Predators GM David Poile isn’t happy. Obviously. However, it’s not just because he failed to convince Ryan Suter to stay in Nashville. It goes beyond that.
Apparently Poile was under the impression that, above all, Suter wanted to win, i.e. money wasn’t the biggest factor. So why would the 27-year-old defenseman decide to leave a winning team that’s done everything in its power to prove its commitment to winning? If it was for family reasons, as Suter told Poile, well, that’s not what they discussed all year long.
“I was looking at all my notes yesterday,” Poile said. “Ryan had said when we had a meeting in November with he and (agent) Neil Sheehy, he said at the time that he is not going anywhere else, he is signing with the Nashville Predators.”
Poile called it a “missed opportunity” for Suter to combine with Shea Weber to form the “best defensive pair ever in the National Hockey League history.”
Moving on, Poile is now in the market for another defensemen, be it through a trade or free agency.
More importantly, he’ll turn his focus to Weber and attempt to get his captain to sign a long-term contract with the club.
“We want him to be in Nashville for years to come,” said Poile.
You can download the audio of the conference call here.
