The Montreal Canadiens released today that their Captain, Shea Weber, is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with an ankle sprain. The injury occurred during a game on February 4th against the New Jersey Devils.
The good news for the Canadiens is that Weber is expected to make a full recovery. The bad news is that the Canadiens, who have been playing extremely well lately and have put themselves somewhat back into the playoff race, are now without their number one defenceman for a big chunk of time. Weber has been a horse for the Habs this season, averaging 24:18 of ice time per game and has put up 34 points in just 55 games.
Unfortunately for Weber, this is nothing new for him since joining the Habs. In the last two seasons, Weber has missed a total of 80 games. Although he is getting older, it appeared this season as though he had overcome his past injuries as he was back playing at an elite level. Considering they are still seven points back from a playoff spot, this injury looks like it could be the final nail in the coffin for the Habs. It wouldn't be surprising for them to decide sooner than later to start moving on from some of their pending UFA's in preparation for this year's trade deadline.
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