Bergevin: ‘You can never replace Shea Weber’

MONTREAL – General manager Marc Bergevin spoke with reporters via Zoom ahead of the NHL Draft.

During the chat, Bergevin also discussed the Expansion Draft, the situation involving goaltender Carey Price, and the health of captain Shea Weber.

Here are a few highlights from his press conference:

Bergevin on Price’s health status:

There’s nothing alarming right now. As everyone knows, Carey played every single playoff game and performed really well. Like the majority of players, he suffered some injuries during the postseason. He’s meeting with doctors this week. We aren’t expecting anything major to come of it. He could be sidelined for six to eight weeks, but there’s a small chance that it could be longer. We aren’t aware of anything right now.

Bergevin on his strategy for the Expansion Draft:

With respect to Shea, it was a lot easier to leave him unprotected because of his injuries. In Carey’s case, he came to see me and he spoke with Jake Allen, too. We had a few discussions. We gambled, but we were comfortable that Carey would remain in Montreal. We’re very happy that he’s still with us.

Bergevin on Weber’s health issues and his immediate future in the NHL:

He suffered many different injuries over the last few years, including injuries to his ankle, knee and thumb. He’s in a lot of pain. It even takes him a long time to prepare for practice. Shea isn’t someone who complains. Missing practice isn’t an option for him. He has a lot of miles on his body and he really pushed himself to the limit. There’s no chance he’ll play next season, and his career is probably over.

Bergevin on the way Weber has handled his injury situation:

It was hard for Shea. That’s all he knows. He’s a hockey player to the core. He’s been doing that all his life. It really hit hard to realize that he can no longer perform the way he expects himself to perform. He’s also going through pain on a daily basis. We had an emotional, deep conversation. I have a lot of respect for Shea and for what he’s done for the Montreal Canadiens throughout his career. It will be impossible to replace Shea Weber in terms of what he brings to our team on and off the ice. We’ll try our best, but I know deep down that you can never replace Shea Weber.

Bergevin on the status of forward Jonathan Drouin:

Dom and I met with Jo on Tuesday. We had a very good conversation. Jo feels great. He’s focused and he’s ready to go. I expect Jo to be in Montreal for the first day of training camp.

Video: Marc Bergevin shares updates on Weber and Drouin

Bergevin on center Phillip Danault’s contract situation:

As long as he isn’t signed, there’s always hope that he’ll be back in Montreal.

Bergevin on the possibility of losing Price to Seattle in the Expansion Draft:

We definitely had a plan B. Carey and I talked about everything in depth. We were confident that he would stay with the organization. If the worst case scenario happened, we had a plan B. We believed the risk was very minimal.

Bergevin on winger Joel Armia’s contract situation:

It’s all a part of the negotiations. I’m not going to put that out in the public sphere. Just like Phil, he’s a player we would like to bring back to Montreal.

Bergevin on his offseason priorities to improve the team:

While we await the latest news on Carey’s injury, the loss of Shea, and our future up the middle, it’s a little too early to say. There are a lot of question marks right now.

Bergevin on his expectations for the NHL Draft:

Drafting 31st overall is definitely different than picking third or 15th. It’s practically a second-round pick. As a result of the pandemic and the way hockey was being played over the last year, I think the Draft will be even more difficult this time around.