[News] Shea Weber's career threatened by lingering foot, ankle problems

[sureLoss]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article...nkle-problems/

Nowhere was that clearer than the face of Shea Weber.

Cameras caught Weber watching tearfully, and several Canadiens made a point of skating over to personally console him. It certainly felt more emotional than normal, and now there is an explanation as to why.

Over the years, Weber’s punishing style has taken pieces out of opponents, but also himself. He has enormous pain tolerance, and, as teammates have readily admitted, will play through things others simply can’t.

Unfortunately, we could be reaching the end of that situation. According to multiple sources -- Weber, the Canadiens, the NHL and the NHLPA are doing their due diligence on the captain’s medical situation and future.

He’s been plagued with a left foot/ankle problem that has threatened his career. Weber missed two weeks with an injury there in February 2020 (true to form, he returned much sooner than expected). In March 2018, he had surgery to repair tendons in the area. There’s been a worry for some time this problem would become too much to handle.

He also played this post-season with an injured thumb that kept him out at the end of the regular season. He had surgery for a meniscal tear in his right knee in July 2018.

Weber would be a huge loss on the ice and in the dressing room for Montreal. But, from a league standpoint, what would be at issue is his contract status. He has five seasons remaining, at an average annual value of $7,857,143.

That deal, signed via offer sheet with the Philadelphia Flyers, was heavily front-loaded. There is $12M of actual cash remaining. Nashville, which matched and was where Weber played the next four years, would have a “cap recapture” penalty of slightly more than $4.9M per season through 2025-26 if the defenceman retires.

Weber’s medical history creates a very legitimate case for him to go on long-term injured reserve if he cannot play again. But the league must make that determination, and the process is underway. Weber, agent Kevin Epp, the Canadiens, the NHL and NHLPA declined to comment.

[868904]

Gee didn't see this coming.

I think every team will be manipulating the cap like this by signing veterans to longer terms and using the natural physical deterioration of the body as they age as an excuse or reason to terminate or lessen the cap hit.


NHL has to be really careful here.

[transplant99]

Really unfortunate news.

He is the epitome of what you want in a defenseman.

Great player for a long time and its too bad injuries are what is likely to end a tremendous career.

[MrMike]

I this is his way of retiring but trying for the LTIR way. Not saying it’s not legitimate, just saying think Weber is done.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by 868904

Gee didn't see this coming.

I think every team will be manipulating the cap like this by signing veterans to longer terms and using the natural physical deterioration of the body as they age as an excuse or reason to terminate or lessen the cap hit.


NHL has to be really careful here.

So your takeaway from a detailed article on Weber's career-threatening injuries is that the Habs are cheating on the cap?

OK, then. I guess it's a good thing that players are robots, because otherwise something might actually go wrong with their bodies and putting them on LTIR might actually be legitimate sometimes.

[Erick Estrada]

I get it. His yearly salary drops from $6 million to $3 million next season and only $1 million a season for the last three seasons and like Hossa he doesn't want to play at a reduced salary. The thing is that he took the bonuses up front and should have to play out the deal until he decides to retire so this LTIR thing is the convenient out for the team. The issue I have is that it's not supposed to work this way and what's the point of having a salary cap if teams can use LTIR to get out of front loaded deals? The Flyers used the front loaded deal because they knew it would make it harder for the Predators to match so what's stopping teams with more financial resources from doing this more often if they know they can make obscenely front loaded deals and get out of them later with LTIR? It's not fair nor is it right.

[neo45]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I get it. His yearly salary drops from $6 million to $3 million next season and only $1 million a season for the last three seasons and like Hossa he doesn't want to play at a reduced salary. The thing is that he took the bonuses up front and should have to play out the deal until he decides to retire so this LTIR thing is the convenient out for the team. The issue I have is that it's not supposed to work this way and what's the point of having a salary cap if players and teams can use LTIR to get out of front loaded deals?

