The Predators fell 4-1 to the Kings Saturday night in Los Angeles, extending their losing streak to four games. After winning their first three games, the Preds have hit a bump in the road, with a record of 2-4-3 in their last nine, and Weber is not taking it lightly.

“We haven’t been very good for a while,” he said. “Even at the start of the year, when we were winning games, we weren’t that good. So we’ve got to be a lot better in here. It comes down to looking at yourself in the mirror and coming in, preparing properly and being ready to go every night.”

Nashville’s struggles have come, not coincidentally, on the heels of losing Weber’s regular defense partner, Ryan Suter to a lower-body injury in an Oct. 19 overtime loss to the Calgary Flames.

Together Weber (left) and Suter form the foundation of the team and one of the best defense pairings in the league. With Suter out, the fortunes of the club rest heavily on Weber’s shoulders, but offensively Weber has been snake bitten to an extent.

One of his biggest weapons is his legendary slap shot that famously pierced the net during the Olympics in February. Through 12 games he has six points, which is good enough for fourth on the team, however only one of those points is a goal. Against the Kings on Saturday, Weber registered six shots on goal and ripped one off the post, his most since firing eight on at Anaheim’s Jonas Hiller on opening night. In his remaining ten games he only averaged 1.58 shots.

“Webs is a top defenseman in the league, he’s a big force, physically,” Nashville Head Coach Barry Trotz said. “Without [Suter] as his partner right now, he’s had a number of different partners and he’s trying to do a lot for us because we’re not helping out a lot offensively. It’s not coming real easy for us, [and] because it’s not coming easy, it’s become real frustrating.”

The loss of Suter, as well as forwards Martin Erat and Matthew Lombardi has given Weber his first test as captain; a test he is passing in terms of leadership according to Trotz.

“He’s been a great captain,” Trotz said. “He leads by example. He’s the first guy to the rink; he works at his game, trying to get better; he does all the right things on and off the ice and so it’s pretty easy to follow him.”

The Sicamous, BC native is an integral part of the Nashville organization, both on and off the ice. He is counted in even strength, power play and penalty killing situations. He is expected to produce offensively from the blueline while providing a physical presence in the defensive zone and as such he leads the team in ice time (tenth overall in the league) as well as being the face of the franchise and the team’s captain.

What makes this season all the more intriguing for Weber is that his current contract expires July 1. He makes $4.5 million this season before becoming a restricted free agent in the summer unless a deal can be worked out in the mean time.

Nashville has a history of losing quality players to free agency such as Kimo Timonen, Mark Eaton, Scott Nichol, and more recently Jason Arnott and Dan Hamuis.

While Weber is more than qualified and deserving of the captaincy, one has to think that the award was in part an attempt by general manager David Poile to entice the soon-to-be free agent to stay in Tennessee. Along the same lines, Weber’s acceptance of the honor may in fact be a commitment to his future as the face of the franchise. Of course, Timonen and Arnott both left for greener pastures while wearing the C on their respective sweaters. A tortured existence it must be for the die-hard Nashville Predators fan.

Weber’s status as a Restricted Free Agent does give the front office a leg up in re-signing him, come July, as they will have the right to match any offer within 24 hours, should he hit the market. However, Suter is set to become an Unrestricted Free Agent the following summer, making the task of keeping both pillars of their defense all the more difficult for a small market team on a budget well below the salary cap.

Only time will tell whether Weber will become the next in a long line of talented former Predators sprinkled throughout the league or if he’ll become Nashville’s answer to Shane Doan, but for now the stoic captain has a singular focus.

“We’ve got to get things going,” he said, “Whatever it takes.”

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