NASHVILLE, TN - APRIL 17: Shea Weber #6 of the Nashville Predators and young Predators fan Maddox Cross, right, sport their playoff beards in warmups against the Chicago Blackhawks in Game Two of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2015 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena on April 17, 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images)

Generally at various points during summers since 2012, the city of Nashville often heard noise from north of the border. The sounds came from cities (cough, Edmonton, cough) mentioning how the team in that area (the Oilers) would LOVE to trade pretty much everyone on its team for All-Star, All-World, All-Awesome Predators defenseman Shea Weber.

The crux of this thinking was easy. Nashville always needed forwards. The Oilers had tons of young forwards. Nashville ‘didn’t have the money’ to pay Philadelphia’s 14-year $110 million offer sheet toward Weber, which included yearly July 1 lump-sum bonuses of $13 million over the first four years of the deal. He’ll get $8 million bonuses the next two summers – not as much but still a lot to give a guy one day of the year. And then the poison pill of the deal will be over in real dollars, though his cap hit will stay close to $8 million.

Also, since Weber signed said offer sheet, it was clearly an indication he didn’t want to play in Nashville, right?

But there was no way it was going to happen. There was no chance Preds general manager David Poile was going to trade Weber – his captain, best player and symbol of franchise strength. Beyond all the aforementioned issues, Weber was one of the top defensemen in the NHL, and probably one of the league’s 10 best players. You don’t trade guys like that.

The previous couple of summers, the timing was never right – Weber signed his offer sheet in 2012. But now, is it really such a bad idea? The answer is no. In fact, trading Weber may actually be the right move for Nashville – especially after the Preds held their own against the Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks without Weber in the lineup. He was hurt in the middle of Game 2 of their six-game first-round loss to Chicago with a subluxed kneecap.

As good as Weber is, and has been for Nashville, the Predators have never gotten past the second-round of the playoffs with him as the team’s captain. He’s going to be 30 years old next season. And with the Predators seeing dynamic younger players coming through their system, especially at the blueline, is now the time to deal Weber?

We give five reasons why Nashville should trade Weber, at least at some point within the next year.

1. The offers will be ridiculously in Nashville’s favor

His $7.857 million salary cap hit, while less awful in today’s post 2012-13 lockout world, is a lot. Also, some teams have the money, and the lunacy, to part with multiple good, young NHL-ready forwards Nashville needs. Weber is a physical speciman and cornerstone defenseman, but his perceived value, especially amongst old boys GMs, may be greater than his actual worth. Many probably still drool over this 2010 Olympics shot where the puck went through the net on a goal.

The Oilers under former general manager Craig MacTavish always seemed to be hot after Weber. And he’s the type of player the current Edmonton group could use with Connor McDavid coming in. Wait, how would Weber ever allow a trade to EdmonHoth? Oh yeah, the Predators didn’t give him any no-trade clause. So they can deal him to whatever team they want.

And new Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli has seemed OK with dealing good, young forwards at points of his career. If you’re going to trade the face of your franchise, you need to make sure you get the right pieces back. There are teams that have the type of NHL-ready young talent who can step in and score right away – like again, Edmonton.

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2. Nashville is strong on the blueline without Weber

With Weber, Nashville is loaded with solid right-handed shooting defensemen. Without Weber, Nashville still has strong right-handed shooting defensemen. Most teams would love to have Seth Jones and Ryan Ellis ... as first and second pairing defensemen. Both are on the second and third paris with Weber in Nashville. The Predators already have two wonderfully underrated blueliners in Roman Josi and advanced stat darling Mattias Ekholm on the left side.

Josi’s numbers, from a traditional and advanced perspective, were actually better than Weber’s this past season. Josi had 15 goals and 40 assists to Weber’s 15 goals and 30 assists.