Winning With Weber

Blockbuster trade pays off for the Canadiens – and collectors

- Stephen Laroche

On June 29, 2016, the hockey world went into a state of shock due to a pair of amazing trades and a major contract signing coming within a short period of time. One of those deals saw two of the game’s best defensemen switch teams as hard-shooting Shea Weber was moved to the Montreal Canadiens for popular P.K. Subban. It was a jaw-dropping move to be certain, but it has paid o handsomely for the Habs during the early stages of the 2016-17.

After their first 10 games, the Canadiens were undefeated in regulation time and while they had an impressive start before injuries got the better of them last year, hopes were high once again among fans. As for Weber, he had 10 points over that span which included a trio of game-winning goals. On top of that, he also had a league-best plus-minus rating of +15.

In the 11th game of the year, though, fans everywhere were shocked to see Montreal lose 10-0 to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Every goal that night flew past backup goalie Al Montoya since starter Carey Price was being rested. It was the first double-digit shutout by an NHL team in 20 years, but Weber was even for the night and helped them bounce back in the next outing with a win over the Philadelphia Flyers.