All-Star Recognition Could Just be the Beginning for Weber
By Mike Chen
January 20, 2009
If 23-year-old Shea Weber played for a Canadian team, he might receive as much media attention as Calgary's Dion Phaneuf. As it stands, he's a budding franchise defenseman for the Nashville Predators and a worthy Western Conference All-Star representative. That means he'll have to settle for gradual recognition among the hockey community as they discover what the Nashville faithful have recognized for a few years: hard-hitting No. 6, with his booming shot and strong puck sense, is one of the NHL's best young blueliners.
It's a shame that Weber didn't get more love from the all-star fan-voting community. Between ballot-stuffing controversies and arguments over who deserves to be a starter -- and really, does starting in a game where 45-second shifts are the norm really matter? -- Weber only finished tenth in voting among Western defensemen. And that's a shame, because Weber is on pace for a Norris-worthy season as a stalwart on an up-and-down Predators team.
Consider this: all season long, Weber has been among the league leaders in goals by defensemen and overall defensive scoring. On a roster where half the players are on the wrong side of the plus/minus, Weber is a strong plus-6, and his 10 power-play points are especially notable when considering Nashville's struggles with the man advantage.
For Weber, a second-round pick by Nashville in 2003, it's all just fulfilling the promise he showed since his first trip to All-Star weekend as a participant in the 2007 YoungStars game. Injuries slowed what was a promising 2007-08 campaign, but Weber's hefty performance in the first half of this season shows that the Nashville's defense will have a rock for years to come.
The mainstream media may be playing catch-up with Weber, but those in the know recognize that there's something special on the Nashville blueline. Since Weber's inclusion on the all-star team, praise has been coming from all sides:
* Barry Trotz, Nashville's coach, has told the media that he sees Weber as a perennial Norris candidate for the next decade and compared him to a young Rob Blake.
* Hall-of-Famer and former Norris winner Al MacInnis called him an elite defenseman and noted Weber's strong two-way play.
* Noted hockey reporter EJ Hradek thinks Weber will receive consideration for as this season's Norris Trophy winner.
* Nashville GM David Poile acknowledges that Weber's finally getting recognition for not only this year's awards but also the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics.
If his name is new to you, take a good look this weekend. He's almost a lock for the annual hardest shot competition. (Ask Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom how it felt when he took a Weber shot to the ankle in late December.) While the actual All-Star game most likely won't feature any of Weber's hits, you'll see his puck-moving skills and powerful skating stride put on display.
The Nashville Predators likely won't get much national media play unless the team makes the playoffs (they're currently one of the half-dozen or teams fighting for the last few playoff spots). That makes All-Star weekend Weber's chance to shine in the international hockey spotlight -- at least until he gets nominated for this year's Norris Trophy and skates for Team Canada in 2010. By then, the hockey world will finally see what Nashville fans have been appreciating for a few seasons now.
Mike Chen has covered the NHL for various media outlets for more than a decade. His blog appears on Kukla's Korner and he also contributes to the Battle of California.
