Jonathan Drouin's press conference statement has really hurt the Habs this year

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Jeff Drouin
April 28, 2022 (7:32 PM)

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Although he has not played in any games this season, defenseman Shea Weber has made headlines on a few occasions.

We remember his presence in the entourage of the Canadiens in Vancouver last March and many experts were shocked, even scandalized, that the captain refused to talk to reporters.

But one thing is becoming more and more obvious in his case, he will probably not play in the NHL anymore. If he has not yet officially announced his retirement, it is a question of insurance and also not to embarrass his former team, the Nashville Predators.

However, as Charles-Alexis Brisebois of Danslescoulisses.com reports, another aspect of Weber's situation has hurt the Habs greatly this year.

Earlier this season, Jonathan Drouin had mentioned that the Habs captain was retired and working in the organization's offices with Marc Bergevin.

We all remember what he said and it seems to have had more impact than we thought. According to what journalist Alexandre Gascon reported on the Tellement Hockey podcast, Drouin's comments resonated with the NHL and it caused the league to monitor the issue a little more closely.

"So apparently the league has been a little more circumspect in handling his case this year. He's had to undergo a couple of tests and then well, that's fair game."

Which means, then, that Weber has had to undergo examinations on a few occasions to assess his health. Perhaps he had announced his retirement to his bosses, but the Habs organization had asked him to be discreet so that he could trade his contract to another team in order not to harm the already well-stocked payroll of several generous contracts.

For now, we are still in doubt about Weber's future with the Habs organization but one thing is for sure, we are all anxious for this saga to end as soon as possible.