from John Manasso of Fox Sports Tennessee,

A finalist for the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman in each of the last two seasons (and signatory to -- oh, by the way -- a 14-year, $110-million contract last July), Weber has failed to earn a point in any of the Predators’ first nine games -- by far the longest drought of his career to start a season.

In spite of Weber’s lack of production -- his 19 goals last season tied him for the most in the league by a defenseman and his 49 points ranked him sixth among rearguards -- the Predators have managed a credible 4-2-3 start, good enough for sixth in the Western Conference.

Yet on Wednesday when asked by FOXSportsTennessee.com if the Preds could continue to win without production from the owner of one of the league’s hardest slapshots, general manager David Poile preferred not to dwell on such a dire hypothetical.

“I’d rather answer that he’s going to produce,” he said, referencing Weber’s slow start to last season. “…So I know that’s going to happen. Again, the way he bombs the puck -- he missed the net a few times -- being a little bit more accurate, he can beat goaltenders. They can’t contain the shot. There’s a rebound. It’s going to be there.”

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