So maybe when it sounded like he wanted to be here, he only meant that he wanted to be here until he was an unrestricted free agent and could get the high dollars some other teams toss around? Ok. I can 't blame him really, some team would probably throw Brad Richards yearly numbers (10+ million per) for plenty of years. I was hoping we were going to get four or five years at 7.5 or something. What a pipe dream...
Not a direct replacement but he was more defensive depth.
True, but in another year or two, I imagine Franson's replacement will be more established. I'm not too concerned about depth D. More concerned about the key pieces.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Devilsfanatic
No no, I just meant regarding their friendship. Cody couldn't hold Shea's jockstrap
Oohhhh...gotcha. Yeah, I had actually wondered how Weber would take losing Franson...but I figure he's got to know that players and friends will come and go. It's not like Poile fed Franson to the wolves, either.
Wait...he's in Toronto. Poile DID feed him to the wolves.
Not worried until I see what he actually signs for.
That said, can you blame him? He wants a cup - not a team that's happy to get to the 2nd round. We're one scorer away from being a serious contender, and our big offseason acquisitions are Bergfors and some cash.
If there's something else brewing, so be it. If this is the way the Preds plan to operate, then I really can't blame Weber for not wanting to hitch himself to this wagon.
That said, can you blame him? He wants a cup - not a team that's happy to get to the 2nd round. We're one scorer away from being a serious contender, and our big offseason acquisitions are Bergfors and some cash.
If there's something else brewing, so be it. If this is the way the Preds plan to operate, then I really can't blame Weber for not wanting to hitch himself to this wagon.
I guess I'm the only one who would rather sign him to a shorter term deal. I'm really curious what the cap landscape will be after the CBA expires. To me, the escalation in salaries cannot be something the NHL owners are happy about. We are fast approaching, if we haven't already surpassed, the inflation adjusted salary costs of the pre-lockout days. I'm hoping a new CBA sets more conservative cap figures that attempt to eliminate the haves and have nots as opposed to just moderately muting the differences between the two.
My only issue with a shorter deal is that it typically corresponds to higher per year money as the risk is greater to the player. But even with that, I'd rather do a short-term deal. I have no issues with trying this whole UFA thing again in 2-3 years in the same way we did it this year (i.e. the year before he's set to be UFA again). Then, as now, if he wants to stay with the organization, he will. If he doesn't, he won't. Of course, that does give Poile even more time to mess more things up.
If true can't say I blame Webs at all. He probably wants to see if the organization will actually take the next step and probably wants to wait and see what will happen with Rinne and Suter.
If true can't say I blame Webs at all. He probably wants to see if the organization will actually take the next step and probably wants to wait and see what will happen with Rinne and Suter.
Fine, I'll join in. If true, this is Weber's way of saying to GMDP, effing sign some actual help, not stortini's and such, or I'm outta here. Don't tell me Weber leaving and us not getting a king's ransom in return wouldn't devastate the fan base and ticket sales. Weber IS the health of the franchise as of now.
However, after signing of Mike Fisher, Poile was hoping to prove to Weber he was serious about being a contender. Apparently Shea didn't agree. Maybe Weber really does want to be a big fish in a huge pond. It'll suck as bad as the day Vokoun was traded, if true.
I don't know how he would know anything such as this because only the player, his agent and the front office would be involved with negotiations. The Preds don't negotiate through the media, Weber doesn't say jack which leaves the agent whom I suppose could be posturing. I'm not sure what advantage any of the parties involved with negotiating a deal would gain by revealing this info to Strickland, unless it were to get teams interested in trading for Weber. Other than that that, I'm not really sure what to think.
Weber just changed agents right? I wonder if it was the fired agent who put this out there? But again, what would be gained by that?
Don't tell me Weber leaving and us not getting a king's ransom in return wouldn't devastate the fan base and ticket sales. Weber IS the health of the franchise as of now.
Whether right or wrong or justified, alot of people around town see the Predators as cheap and unable to hold onto players. Not being able to lockup the franchise's homegrown superstar will be bad. Not end of hockey in Nashville bad, but pretty bad.
Whether right or wrong or justified, alot of people around town see the Predators as cheap and unable to hold onto players. Not being able to lockup the franchise's homegrown superstar will be bad. Not end of hockey in Nashville bad, but pretty bad.
If he's traded for value (and he would be) and the Preds win, all will be forgotten. Now, if he's traded for a handful of picks and prospects, and the Preds sink out of the playoffs again, then yes, it will be pretty bad. But if Poile can turn this into NHL ready value, then the on-ice results will guide everything.
However, after signing of Mike Fisher, Poile was hoping to prove to Weber he was serious about being a contender.
I still chuckle at that. I have no idea how a 40-50pt center would ever prove the seriousness of the Preds resolve to win. If I'm Weber and I have reservations about the Preds desire to compete with the biggest of teams, a 2nd/3rd line center isn't doing it for me. I'm asking Poile to liquidate his top ranked prospect core so that we can beat Vancouver, SJ, Detroit.
However, after signing of Mike Fisher, Poile was hoping to prove to Weber he was serious about being a contender. Apparently Shea didn't agree. Maybe Weber really does want to be a big fish in a huge pond. It'll suck as bad as the day Vokoun was traded, if true.
Trading for Mike Fisher really doesn't scream to anyone "Hey, lets go get a cup".
More like, "hey, if we don't do something, we're going to end up in 9th".
Going out and getting a Jeff Carter, Erik Cole, Gagne, etc shows that we're willing to go get a cup. Is there risk involved? Yep. Is it rediculously expensive - maybe, but if 28 other teams don't think so.....
