It seemed as though every big name contract case this offseason would be taken care of without the bitter arbitration process, with players all over the league opting to deals with their teams just in time to avoid their hearing.
Shea Weber, Nashville Predators Head To Arbitration To Decide New Contract
In Nashville, where the Predators and defenseman Shea Weber have been negotiating a new contract, they're not getting the same luxury. The two parties went to arbitration early Tuesday morning and it's only a matter of time before we learn what the independent arbitrator will decide. If you ask fans of the Predators, it doesn't seem as though they're very optimistic that he'll get a financially friendly deal.
Dirk Hoag, who runs SB Nation Preds blog On the Forecheck thinks that Weber will be awarded around $7.25 million, based on comparables and the fact that Weber is the team captain and a Norris nominee. Chris Burton, who also contributes at OtF, had this to say:
Preds have no leg to stand on in arbitration. There’s next to no argument against someone who could be considered the best D in the world.
And that’s about right. Weber is a pretty tough guy for the Preds management to sit there in the hearing and criticize, even if the “best defenseman in the world” thing is an optimistic view. He’s basically everything to them -- their best defenseman, their captain and a homegrown talent. There’s nothing stopping the arbitrator from awarding top dollar here.
For more on the negotiations and the Preds, check in with On the Forecheck.
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