I doubt he doesn’t want to play. Hossa had already won a bunch of cups

Guy just played through three injuries at the same time to try and win the cup. His heart is definitely in it his body is just falling apart


As to your second point the offer sheet rules are changed big time now so the one Philly hit Nashville with wouldn’t even be possible

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by neo45

I doubt he doesn’t want to play. Hossa had already won a bunch of cups

Guy just played through three injuries at the same time to try and win the cup. His heart his definitely in it his body is just falling apart

I have a feeling this story wouldn't be a thing if he was set to make $6 million next season. Let's not be naive here as money has a lot to do with this.

[Mazrim]

He's already made 89% of his contract, so playing through issues gets a lot harder mentally, I get it...but I still don't like it. LTIRetirement shouldn't be a thing. I thought the whole point of the penalties was to put the risk on the teams if something like this happened and the player couldn't play again.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Mazrim

I thought the whole point of the penalties was to put the risk on the teams if something like this happened and the player couldn't play again.

If that were the point, there would be no LTIR at all. The entire purpose of LTIR is to mitigate that risk by allowing teams to spend extra money on replacement players.

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

If that were the point, there would be no LTIR at all.

There's a difference between recovering from an injury that takes months, and going LTIR with the intention of never playing another game in your career. You're supposed to retire if that's what's happening.

[WCW Nitro]

He will be back for the playoffs if they make it, his heart didn't seem to be in it for the regular season the past few years, this is just him and the team finding common ground

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Mazrim

There's a difference between recovering from an injury that takes months, and going LTIR with the intention of never playing another game in your career. You're supposed to retire if that's what's happening.

No player is going to retire and give up the money still owing on his contract. It's stupid to expect them to do so.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

No player is going to retire and give up the money still owing on his contract. It's stupid to expect them to do so.

They shouldn't have a choice. If the situation is he will never play again then he should have to retire. This is a loophole the NHL needs to close.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Everyone can feel free to skim through this and see how much time he’s missed in his career due to foot and ankle injuries. https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/players...hea-weber/927/

This is old news, nobody else knows this? Really? Conveniently forgot? Sure, he doesn’t want to play through the pain when his contract drops, so what?

They play a physically demanding sport for a living, and make a lot of people a ton of money. For that reason they also make a #### ton and have a strong union to protect them. Forced retirement due to injury isn’t happening.

[Muffins]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

They shouldn't have a choice. If the situation is he will never play again then he should have to retire. This is a loophole the NHL needs to close.

If you retire you don't get paid. Try and force players to retire and the NHLPA would tell the league to go have relations with themselves.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

This is old news, nobody else knows this? Really? Conveniently forgot? Sure, he doesn’t want to play through the pain when his contract drops, so what?

Then retire. Nobody has a problem with that. It's the LTIR salary cap circumvention that stinks.

Originally Posted by Muffins

If you retire you don't get paid.

How many jobs can you retire and still get paid? If you want to get paid you keep working. Easy concept.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Then retire. Nobody has a problem with that. It's the LTIR salary cap circumvention that stinks.

There is no circumvention. The rules were designed that way on purpose. The only thing being circumvented is your personal opinion of how the salary cap should work.

How many jobs can you retire and still get paid? If you want to get paid you keep working. Easy concept.

You've evidently never heard of Workers' Compensation. Hockey players aren't eligible for that, which is one reason why their union bargained very hard to get guaranteed contracts.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

There is no circumvention. The rules were designed that way on purpose. The only thing being circumvented is your personal opinion of how the salary cap should work.



You've evidently never heard of Workers' Compensation. Hockey players aren't eligible for that, which is one reason why their union bargained very hard to get guaranteed contracts.

Sigh are you off your meds today?

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Sigh are you off your meds today?

Are you? I give reasoned arguments and you keep responding with ‘because I said so’ and ‘are you off your meds?’

Try addressing the point instead of acting like a jerk.