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)
Flyers fans should have expected Nashville would match. It's what we would do... I never believed the Preds were willing to pay Suter $85 million and Weber the same or less. In the end, I think you need to consider that Holgren thought the Flyers young talent is worth more than a 'chip' in a trade. Frankly, I'm optimistic going into this season with the same group of guys a year older. At some point they need a good young d-man... it just won't be Weber.— JGD84- I wouldn't rule out trade talks, but what concerns me is what Nashville would want (read: Couturier). I have this unpleasant feeling that about all Holmgren will have to show for his efforts is a second- or third-level signing (read: Subban) that yields marginal/incremental improvement rather than the order-of-magnitude improvement he sought. Got a feeling it'll be another season of looking up at the Rangers in the standings and a 6th or 7th seed in the playoffs.
Maybe if Columbus let go Nash for odds and ends, Anaheim would do likewise for Ryan? Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah....— 1940LaSalle - If they can't get another Grossman via trade near the halfway point, trade for picks and stock up. Groom D-men. (If Pronger can't play, he can teach.) Weber came in the 2nd round. Lot of luck there, but with all the youth in the Flyers, maybe it's the route to go.— pillsbury
- We need to go after PJ Subban...strong,big-shot, nasty righty d-man.— Romus
- He is also an idiot, who takes the dumbest penalties (evey year he leads the league in minors) and is an underachiever for the talent he has. No thanks. — Sidewinder7
- wouldn't rule out trade talks? For Weber? The Preds cant trade weber for 1 year now.— sickoflosing
- It's pretty impressive that Flyers fans apparently know more about the Nashville financials than the Nashville ownership does. Bravo— jbruder02
- They are better w/out Matt Carle. Addition by subtraction.— homerjay99
- I think it id now official that players don't to be here seeing that they can't build a Cup winner ignoring "skill" players— bvl390
- Well, Weber won't be a Flyer this year, but I don't believe there is a no trade clause in the contract and the Preds WILL trade away the salary next year. The issue was that Homer wouldn't give the Preds any players just the draft picks and the Preds needs players. They will get the players next year and a LOT next year when they trade him. It's a win for the Preds. Homer played chicken and in the end the Preds didn't flinch. Mark my word, Weber will not be a Predator for the 2013 season. Maybe he will be a Flyer eventually.— LAFlyer
- Why would the preds pay $27M for 1 year...if they wanted to trade him, they would have done it. Get over it....she's over— philly thug
- It's a damn Sheame.— phoreverphilly
- Nash to NYR's & no Weber --- now what? Lets go Sixers!!!!!— ChangeISNeeded
- Well that move cost the Flyers.. nothing. Nashville can whine all they want about teams with deep pockets, but how about they sign their players before it gets to this.— Sidewinder7
- The Preds didn't need to trade him because he was still a RFA. They will pay $27M if they got nothing but 4 picks. They will eat the $27M, get him for one year, then trade his salary away and get top players plus picks.— LAFlyer
