick would also obviously have to be a part of any such trade, as would probably at least one other fair roster player. Unfortunately, they won't be the only team lining up in that parade. Everyone thought #Suterwatch and #Parisewatch were crazy? Make no mistake -- #Weberwatch would crush them both.

[Idoit40fans]

All his not taking arbitration means is that Nashville can't protect him from being offer sheet'd as far as I know.

[MRandall25]

Trade for Weber now or go through the same Parise/Suter torture/disappointment next summer - and next summer, we might lose to the Flyers!

Puh-lease... Weber would command $8 mil +. No way Shero would pay him that.

Where did you come up with the $8 mil figure if he's not worth that? Just curious.

http://capgeek.com/players/display.php?id=1042

He makes $7.5 million now (or did last year, I guess). He'll get at least $8 mil, if not more. He's not worth it because it's too much damn money.

[interstorm]

Shea Weber declined arbitration with Nashville.

One of his agents said “He’s still in disbelief,” Epp said. “They were so close this year in terms of the team’s chances. They really had a shot. Shea believed there was a good chance that Ryan would stay there. So right now, Shea is still processing this news.”

The article is in the link below.

Nashville will match any offer, but I think the Pens should still go all out to get him. Try to trade for him if need be. He is shutdown, hard hitting, offensive skill and STILL HAS UPSIDE. Nashville could be in financial trouble, and GMRS knows this, he's probably got calls into GM Poile's office now, let alone Weber's agents. In GMRS I trust

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120706/SPORTS02/307060020/Weber-declines-arbitration?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Sports%20Nashville%20Predators&gcheck=1&nclick_check=1

This all plays right along with my original post -- Weber isn't about to give control of the situation back to Nashville. There are 2 things he wants (and mark my words, he will get):
* Out of Nashville
* A mega-deal the likes Suter just got

Now as I said, with the rumors that the new CBA may cut off contracts like this (or, at the very least, do something to make the cap hit stay on the books even after retirement. Also rumors are owners are throwing out the possibility of money not being guaranteed) he'll want to get on the train as it is leaving town. For Weber, getting a deal done this offseason is probably the most financially important thing in his life. I'm not saying he wouldn't make money down the line...but with the uncertainty of how things will play out, he may not get a long term deal (maybe teams become more reluctant as loopholes are closed) or possibly the NHL moves towards NFL style contracts. Who knows?

I believe he is as good as gone and that he and his agent know that something must be done before the season starts. There is simply too much at risk for him.

[Idoit40fans]

He will be gone by the end of day one of next year's draft, but he's not in control. He's a restricted Free Agent, if Nashville wants to keep him around this year, he's gonna be a Pred.

[Jasmine]

I seriously want this guy . . .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=L9vYuFaS-1k
Time to take no prisoners!

[penscup]

I seriously want this guy . . .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=L9vYuFaS-1k
Time to take no prisoners!

That was a total dirtbag move. Why would you applaud such an action?
You want someone doing that to Crosby???