NHL Trade Talk: Canadiens Looking To Move Shea Weber’s Contract

With just over two weeks until the NHL Trade Deadline, the Montreal Canadiens are reportedly looking to move defenceman Shea Weber’s contract.

During the 32 Thoughts segment in the second intermission of the Canadiens-Oilers game, Sportsnet NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the Canadiens are actively trying to unload Weber’s contract ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline, that carries a $7.8 million salary cap hit. After this season, the 36-year-old Weber, who has three years left after this season on the 14-year, $110 million contract the Nashville Predators signed him to after matching an offer sheet from the Philadelphia Flyers in prior to the 2012-13 season.

“Weber likely not going to ever play in the National Hockey League again; he’s got four years left on the contract, he cap hit is $7.9 million but the cash is $6 million total,” Friedman explained Saturday night. “And, I wouldn’t be surprised if some teams that either need long-term injury room or wanna get to the cap floor and aren’t looking to spend a ton in the next couple of years, take a look at the Weber contract. It’s a possible move.”

Just prior to this season and just months after Shea Weber helped lead the Canadiens to an improbable run to Game 5 of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, Weber and the Canadiens announced that he would not play in the 2021-22 regular season.

“He hasn’t resumed training. (The injuries) are still in rehab. I talked to him a couple of days ago, and I’m probably going to talk to him in a couple of days, also,” former Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin said prior to this season. “So (playing) is nothing that’s in the near future, at all. It’s still in the rehab process for him.”

No, no, certainly not this year,” Bergevin added. “(Playing again), I think it’s a long shot, but you never know. But I’d say it’s a long shot.”

The Canadiens have been and continue to be very active in trade talks ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline. On Saturday, Montreal Hockey Now confirmed NHL trade rumours that the Habs and the Dallas Stars are in engaged in NHL trade talks. Canadiens defensemen Jeff Petry and Ben Chiarot continue to be buzz names in NHL trade chatter.