“WeberWatch” is officially over.
The Nashville Predators on Tuesday announced they officially matched the offer sheet defenseman Shea Weber signed with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Weber will make $110 million over the course of 14 years in what has become the largest contract in franchise history.
The Predators’ official Twitter account broke the news:
While GM David Poile was adamant about bringing back his team’s captain, there were questions as to whether or not ownership would be able to afford the monster contract.
However, after Ryan Suter bolted to the Minnesota Wild earlier in the month, the Predators made the decision to retain Weber to avoid losing both members of their top defensive pairing.
By matching the Flyers’ offer sheet, the Predators made a big statement to the league, proving that they maintain a strong commitment to winning. From the team’s press release:
Most importantly was the reaction to whatever decision the organization reached and the impact it would have on our fans, sponsors and marketing partners. We wanted to insure that our decision reflected not just the feelings of these groups but also conveys a strong message to them that our actions would speak for us and demonstrate our commitment to them. It was absolutely essential that they understand and believe that we are doing everything possible to ice a Stanley Cup competing team each and every season.
The Predators will hold a press conference at 1 p.m. central time to announce further details of their decision.
