Shea Weber Out 5-6 Months After Surgery to Repair Knee Injury

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The Montreal Canadiens announced Thursday that defenseman Shea Weber is expected to be out of action for at least five months after having arthroscopic knee surgery for a meniscal tear in his right knee.

Weber, who is also recovering from left-foot surgery in March, was due to undergo a small procedure, but his knee required more attention.

"During the procedure, it was determined that the damage to his knee was more serious than previously anticipated and the situation required a more comprehensive procedure to repair a meniscal tear," team physician Dr. David Mulder noted. "It is important to mention that this procedure could not have been performed earlier due to his recovery to his previous foot surgery."

General manager Marc Bergevin addressed the situation: "We were very disappointed to learn that this knee injury will extend Shea's recovery period. Unfortunately, this is out of our control, and we have to fully trust the medical group in these situations. We are confident that his recovery will go as scheduled and that Shea will return to action as soon as possible."

Weber, 32, appeared in just 26 games for the Canadiens in the 2017-18 season, with his foot injury cutting his campaign short. He registered six goals, 10 assists and a minus-8 plus/minus.

It was a disappointing season for the four-time All-Star, who was acquired in the trade that sent superstar blueliner P.K. Subban to the Nashville Predators in 2016. Weber was expected to headline Montreal's blue line in Subban's stead, but injuries got in the way this past season.

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While Subban led the Predators to the Stanley Cup Final in 2017 and back to the postseason this year, the Canadiens failed to reach the playoffs during the 2017-18 campaign.

The concern for Montreal will be whether Weber can return to top form after an injury-laden year.