Predators keep Weber in Nashville, match Flyers’ 14-year, $110M offer sheet

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Predators are keeping Shea Weber in Nashville.

The team announced on its website Tuesday that it has matched the Philadelphia Flyers’ 14-year, US$110-million offer sheet for the all-star defenceman.

The team calls it “the most important hockey transaction in franchise history.”

It comes a day before Nashville’s deadline to match Philadelphia’s offer.

Weber, 26, is the Predators’ captain and played on a $7.5-million arbitrator’s award last season. He had 19 goals and 49 points along the way.

Nashville already lost free-agent defenceman Ryan Suter to Minnesota this summer and losing Weber would have been a major blow to a defence-first team that took the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference and advanced to the second round of the playoffs.