At Christmas, it's beginning to look a lot like
Shea Weber for the Hart Trophy

By Josh Brewster | Hockeytalk.biz

CHRISTMAS EVE, 2011 -- Here’s hoping that Predators GM David Poile finds his wallet.

Poile couldn’t come to an agreement on a new contract 26-year-old star defenseman    Shea Weber last Summer. The club chose arbitration and Weber was awarded $7.5M for 2011-12. It’s a bargain, considering the 26-year-old Weber (left) will likely command upwards of $10M per annum next July 1st.

Assuming Weber doesn’t come to terms with the Predators prior to season’s end, he will again be a restricted free agent. Hopefully for Nashville’s sake, there won’t be any hard feelings between Weber and the club after last Summer’s arbitration hearing.

For sure, the arbitration, which the club, not the player, chose, was simply for the purpose of negating the possibility that Weber would receive an offer sheet from another club. Group 2 free agents, like Weber, can’t be presented an offer sheet if the club selects arbitration. Poile, like Lou Lamoriello in New Jersey facing a similar situation with Zach Parise, made the right tactical choice.

The potential loss of Shea Weber represents a subtraction from which the Predators would deeply regret for the next decade or more. No matter how good Weber’s defensive partner Ryan Suter is (he could easily garner a Norris Trophy nomination), Shea Weber is the main man in Music City. Suter and Poile are reportedly in talks about a new deal.

It says here, though, that that Weber is the main man in the entire NHL, deserving serious consideration for the Hart Trophy as League MVP. Poile’s ability to sign Weber is one of the most pivotal subplots in Preds’ history. It should be interesting to see how it unfolds.

The Norris Trophy, given to the best defenseman, should be a lock for Weber, but the sentiment toward anointing Nick Lidstrom is strong. No matter. Weber is the best defenseman and the best player in the League.

So who is the game’s best player, anyway? Sid Crosby is dealing with concussion issues, Alex Ovechkin may never reach his best numbers as his shots have fallen substantially. Last season’s MVP, Corey Perry, plays on a club that is flirting with the cellar. Evgeni Malkin, filling in for Crosby, looks like MVP material, but be honest, who would you rather have, Weber or Malkin? Certainly Jonathan Toews looks like Hart material as does Claude Giroux. How about Steven Stamkos? Again, who would you rather have? Weber, or any of the above?

More specifically, who would you rather have this season?

Hockeytalk says it’s Weber.

BIG PLAYS IN BIG GAMES

The 6’4”, 232 lb. right-shooting defenseman’s booming shot has few peers and the timeliness of his best efforts have provided big Central Division victories recently.

On Thursday, December 15, at home against Detroit, Weber scored two third-period goals, one at even strength, one with the man advantage. Both were absolute cannon shots. His seventh of the season tied the game with 4:24 to go. His eighth won the game with 96 seconds to play.

Thursday night (Dec. 22), Weber played a huge role in his club’s stirring comeback victory over another divisional rival, the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Weber started his club’s comeback, assisting on Pat Hornqvist’s goal to draw his club within two goals. The Jackets later led, 5-2, and the Predators bounced back to win with four unanswered goals. Weber assisted on not only the game-tying goal by Dave Legwand with 3:46 left, but also set up Martin Erat’s game-winner with just nine ticks remaining in regulation.

A force of will. A force of nature.

Weber plays against the opposition’s best players and was easily the club’s best player during the club’s first playoff series win against Anaheim last Spring. Weber has one of the hardest shots in the league, and he’s a heavy hitter who makes forwards hesitate before going into the corners.

PAY FOR THE PAIR

Poile drafted Weber with the 49th pick after picking his partner, Ryan Suter, with the seventh overall selection. Some good defensemen were selected between those two picks (Braydon Coburn, Dion Phaneuf, Brent Seabrook and Brent Burns) but none of the above are Weber’s equal, and the Predators could cement their blueline for another decade with new deals for Suter and Weber.

Here’s hoping that Poile will recognize the amazing value the pair represents.

Similar to Anaheim’s 2005 acquisition of Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger in 2006 (Weber’s closest peer in terms of style), the pair is worth the cost. The Ducks paid roughly 25% of their payroll in 2006-07 for two defensemen. That decision won them the Stanley Cup.

Poile would be well-advised to pay a huge portion of his available cap space to sign the pair, especially now that goaltender Pekka Rinne is locked in for seven years at $7M per.

Indeed, with Jon Blum and Kevin Klein (also drafted in 2003 by Poile) coming to the fore, Poile could, with Suter and Weber signed, spend more time on developing needed help at forward.

Without a new deal, Weber will again be a restricted free agent at season’s end. Any club making an offer would be on the hook for a slew of number one picks. It would be a substantial, but reasonable price to pay. Don’t be surprised if an offer sheet comes in for Weber. It happens rarely, but Weber is a rare bird.

Weber should walk away with the Norris Trophy, and in Hockeytalk’s view, the Hart Trophy as well. Only eight defensemen in NHL history have won the MVP. Only Pronger and Bobby Orr have won the trophy in the post-expansion era.

Weber should be next.

Shea Weber’s stats coming into 12/23 at Dallas:

34GP: 8-20-28 +17 (On pace for 19-48-67)

2nd in D-man points

2nd in D-man goals

4th in TOI 26:18

4th in SOG by D-men

3rd in +/- amongst D-men (+17)

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