[media-credit name=’UW Athletic Communications’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]Wisconsin sophomore defender Ryan Suter decided Wednesday to forego his final three years of eligibility and sign with the Nashville Predators.

As the Predators’ top pick in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft and the seventh pick overall, Suter was expected to see action soon at the NHL level. After unproductive contract talks early this summer, it appeared that Suter would not be leaving just yet. Then Nashville reopened negotiations and made an offer for the maximum amount a first round draft choice can make.

It was an offer that was just too good to refuse.

“It was an opportunity that I, my family, we couldn’t pass it up,” said Suter at an afternoon press conference to announce his decision.

Though the money was good, Suter admitted that it was still not an easy decision to leave. He would have preferred getting things worked out earlier to give the Badgers time to make adjustments.

“Yeah, [the decision] was really difficult, especially coming this late in the summer,” said Suter. “If it would have happened earlier in the summer it wouldn’t have been as difficult.”

Asked whether the money was the primary factor in his decision, Suter replied “I can’t say there was one thing, and there wouldn’t have been one thing that made me stay either.”

Certainly there is no questioning the advice Suter received. His father, former Badger Bob Suter, and his uncle, 17-year NHL veteran Gary Suter, were two of his main advisors. With all of the hockey knowledge floating around the Suter family, the choice seems to be the right one at this time.

While most would consider Suter ready for the NHL, it was the late date of the signing that made the decision a difficult one. Leaving his former teammates this close to the start of the season weighed heavily on his mind.

“I’d be very disappointed if someone left at this point in the year,” Suter said. “We just started four man groups, school and started living together; you think you’ve got your family for the year and all of the sudden something like this comes up and it’s all gone.”

While he leaves Wisconsin with a heavy heart, his ultimate goal of playing in the NHL is coming to fruition. Still, he will be able to look back on his career and say that he was able to reach many of his hockey related goals.

“Growing up I had a dream about playing for the Badgers, obviously, but also every kid dreams of playing in the NHL.”

For Suter there were 1.24 million reasons to leave. With the NHL working on a new collective bargaining agreement there is speculation that the maximum rookie contract will be drastically decreased for next season, meaning that Suter would be out a pretty large chunk of change.

The Predators wanted to sign Suter to a smaller contract and that was a big reason that earlier contract negotiations stalled. With the contract talks bogged down, it appeared that Suter would be returning to Wisconsin for his sophomore season. In the end though, Nashville sweetened the pot and Suter decided the time was right to move on.

“We just wanted to try and get it out of the way, but that’s not the way it worked,” Suter said, referring to the drawn out talks. “All summer long I was up and down and I was trying not to think about it but every time someone would come up to me they would ask me about it. And I would just get down or up and I didn’t know what to feel. It’s a relief to finally have it over.”

One of the biggest concerns for Suter is the potential lock-out in the NHL this season. If the collective bargaining agreement isn’t worked out, Suter will find himself playing for the Milwaukee Admirals of the International Hockey League.

With many analysts consider a work stoppage in the NHL a forgone conclusion, Suter will very likely see some more playing time in the state of Wisconsin. It isn’t the ideal situation for Suter, but one that he understands is a distinct possibility.

“If there is a lock-out I’ll be going to Milwaukee,” Suter explained. “They were pretty good last year and I guess they’ll be okay this year.”

Last season Suter was one of the Badgers’ key defenders and the defensive cornerstone of the team. His continued improvement on offense saw him finish the season with three goals and 16 assists for 19 points. His play earned him Third-team All-WCHA honors as well as a spot on the All-WCHA Rookie team.

While his time at Wisconsin was fairly short, Suter says he enjoyed his stay.

“It’s been an unbelievable experience, more than I’d ever imagined,” said Suter. “I’m proud to say that I came here for the one year.”

In a statement, Wisconsin Head Coach Mike Eaves said, “We’re excited for Ryan. It has been a life dream of his to get to the next level. We’re disappointed he won’t be with us to help get us to the next level, but we wish him the best of luck and health.”

–Jake Leonard contributed to this story