Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin told reporters Thursday that he is not expecting defenceman Shea Weber to play next season.

Bergevin added that Weber's playing career might be over as multiple reports indicate he is dealing with knee, ankle and thumb injuries.

Asked how bad Weber was injured during the postseason, Bergevin said he was amazed the defenceman was able to play.

“I was amazed at how he played. He was one of our top players. I wasn’t aware (of the severity of Weber’s injuries)… Shea is a man of few words and isn’t the type to complain about the pain of his injuries.”

“It’s hard for Shea. That’s all he knows. He’s a hockey player to his core… We had an emotional, deep conversation. It will be impossible to replace Shea Weber," Bergevin said.

The 35-year-old has spent the past five seasons in Montreal after being acquired from the Nashville Predators in a blockbuster swap for P.K. Subban.

The Canadiens captain scored six goals and added 13 assists over 48 games during the regular season and added one goal and six assists over 22 playoff games as the Canadiens made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games. 

Over 1,038 career games with the Predators and Canadiens, Weber has tallied 224 goals and 365 assists.


Price Likely To Be Ready for Season 

As for goaltender Carey Price, who was also left exposed in the expansion draft, Bergevin said more tests are need but the team is currently only expecting him to need six-to-eight weeks to recover this off-season.

"Nothing alarming at the moment. He played all the minutes in the playoffs and played very well. He had some bumps over the two months, but he's seeing doctors (in New York today). We're not expecting anything major, but we'll see once they look closely. Perhaps 6-8 weeks”, adding there’s a “small possibility it will be longer," Bergevin said.

Bergevin noted that Price did get banged up while starting all 22 games during the playoffs as the Canadiens advanced to the Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

He appeared in 25 games during the regular season for the Canadiens and posted a 12-7-5 record with a 2.64 GAA.
 

Drouin Expected at Camp

Meanwhile, Bergevin also told reporters that he expects forward Jonathan Drouin to be with the team to open training camp next season.

"[Head coach Dominique Ducharme and I] met with [Drouin] on Tuesday. Jo feels great, he's focused and ready to go. Expect him to be in Montreal for the first day of camp," Bergevin said Thursday.

Drouin last played in an NHL game on April 21 and before taking an extended leave of absence.

The 26-year-old has spent the last four seasons of his NHL career with the Habs after coming over in a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He had two goals and 21 assists in 44 games last season. For his career, the Ste-Agathe, Que., native has 69 goals and 163 assists in 393 career NHL regular season games.