Sources: Shea Weber visited N.Y.

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NEW YORK -- Philadelphia was not the only place restricted free agent Shea Weber considered before signing a whopping offer sheet with the Flyers.

The coveted Nashville Predators defenseman also was interested in the Rangers and visited New York recently, multiple sources confirmed to ESPNNewYork.com.

Weber, 26, ultimately signed a 14-year offer sheet worth a reported $110 million with the Flyers after visiting Philadelphia, San Jose and Detroit as well as New York.

"It just seemed to be a better fit than New York," his agent, Jarrett Bousquet, told ESPNNewYork.com on Thursday.

Bousquet said his client's main deterrent with New York was the prospect of living in Manhattan.

"(Weber) is a small-town guy and (New York) is a huge city," Bousquet said. "With New York, it was nothing personal. He thought everything, from the ownership to the hockey operations to the coaching, was unbelievable. (Philadelphia) just seemed to be a better fit at this time in his career."

Nashville has seven days to decide whether or not to match Philadelphia's offer for Weber, a three-time All-Star who has been the Predators' captain for the last two years.

The Predators already lost one of their cornerstone defensemen earlier this month when unrestricted free agent Ryan Suter signed a 13-year deal worth $98 million with the Minnesota Wild on July 4.

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Katie Strang

ESPNNewYork.com

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Katie Strang covers the Rangers, Islanders and Devils for ESPNNewYork.com. She is a graduate of Michigan State University and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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