from Josh Cooper of The Tennessean,

A little more than a year ago, the Predators threw a party in front of Bridgestone Arena.

General manager David Poile, chairman Tom Cigarran and CEO Jeff Cogen sat in the searing heat and praised their decision to match the Philadelphia Flyers’ 14-year, $110 million offer sheet for then-restricted free agent defenseman Shea Weber.

The Predators called the match — six days after Weber signed the offer sheet — “the most important transaction in franchise history.” The big-market Flyers had tried to scoop up Nashville’s captain, and the Predators said no.

A year later, it seems like the right move. It’s hard to believe the Predators would have had their highest average attendance this past season without Weber in the lineup, especially after losing fellow star defenseman Ryan Suter to the Minnesota Wild in free agency.

Losing Weber, their most important player, also would have forced the Predators into a rebuilding phase instead of retooling mode.

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