It is fair to say that the 2017-18 Montreal Canadiens season has not gone as planned. The disappointing season went from bad to worse on Thursday as the team learned of injury news on two franchise cornerstones. Goaltender Carey Price will be out indefinitely with a concussion, while defenseman Shea Weber will undergo surgery for a torn tendon in his foot and is out for the season. The team announced the moves on their twitter page.
Carey Price will be out for an indeterminate amount of time after suffering a concussion.
DETAILS -> https://t.co/lmTMXIDCSg.
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) February 22, 2018
MEDICAL UPDATE: Defenseman Shea Weber will undergo surgery to repair a tear in a tendon in his left foot and will miss the remainder of the 2017-18 season.
DETAILS -> https://t.co/SElWfgd3v2.
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) February 22, 2018
Carey Price Out with a Concussion
Price was injured when he took a slap shot off the mask during Tuesday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Price started out the season slowly, suffering from chronic fatigue. While he played better after returning to the lineup in November, his overall season numbers have not recovered. Price is 15-22-6 with one shutout. He has a 2.98 goals against average and .904 save percentage.
Shea Weber Out for the Season
Weber was originally shut down on December 18th. His last game was the NHL100 Outdoor Classic in Ottawa. Prior to that, he had been playing through a foot injury that reportedly occurred when he blocked a shot in the Habs season opener against the Buffalo Sabres. In 26 games this season he has recorded six goals and 16 points. When healthy, Weber has been a key point on the Habs powerplay and is averaging close to 25 minutes of ice time per game this season. He has a 54 percent Corsi, and +1.4 relative Corsi. His Fenwick rating is even better at 54.3% and +3.3 relative.
Interestingly the Habs power play has improved with Weber out of the lineup. However the same cannot be said for the team’s play at even strength, penalty killing, or overall record. Weber is clearly the Habs best defenceman, and his absence is acutely felt by the club.
MONTREAL, QC – SEPTEMBER 21: Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price (31) during the third period of the NHL preseason game between the New Jersey Devils and the Montreal Canadiens on September 21, 2017, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by Vincent Ethier/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
