Canadiens captain Shea Weber unlikely to play again due to injuries
Shea Weber's 16-year NHL career may finally be coming to an end.
Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin told reporters Thursday that Weber would miss the entire 2021-22 campaign due to several injuries and "probably won't be back for his career," according to Sportsnet's Eric Engels.
Weber has been plagued with a left foot/ankle problem that has threatened his career in years past. He missed two weeks with an injury in February 2020 and had surgery to repair tendons in the area in March 2018.
The Canadiens captain also played the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs with an injured thumb that sidelined him at the end of the season. The injury is reportedly believed to be significant.
In addition, Weber also had surgery for a meniscal tear in his right knee in July 2018.
Weber would be a huge loss both on the ice and in the locker room for Montreal. He has five seasons remaining on his contract at $7.8 million per year, and the Canadiens would have a "cap recapture" penalty of around $4.9 million per season through 2025-26 if he retires.
The British Columbia native, who will turn 36 next month, has spent the past five years of his career in Montreal after 11 seasons with the Nashville Predators. He has tallied 589 points (224 goals, 365 assists) in 1,038 games.
Weber did not miss a single game of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning despite his ailments.
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