Ryan Suter or Shea Weber

[Gnashville]

Originally Posted by JustAnotherHockeyFan

Ouch, no one has voted for Weber yet!

Which is funny because if this was the main board, Weber would be winning easily.

[Firestorm]

Originally Posted by Gnashville

Which is funny because if this was the main board, Weber would be winning easily.

Ignorance is bliss.

[OurGocIsAnAwesomeGoc]

I voted "even," but if I had to give even a slight edge to one over the other, it would be Weber.

[Meatwagon]

Originally Posted by glenngineer

Suter is more important to Weber than Weber is to Suter. Look at the dozen games Suter was out and how Weber struggled. Suter handles the one on one matchups and the majority of the puck handling. While big checks and big shots are wonderful, a guy that can handle the puck and play great one on one D is more valuable.

Agreed. I see Nashville about 8 times a year and every game the one player that sticks out is Suter, Rinne too, dudes a beast. Anyway Suter doesn't do one thing that's spectacular but he just does everything well. I feel like he is the benchmark of an all-around type player. He would a #1 on most teams but IMO succeeds in the #2 role playing next to a true offensive defenseman. Any team would be lucky to have a player of his caliber. Nashville is just oozing great d-man and should start to move a few of the younger ones for developing first line forwards and Nashville would be a really dangerous club.

[adsfan]

Originally Posted by JustAnotherHockeyFan

Ouch, no one has voted for Weber yet!

Weber can shoot the puck through the net. You can't teach that ability!

Suter can stop the puck. Both are valuable in the NHL. I give a slight edge to Shea.

[tserberis]

Voted Suter easy.
Weber without Suter is not the Weber you know.
Who followed the team close enough would know that...
Just take the begining of this season when Suter went down... Weber who???

12gp 1+2, -9...



And with Suter in the line up he is +16... And something else I've noticed - Suter always points stuff out to Weber after the play

For me Suter makes Weber better, not the other way around.

[ThirdManIn]

Obviously Weber has struggled without Suter in the past, but I think he would be fine now that Blum can be put into that role. You have to remember than when Suter went down this past season his replacements were Bouillon and SOB. Two guys who are NOT top pairing defensemen, and Weber struggled to make up for their shortcomings while still covering his own assignments.

I think the guys are even, but with Blum showing his stuff last season and Josi getting ready to make his NHL debut I think Suter is the more expendable of the two. Trying to decide which of your two elite defensemen is the better player is a good problem to have though.

[Firestorm]

We really shouldn't have a 'both equal' option if we're deciding who's better. Both equal is just for indecisive people...

[OpenWheel]

Originally Posted by tserberis

Voted Suter easy.
Weber without Suter is not the Weber you know.
Who followed the team close enough would know that...
Just take the beginning of this season when Suter went down... Weber who???

12gp 1+2, -9...

And most know how misleading those numbers are, as was discussed extensively here at the time. But it is true that even considering having a much weaker partner than Suter, and while we had other team issues, it wasn't Shea's best stretch. He appeared to be really forcing the game and trying to do too much as he had less quality help and the team was struggling.

(Did he have a bad wheel at the time? I remember him stumbling and falling down for no apparent reason on offense leading to a bad turnover and goal by the other team, and someone postulated some sort of foot or ankle issue.)

For me Suter makes Weber better, not the other way around.

Then it's a shame that wasn't the question that was asked.

A big man with a cannon shot who's offensive game is mostly the shot, not puck moving, is going to need a quality puck moving defenseman at his side in order to play his best. And a big man who's defense is based on big hitting and strength but less on mobility may benefit more from a mobile partner than vice versa. A quality puck moving defenseman like Suter should be able to play close to his normal game with less impact from who his partner is. However, the attention paid to Shea by defenses and the goals Shea puts up will help Suter gain space as well. They make a good pairing.

Just because a guy like Shea needs a good mover around him doesn't make him less valuable. Players like Shea might be harder to find then a guy like Suter, and may have an even bigger impact on the game. Shea is in high demand because size, strength, decent mobility and skill together is so rare. (Suter is elite as well and clearly has a big impact on the game.)

And anybody who follows the team or hockey closely enough could see these things.

[Everlong]

They're pretty equal in my mind. Both excel at different aspects of the game. We're so lucky to have these two.