Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has signed defenseman Shea Weber to a three-year, $13.5 million contract. ?Shea has evolved into one of our core players,? Poile said. ?He is both a player and a person that every team covets. He is big and strong, skates well, and possesses a booming shot. Shea has also been a part of championship teams from the Memorial Cup in 2004 and the World Junior Championship in 2005, to the World Championships in Russia last summer.? Weber, 23 (8/14/85), established a career high in average time on ice (19:29), and tied personal bests in shots (152) and game-winning goals (2) in 2007-08 despite missing 28 games due to injury. The 6-3, 213-pound native of Sicamous, B.C.?s breakout season came in 2006-07, when he finished as one of six NHL defensemen with 17 or more goals, pacing Nashville blueliners in goals (17) while finishing second among the club?s defensemen in points (40). In 161 career NHL games, Weber has amassed 70 points (25g-45a) and 161 penalty minutes.