Upon losing in the second round for a second consecutive season, Ryan Suter was very much noncommittal about his future with the Nashville Predators. The talented (but slightly overshadowed by Shea Weber) defenseman reportedly met with Predators GM David Poile today and while he didn’t give a clear glimpse into his future, he provided a rather interesting take to Robby Stanley.
“Wherever I sign, I want to be there for the rest of my career,” Suter said. “I haven’t had time to really sit back and talk with my family and figure out what we want to do.”
Stanley points out that Suter has a wife and kids, so it makes sense that he’s giving that consideration. (Perhaps that might be the best thing going for the Predators’ side beyond mere recognition?)
The “rest of the career” part is especially interesting because Suter is in the meat of his prime at just 27 years old (he’ll turn 28 next January). There are plenty of NHL teams who would likely be glad to hand over Suter a deal with a cap average somewhere between what Pekka Rinne will begin to make next season ($7 million) and what Weber received in arbitration ($7.5 million). Regardless of whether he stays or goes, that factor is likely to make life very difficult for the Predators.
If you were Suter, what would you do, though? Beyond that, where do you think he’ll go? A lot of people wonder if a guy called (by some) the next Nicklas Lidstrom might just succeed Lidstrom in Detroit.