Appreciating Shea Weber

Some say that the Nashville Predators do not have a "superstar" player, but rely on the entire team to contribute. In a way, I suppose that's true. On the other hand, it does not do justice to just how talented and effective a few of Nashville's players actually are, and in this case, one in particular: captain Shea Weber. 

While not a superstar in a traditional sense, Weber is rather quietly cementing his place among the best defensemen in the game today. He is 2nd in the league for goals by a defenseman since 2007, one of just four defensemen to lead his team in points, and is one of only two blueliners in the NHL with over 130 hits and 30 or more points. Furthermore, Weber is 3rd in shots and goals, and other than Keith Yandle, has accumulated the most points by a defenseman since the beginning of the calendar year. 

Shea Weber has one of the hardest shots in NHL history. He has led Olympic gold medalists in ice time, and he's leading the Nashville Predators to the playoffs. Are there ways he could improve? Certainly. But the next time someone tells you that the Predators are a rag-tag bunch of overachievers, pause for a moment to consider the captain, because when his career is all said and done, Shea Weber might be the best player to have ever put on a Nashville Predators jersey.