Predators captain Shea Weber nominated for Norris Trophy

The morning after the Nashville Predators won their first ever playoff series by beating Anaheim 4-2, Predators Captain Shea Weber received his first ever Norris Trophy nomination.

The Norris Trophy is given to the defenseman judged to be the best in the National Hockey League.

This season,Weber tallied 16 goals and added 32 assists for 48 points. He was 6th in the League for hits by a defenseman,  2nd in takeaways for his position, 3rd on defense in shots.

Weber was third in ice time for the entire 2010-11 season averaging 25:19 per game. It was a career season for Weber who set career highs in games played (82),  average ice time, assists (32) and shots (254).

Weber on being drafted to Team Lidstrom

Nashville’s captain, Shea Weber, makes his second consecutive appearance in the NHL’s All-Star game this weekend. Friday night, Weber was drafted as the third defensemen picked, eighth overall, onto Team Lidstrom.

Weber said he didn’t expect to be drafted that high and he wasn’t sure if picking him was, as Martin St. Louis said when making the announcement, an answer to Team Staal picking Zdeno Chara.

In addition to Weber, Team Lidstrom featured a defense corps that included last year’s Norris Trophy winner, Duncan Keith, former Blackhawk and an early candidate for the Norris this year, Dustin Byfgulien, Keith Yandle who leads Phoenix in points, the Minnesota Wild’s Brent Burns, and, of course, Lidstrom himself.