I think one of the most dangerous things a GM can do is overestimate where his team is. DR did it with the Wild. Calgary is constantly doing it. And Poile with Nashville, both last season and back when they traded for Forsberg.
When you think you are closer to a Cup than you are, you start spending future assets to bulk up your NHL team, but there is only so much room on that roster, and there is diminishing returns when it comes to bringing in those middle talent vets.
One interesting tidbit from that Dreger interview: The total gate receipts for the Predators last season was around $26 million ...So basically Nashville would be turning an entire seasons worth of revenue from ticket sales to cover the signing bonuses between now and next July 1st.....for just one player.
If he didn't want to play in Nashville he wouldn't have signed the offer sheet. He'd have waited until next year. My gut is that Weber would prefer to be in Philly (better chance to win) but wouldn't mind Nashville.
If he didn't want to play in Nashville he wouldn't have signed the offer sheet. He'd have waited until next year. My gut is that Weber would prefer to be in Philly (better chance to win) but wouldn't mind Nashville.
I agree...he has to know that Nashville will likely match it. Which is why he really needs to tell his agent to cool it with his comments......OR.....he really doesn't want to play for Nashville, but knows he has to cash in now rather than wait for next year and a new CBA....and is purposely having his agent go public with his desire to move on to Philly and hopefully by doing that convinces Poile to not match.
Could be a game of chicken between Poile and Weber.
I think one of the most dangerous things a GM can do is overestimate where his team is. DR did it with the Wild. Calgary is constantly doing it. And Poile with Nashville, both last season and back when they traded for Forsberg.
When you think you are closer to a Cup than you are, you start spending future assets to bulk up your NHL team, but there is only so much room on that roster, and there is diminishing returns when it comes to bringing in those middle talent vets.
The Forsberg move was a last ditch move by the owner (Leipold) to get the team going on a deep run otherwise he was going to sell the team.
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Revenge is sweet... Revenge is a dish best served cold... Revenge is ice cream!
Well, his agent is creating a bad rep to Preds fans.
We will see.
Just listened to the interview his agent did on philly radio...he sounds diplomatic...Shea wants security for his future, wants to play for a contender, and wants a contract under the current CBA rules, as the upcoming CBA has too many unknowns.
That was his answer to the direct question asking if Weber wants out of Nashville.
That sounds perfectly reasonable, and pretty much matches my assumptions.
If he really doesn't have a desire to stay in Nashville, I almost think I'd let him go. Hit the reset button on the franchise going into a new CBA. Take the four 1st rounders as a consolation, but try to get Coutourier + 2 or 3 1st rounders first. Then you have to check Toronto's temperature on Rinne, see if you can pry Gardiner/Rielly + a 1st rounder or two out of them. Try to load up on skilled forwards in the next 2 or 3 drafts. They (Nashville fans) have always seemed to hold guys like Josi, Blum, Ellis and Klein in high regard, so maybe the defense won't be such a long rebuild. Add some skilled forwards through the draft and maybe you have something going forward.
If he really doesn't have a desire to stay in Nashville, I almost think I'd let him go. Hit the reset button on the franchise going into a new CBA. Take the four 1st rounders as a consolation, but try to get Coutourier + 2 or 3 1st rounders first. Then you have to check Toronto's temperature on Rinne, see if you can pry Gardiner/Rielly + a 1st rounder or two out of them. Try to load up on skilled forwards in the next 2 or 3 drafts. They (Nashville fans) have always seemed to hold guys like Josi, Blum, Ellis and Klein in high regard, so maybe the defense won't be such a long rebuild. Add some skilled forwards through the draft and maybe you have something going forward.
They'd still be better off matching, then trading him in a year after the up front money is paid...that then becomes a super sweet deal for an elite defenseman that Nashville could get a kings ransom in return for.
I just feel so bad for Nashville now, with the details of the offer sheet coming out.
Nashville looked like they were opening up a cup window last season with all their moves... they were determined to win the Cup.
Now with all the losses they've suffered this offseason, I think we're seeing that window slamming shut so hard the glass shatters and the window gets jammed in its frame.
No Radulov (which could be argued as addition by subtraction)
No Tootoo
No Suter
And now Weber has basically said he wants off this sinking ship.
I think if the Preds can't match (and I really don't think they can), they have to go into full rebuilding mode. Trade Rinne, trade everyone, get as many firsts in the next few years as you can and just pray it only takes a few years before you can get back to the playoffs.
Oh, and fire Poile. He obviously botched things up with Weber in arbitration, screwed up by bringing in Radulov, and whiffed by not finding a way to bring back tootoo.
Signing Rinne for big bucks probably pissed a few people off too.
Nashville looked like an expansion team done RIGHT last year. Hell I had them pegged to make the Cup Finals when the playoffs started. and they looked like they were gonna get there when they pretty much crushed Detroit in the first round.
And for the Central division as a whole, there are so many power shifts that once realignment happens the whole Central Conference is going to be pretty interesting, with three tiers of clubs:
Top Tier
---------
St. Louis
Minnesota
Chicago
Middle Tier
------------
Dallas
Winnipeg
Spiraling the Drain
---------------------
Detroit
Nashville
Columbus
I never would have thought that was possible when the realignment was announced, but that's what it looks like now.
Gonna be FUN to get put in that conference. I really hope it somehow happens this season and not next.
Has it been confirmed that the Preds will get four #1 if Nashville doesn't match? The AAV doesn't seem to work out that way (i.e. looks to me like it'd be two #1, a #2, and a #3).
I don't see this as necessary Weber saying he wants out. More like Weber saying let's settle this now, with me at least controlling who the other team is. Otherwise the Preds could have traded him anywhere they wanted.
Has it been confirmed that the Preds will get four #1 if Nashville doesn't match? The AAV doesn't seem to work out that way (i.e. looks to me like it'd be two #1, a #2, and a #3).
I don't see this as necessary Weber saying he wants out. More like Weber saying let's settle this now, with me at least controlling who the other team is. Otherwise the Preds could have traded him anywhere they wanted.
If he didn't want to play in Nashville he wouldn't have signed the offer sheet. He'd have waited until next year. My gut is that Weber would prefer to be in Philly (better chance to win) but wouldn't mind Nashville.
I tend to agree. The CBA situation made it too dicey for him to just "wait for next summer". Plus, the Preds could have moved him somewhere he didn't want to be this summer, if he hadn't signed an offer sheet (which takes that off the table). At least he's forced the choice to two, both of which are acceptable to him.
Of course, it's *still* dicey. For all we know, there will be rollbacks and contract shortening involved in the CBA. But at least he'll have the initial signing bonus.
