Score one for the little guy. Nashville Predators general manager David Poile once watched helplessly as future Hall of Fame defenseman Scott Stevens left the Capitals in 1990 when ownership wouldn’t match an offer sheet from St. Louis. It was a disaster that some argue eventually cost Washington a Stanley Cup.
Well, Poile saw history repeat itself last week when Shea Weber, his current star defenseman, signed an offer sheet with the Philadelphia Flyers. Four first-round picks were the ludicrously limited compensation for losing Weber, one of the NHL’s elite players. So Poile didn’t let it happen. He convinced ownership to match the staggering 14-year, $110 million offer, which Philadelphia front-loaded with huge signing bonuses hoping Nashville literally wouldn’t be able to raise the cash to match it.
They did and the Flyers’ gamble fell short. The Predators, still reeling over the departure of free agent Ryan Suter, their other top defenseman, needed to keep Weber, their captain, around with star goalie Pekka Rinne, who signed a long contract extension of his own during the season.
– Brian McNally
