Shea Weber may miss the entire 2021-22 season due to litany of injuries

Shea Weber has been battling multiple injuries, so much so his status for next season and beyond is in serious doubt.

After the Montreal Canadiens’ run to the Stanley Cup Final, the shift to the offseason now comes with questions about the status of Shea Weber. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the veteran defenseman may miss the 2021-22 season and his playing status beyond that is in doubt as he deals with multiple injuries.

Weber played through a thumb injury during the playoffs, but the injury cost him time late in the regulars season. He had surgery on his right knee in 2018, but the bigger thing is ongoing issues with his left foot and ankle. He had surgery to repair tendons in the area in March of 2018, with surgery in February of 2020 as well (which he returned from earlier than expected).

According to Friedman, Weber, the team, the NHL and the NHLPA are doing due diligence on his medical situation and future. He is on the Canadiens’ books through 2025-26 with a cap hit of $7.85 million each year. Being able to place him on long-term injured reserve would provide some financial relief for Montreal.

What could happen with Shea Weber?

If Weber retires, the Nashville Predators would take on cap recapture penalties of $4.9 million per season for the next five years. The Predators matched a front-loaded 14-year, $110 offer sheet the Philadelphia Flyers gave Weber in 2012. They traded him to the Canadiens for P.K. Subban in 2016. Montreal would be hit with a $543,00 cap charge per season.

It’s unclear if clarity on Weber’s situation will come before next week’s expansion draft for the Seattle Kraken. But the Canadiens have to submit a protected list by Saturday, and Weber is not expected to be on it.

The Kraken would only take Weber in the expansion draft if they feel they will have an issue reaching the salary cap floor. But there will be healthy players available who can help them reach that threshold, so there’s about a 99.9999 percent chance Weber’s status remains a Canadiens’ issue (and a Predators’ issue, should he retire and dent their salary cap space).

In any case, an injury-riddled end to his career won’t diminish Weber as one of the best defenseman of his era. Right to the end, he has had one of the hardest slap shots we’ve ever seen.