The Montreal Canadiens made a surprising run to the Stanley Cup Final this season.
A couple of their key veteran players, Shea Weber and Carey Price, were often written off by fans and many thought the pair were too old and washed up to ever earn their large contracts.
Both players showed this spring that they had enough left in the tank to take the Canadiens on a long playoff run.
Unfortunately, it took a huge toll. It was announced earlier this week that Weber is battling several injuries and is likely going to miss the entire 2021-22 season. It is possible he could miss much more than just next season and that the run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final could have been his last chance to win a Stanley Cup in his career.
That leaves Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin with the tough task of replacing his team’s captain.
There is no way Bergevin is just going to go out and find a better player and leader than Weber. He battled through everything he could and played terrific hockey in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the Canadiens. Trying to find a suitable replacement will be impossible.
However, there are several options out there to try and at least replace what Weber did on the ice. He was a key contributor at even strength, while shorthanded and though his role on the power play was slightly diminished, he still had that laser of a slap shot that scared the life out of goaltenders.
If Weber goes on long term injured reserve, the Canadiens have almost $8 million in additional cap space for the upcoming season. Their highest priority has become finding someone who can play a top four role on the blue line, ideally on a pairing with Ben Chiarot.
Let’s take a look at the Canadiens various methods of acquiring this replacement and what options they have available.