It's not a very common occurrence when a defenseman leads a hockey team in goals - but when it does happen, that hockey team is usually in big trouble...
...and are in even bigger trouble when they lose that player to injury.
The Nashville Predators are that team, and Shea Weber is that defenseman. The Predators did not have Weber on the ice on Tuesday night, the result of taking a puck to the face on Thursday night - nor did they have fellow blue liner Kevin Klein, who is out indefinitely with a foot injury.
Nashville has a record of 13-11-3 on the season heading into Tuesday's action, good for just 29 points as the Predators are obviously having difficulty generating much offense. They stand at 15 points behind the Western Conference leading Chicago Blackhawks by 15 points and just one point ahead of Central Division door mat Dallas.
Weber, the Predators' captain, rose quickly from the ice and was leaking freely, repairing to the room - and has not hit the ice since. In the interim, several people in Weber's inner circle have privately urged him to consider wearing a visor, including his agent.
"We've spoken that he would think about it for sure," said Jarrett Bousquet to Josh Cooper of the Nashville Tennessean, of his client wearing the protective shield.
At issue, of course, is the old argument of a visor impacting their sight when someone snows them or condensation builds up and also Weber is old-time tough and may feel it a matter of perception more than anything else.
Regardless, it seems that if his agent is involved in pressuring Weber, the club - which also has a lot of capital invested in their star defenseman - may be insisting on the visor to help protect their investment.
Weber is listed as day-to-day, but has yet to practice, so it's within the prism of possibility that his availability for Thursday night's face off with the Carolina Hurricanes may be in jeopardy as well, as no updates have been given on his condition, other than he has not resumed exercising.
He’s just bored, sitting there and staring at the TV and sleeping in a recliner,” coach Barry Trotz said when asked for an update on Weber, “That’s pretty well it.”.
http://www.sportsinjuryalert.com/2013/12/predators-shea-weber-on-shelf-after.html
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