NHL Notes: Attention shifting towards Weber

Now that Zach Parise and Ryan Suter have decided to take their talents to the Minnesota Wild, attention seems to shifting towards Predators defenseman Shea Weber.

Weber has yet to sign a long-term deal with Nashville and is only tied to the team until July 1, 2013.

Larry Brooks of The New York Post ponders what it would be like if Weber wound up with the Rangers.

"If the defense-first-last-and-always Rangers could get Weber, they would stand to have at least one Norris-caliber defenseman on the ice essentially all game," Brooks wrote. "There is something to be said for doubling down on a strength."

Since Weber decided not to file for arbitration, the two sides could negotiate a contract, Weber could sign an offer sheet that Nashville can either match or decline, or Weber could be traded.

If the Preds decline the offer sheet, they would get compensation in the form of draft picks. If they match a one-year deal, they can't trade the 26-year-old.

Preds CEO chimes in on Suter
When Suter decided to sign with the Wild, Predators general manager David Poile couldn't understand why any defenseman would pass up the opportunity to play with Weber.

Now, Preds CEO Jeff Cogen has chimed in.

“I don’t want to mislead you," Cogen told The Tennessean (via ProHockeyTalk). "Ryan Suter is a great hockey player. We wanted him on our team, and we’re disappointed he chose to go in a different direction. It’s not the death knell to the Nashville Predators. It challenges us.”