Breaking up is hard to do.
Especially via phone.
That’s what former Predators defenseman Ryan Suter learned today upon calling Nashville GM David Poile and telling him that, after seven season with the organization, he was taking his talents to Minnesota.
“I talked to David this morning, and it was the the toughest phone call I’ve ever had to make in my life,” Suter said via conference call. “It was so hard to make that [call]. David’s done so much for me and there’s such a first class operation in Nashville -- and it starts with David Poile.”
Suter said he also spoke with his defensive running mate in Nashville, Shea Weber.
“I spoke with Shea after I talked to David and told him I’d decided to move on from Nashville,” he said. “He was happy for me. He understood. He said ‘you have to do what’s best for you’ and he wished me nothing but the best of luck.”
Expect the ramifications of Suter’s decision to linger for quite some time. Poile sounded extremely disappointed in his conference call and there’s genuine concern Suter’s exodus has paved Weber’s path out of Nashville as well.
One has to wonder if Poile might take a different approach with Weber, even though he’s on record wanting to sign the Norris nominee long term. Poile failed to net any significant returns for Suter and Dan Hamhuis (aside from Ryan Parent, who is not significant) and the organization can’t afford a similar body blow.
Think of it this way -- Weber finished second in the 2011-12 Norris Trophy voting. Suter finished eighth, Hamhuis finished 10th. Having already lost two of those players for nothing, imagine a world in which Poile loses all three.