Montreal Canadiens: Shea Weber injury is yet another blow
By Jasmine Yen
After hurting his right knee, Montreal Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber will undergo surgery and is expected to be out for at least five months.
The Montreal Canadiens didn’t have much going for them and now, they’ve lost their star defenseman Shea Weber to yet another major leg injury. This means that they will be without him until at least December.
This is Weber’s second major surgery on his lower body in less than a year. Last March, he had to get his left foot operated on and missed 56 games.
At 32 years old, this is extremely concerning for the Habs. A player’s legs are the most important part of hockey. If he hasn’t skated for five months (plus the additional months he will miss now), it will greatly affect his game. How will Weber be able to keep up with the increasing speed of the NHL?
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Unfortunately for the Canadiens, they will be stuck with Weber for another seven years at $7.8 million per season. As he gets older, his trade value will decrease.
With the new injuries, it will be near impossible to move Weber, especially with that contract. Harping on general manager Marc Bergevin for the trade is generic, but every passing day, it gets worse and worse.
Now, Weber is not a pylon. Far from it actually. Last season, in 26 games played, Weber recorded six goals and 10 assists. That’s really good for a defenseman. The four seasons before that, Weber recorded over 40 points each time and averaged over 25 minutes a game.
He is a workhorse with a big body to keep opponents out of Carey Price’s eyes. The Canadiens rely on him to matchup against the top lines and to eat up a lot of minutes.
Without him, the Habs take yet another blow. He is a great player and an even better leader. There’s a reason why he’s represented Canada internationally so many times and a reason why Marc Bergevin thought that trading P.K. Subban for him was a good idea. He’s a great guy and player, but with his age and major injuries, his best hockey might be behind him.
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If they don’t have their star defenseman or any proven center depth, this team is destined for another year of disappointment. Carey Price may be the greatest goalie in the world, but he can’t do it all.