I hope Poile has something up his sleeve.
In the salary cap world of sports - teams operate on windows of opportunity. We have an opportunity now to go get a few players and load up for a couple years of a cup run. If we have to rebuild after that, so be it. We're going to have to rebuild anyway if our players leave because they don't believe we can be competitive.
One whiff of this on the Trade Ideas forum and we will be hit with retarded trade proposals (this coming down a guy who hates using the word 'retarded').
Wish we knew all the details. One the face of it based on what we have all been told shea haschanged his mind, the issue is whether its out if greed or a desire to not get locked in to a long term mediocre team.
But this sure sounds a long way from "we know what he wants and ownership is willing to give it to him" from poile and "im sure it will get done" from Shea.
All of this post is based on the assumption that strickland is correct, of course
If he's traded for value (and he would be) and the Preds win, all will be forgotten. Now, if he's traded for a handful of picks and prospects, and the Preds sink out of the playoffs again, then yes, it will be pretty bad. But if Poile can turn this into NHL ready value, then the on-ice results will guide everything.
I agree, winning changes everything. The problem of course is if fans feel it is short termed and the purge is bound to happen again. Eventually people will get tired of getting close and then having to blow it up again (right or wrong).
Wish we knew all the details. One the face of it based on what we have all been told shea haschanged his mind, the issue is whether its out if greed or a desire to not get locked in to a long term mediocre team.
But this sure sounds a long way from "we know what he wants and ownership is willing to give it to him" from poile and "im sure it will get done" from Shea.
All of this post is based on the assumption that strickland is correct, of course
This is complete speculation on my part, but I wonder if Weber was promised that Poile would do everything he could to bring in an elite forward. And while Poile made a lot of room to do just that, he couldn't find a deal that he could pull the trigger on this off-season, so he goes back to Weber to tell him that he can't find that forward right now leading to Weber's change of heart in terms of duration.
Again, complete speculation.
Continuing that speculation (because it's fun), it might force Poile's hand in swinging a deal to bring in an elite forward, a short term deal at a high rate, or Weber traded.
Anything less than the first option is a PR disaster for Poile and the ownership. All have said that Weber will be a Predator for a long time, not going anywhere, etc. And all have said that the Fisher trade marked the end of "Nashville being a small market" when it comes to players.
This is complete speculation on my part, but I wonder if Weber was promised that Poile would do everything he could to bring in an elite forward. And while Poile made a lot of room to do just that, he couldn't find a deal that he could pull the trigger on this off-season, so he goes back to Weber to tell him that he can't find that forward right now leading to Weber's change of heart in terms of duration.
This seems like a very plausible scenario, at least the part about Poile. I believe Poile wants to improve the offense and has been very active about it. I also believe that he's so conservative that when confronted with deals like the Richards and Carter ones, he couldn't bring himself to pull the trigger. I think names like Blum, etc. get put on to the table and he just can't do it. I just don't think it's in his nature. He's sort of the anti-Mike Milbury in that regard. This conservatism and patience has its benefits. It also has its serious consequences.
This seems like a very plausible scenario, at least the part about Poile. I believe Poile wants to improve the offense and has been very active about it. I also believe that he's so conservative that when confronted with deals like the Richards and Carter ones, he couldn't bring himself to pull the trigger. I think names like Blum, etc. get put on to the table and he just can't do it. I just don't think it's in his nature. He's sort of the anti-Mike Milbury in that regard. This conservatism and patience has its benefits. It also has its serious consequences.
Thats what ive always thought about Poile, to conservative and scared to pull the trigger on a big deal because it could end up bad like the Foppa deal. Then Poile went and got everything but Upshall back from that deal...
This seems like a very plausible scenario, at least the part about Poile. I believe Poile wants to improve the offense and has been very active about it. I also believe that he's so conservative that when confronted with deals like the Richards and Carter ones, he couldn't bring himself to pull the trigger. I think names like Blum, etc. get put on to the table and he just can't do it. I just don't think it's in his nature. He's sort of the anti-Mike Milbury in that regard. This conservatism and patience has its benefits. It also has its serious consequences.
Whether right or wrong or justified, alot of people around town see the Predators as cheap and unable to hold onto players. Not being able to lockup the franchise's homegrown superstar will be bad. Not end of hockey in Nashville bad, but pretty bad.
It depends on the return. We'll definitely take a PR hit, but if we get valuable NHL pieces in return and can still compete, all is forgiven. If we trade for picks and prospects, it shows no commitment to winning, and that could alienate a lot of people.
Frankly, depending on what we get for him, I think we can be reasonably competitive without Weber. Good goaltending will take you a long way, and Rinne and Lindback give us that in spades. Blum, Josi, Laakso, Ekholm, and Ellis will all be looking for NHL minutes this year, so we have plenty of young talent behind Suter. It really all depends on what Shea could fetch us on the trade market.
Thats what ive always thought about Poile, to conservative and scared to pull the trigger on a big deal because it could end up bad like the Foppa deal. Then Poile went and got everything but Upshall back from that deal...
Even the Forsberg deal wasn't a huge cost. It was just a large cost for the short duration of the asset we were acquiring but not a stomach turning trade like we've seen in the bigger deals. The Preds gave up a projected 2nd/3rd liner, a projected 2nd pairing Dman (neither of which had even established themselves as legit NHLers yet), a low first rounder, and a 3rd. At the time, the Witt acquisition seemed much more aggressive to me.
