Shea Weber

2013-14

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2012-13

On July 24, the Preds made headlines by matching a $110 million, 14-year offer sheet made to Weber by the Philadelphia Flyers just days before. By doing so, the Preds are assured of keeping their All-Star defenseman and team cornerstone in Nashville for at least one more season (matching an offer sheet means he can't be traded for one full year). Weber finished the season tied for seventh among NHL defensemen in both points (49) and plus-minus (plus-21), and should be at or near the top of your fantasy cheat sheet for defensemen.

2011-12

Weber certainly showed his worth to the Preds last season, racking up 52 points in 80 games and leading the team into the second round of the playoffs for the first time in team history. To top it off, Weber was voted to the NHL's First All-Star Team for the first time in his career, and was named one of three finalists for the Norris Trophy, eventually finishing second to Nicklas Lidstrom. Despite these accomplishments, Weber and Nashville could not agree to terms on a new contract and went to salary arbitration in August. The result was a one-year, $7.5 million contract for Weber, making him the fifth-highest paid defenseman in the NHL. This season, look for Weber to continue his ascent to elite status in terms of fantasy value. He still possesses one of the most fearsome slapshots in the league, and plays with a bit of a nasty streak to boot. Don't be surprised if Weber hits the 60-70 point range this season, even without a top-tier offense to help him out.

2010-11

With Jason Arnott off to New Jersey, Weber inherited the role of team captain in the offseason despite 2010-11 being the final year of his contract, a possible indication that he'll re-up with the team after this next season. Only once in five seasons has Weber been on the wrong side of the plus/minus rating (-6 in '07-'08), with his shots on goal in the low-to-mid 200's - fairly high totals for a rear guard. Assuming he stays healthy, Weber could grill up some fantasy-friendly stats. We're expecting roughly 40-50 points this season from No. 6.

2009-10

Weber announced his presence as one of the top goal scoring defensemen in the the NHL last season, putting 23 pucks in the net, 10 of those power play goals. He also had 53 points in total, 80 penalty minutes, and 235 shots on goal, a ton for a defenseman. Weber will help you in pretty much every category, and this season he has a genuine shot to net 30 goals. He might not reach those lofty heights, but you can probably safely presume at least 20 goals for Weber.

2008-09

Last season was anything but successful for Weber. He battled injuries right out of the gate and throughout the season, appearing in only 54 games. The result was that Weber was never really able to find a place in the Predators' offense last season and his scoring totals suffered greatly as a result. He fell well short of the 17 goals and 23 assists that he posted in 2006-07. We expect a full rebound for Weber in the upcoming season. With the departure of Marek Zidlicky, there should be plenty of power-play time for Weber and if he can establish himself early on in the season with good play and good health, the sky's the limit. We wouldn't rule out a 20-goal, 50-point campaign for the big blueliner, and that would once again place him in the top-15 offensive defensemen in the league.

2007-08

This season Weber will go from one of the young Nashville blueliners to one of the veterans in just one year. In his first full NHL season with the Predators last year, Weber was one of the Top-30 defensemen in the league in scoring. His 17 goals ranked him sixth among NHL defensemen and his 40 points ranked him 28th in the league in scoring. It’s hard to believe but Weber’s best hockey is still ahead of him. Weber is just 22-years old and still has a lot of development ahead. He will push teammate Marek Zidlicky for the title of the No. 1 defenseman on the team this season.

2006-07

The promising young Weber appeared in only 28 games last season with the Predators. That could change in 2006-07. Weber racked-up 27 points in 46 games with Milwaukee last season and became the buzz of the clubhouse. Weber will likely win a full-time job with the Predators this season and continue to develop as an NHL player. Weber could present some fantasy value if the right things happen.

2005-06

The third of three 2nd round picks the Predators had in 2003, Weber projects as a solid all-around defenseman, equally capable of clearing the front of the net or taking a power play shift. He's still a few years away from the NHL, however.