Nashville retains Weber
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Flyers Report: Broad Street Bull
Nashville retains Weber
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
Shea it aint so.
The Flyers have struck out with another marquee free agent.
Nashville announced it had matched the Flyers' 14-year, 110-million offer sheet to star defenseman Shea Weber, who thus is retained by the Predators.
“In tendering an offer sheet to Shea Weber, we were trying to add a top defenseman entering the prime of his career," Flyers GM Paul Holmgren said in a statement. "With Nashville matching our offer, we wish Shea and the Predators all the best.”
Holmgren said there would be no further comment at the moment.
As reported earlier today, Nashville seemed on the verge of matching when two sources said it had not been involved in trade talks with the Flyers since Weber signed Philadelphia's offer sheet on Wednesday.
The absence of trade talks led to speculation that Nashville was going to sign him.
For the Flyers, they figure to turn to Plan B - trying to sign Shane Doan or acquiring Bobby Ryan. Or will Holmgren give an offer sheet to another restricted free agent, such as Montreal defenseman P.K. Subban?
But make no mistake, this is a MAJOR setback to the franchise. A team with Claude Giroux and Shea Weber as its anchors - along with a terrific young nucleus - would have been a perennial Stanley Cup contender.
In a news release, Nashville said, in part, "Would a decision not to match the offer sheet send a negative message to current Predators players and other NHL organizations, a message that the Predators would only go so far to protect its best players and be pushed around by teams with 'deep pockets?' "
To avoid that negative message — and, more importantly, to land arguably the NHL's best all-around defenseman — Nashville's 10-member ownership group was able to justify the staggering contract, which is the second-largest in league history. Washington's Alex Ovechkin signed a 13-year, $124 million deal in 2008.
The Flyers had front-loaded the contract — $27 million in the first calendar year, $68 million over the first five seasons — to make it difficult for the small-market Predators to match it.
"He's excited; he said the ownership group stepped up," said Jarrett Bousquet, one of Weber's agents.
Give the Flyers an 'A' for effort, but the bottom line is this: After striking out on free-agents Weber, Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, the Flyers are no better than the team that lost in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs last season.
Tweeted one fan after hearing the news that the Flyers didn’t land the game-changing defenseman that they desperately wanted: “I'm so bummed I don't even want to use my Weber grill tonight.”
(more to come)
Before Nashville gets all high and mighty they might also want to recognize that the teams with the deep pockets subsidize their ailing franhises. Seems pretty lousy that Flyers profits are used to help out the Preds of the world to stay afloat, who then in turn send out these types of comments. Low life Tennesseans.— rockinrob- Go get Byfulian and Doan and trade Hartnell, Rinaldo, and one of our D outside top 7 for Ryan.— connorjr
- Hey, at least this means that Weber won't be playing for anyone else in the Eastern Conference this year. Can't blame the Preds, they had to match. Still was a good play by Homer to keep him away from the competition.— johnnyvegas
Good job Nashville, you did nothing to make your team better. The only thing you did was put such a financial burden on your team, you may not be in Nashville too much longer. What a bunch of idiots, they had the perfect opportunity to built your club for the future. Well, instead you just put your team in the toilet financially.- Three guys they offered $100m to, and all 3 turned Flyers down. That's a slap upside the head of Holmgren and Laviolette, yes? This amounts to a no-confidence vote on both of them to improve things from last season, IMO.— PHJR2010
- Weber did not turn the Flyers down. Nashvile matched the offer. Nothing Homer (nor Weber) could do about that. — MikeC67
- Nothing personal, but I hope he has ACL problems.— dogman5
- My worst fear is that Schenn and Couturier regress next year. Yes, they had great Rookie years but now their EXPECTED to produce....and the fact that Hartnell, Giroux, Simmonds, Talbot and Voracek ALL had career years is scarey...can we really expect all of them to have career years again ?? I hate to say it, but I think our best chance was last year...we beat the hell out of Fleury and the Pens and we're rolling like a run away trian...then we hit New Jersey and the wheels fall off...No Weber, no chance ??— Apollotwo
- Huh? How could this happen? Didn't our very own know-it-all master of high stakes negotiations, PhillyBoyinNYC, just yesterday declare that this was a done deal?
Here is his brilliant analysis: "consider yourself schooled on what high stakes negotiations, something I have done my whole career, look like and sound like. This says utter capitulation by Nashville all the way, but Poile begging for ANY handout player the Flyers can give them to save face. Homer will give them nothing"
Gee counselor, sounds like you are the one who just got schooled. Looks like it is the Preds that will give us nothing. Back to the pond, rookie.— snipesmorris - Great job by the Flyers! A++++++ Goodbye Nashville -you have a player that committed himself to another team; you got into a pissing contest that shows your shortsightedness. NASHVILLE WILL NEVER WIN A CUP! They may not even have a team in the years to come, because hockey is not accepted in Nashville like other sports. AND FINALLY - like all players -their investment in one (1) player, in a small city market -is one injury away from the total devastation of a franchise.— Eddubbs2013
- Great job by the Flyers! A++++++ Goodbye Nashville -you have a player that committed himself to another team; you got into a peeing contest that shows your shortsightedness. NASHVILLE WILL NEVER WIN A CUP! They may not even have a team in the years to come, because hockey is not accepted in Nashville like other sports. AND FINALLY - like all players -their investment in one (1) player, in a small city market -is one injury away from the total devastation of a franchise.— Eddubbs2013
- Ha Ha Go Preds!!!— herndog77
- Nashville, had to match, if not this will be the president of better high money pocket teams, Plus he let Scott Stevens walk in the past, and look how that turned out....So he wasn't going down that route again.....At least Weber is in the West. But look what the Rangers gave away for Nash.....Nothing....Nashville, will want to much, not getting anything in return......So Buy Buy Nashville...... Enjoy bankrupt....I bet Columbus is kicking themselves now..but letting Nash go to early.— shmoo
- Shocked!
— Neebo - lets see the Preds attempt to sign anyone else in the next few years after signing that positive message they sent, that franchise cannot afford the deal with those empty seats.....lol— pr0f3ss0r
