Player Discussion Shea Weber

[Miller Time]

Asked about the impact of new Montreal Canadien Shea Weber, Team Canada coach Mike Babcock gushed — or at least as close to gushing as Mike Babcock gets — as he discussed the impact of the hulking defenceman who played for him on the 2010 and 2014 Olympic gold medal teams.

“Just physically, he’s man-mountain,” Babcock said on Tuesday.

“When he looks at you, you know (he means) business. He’s as good a human being as I’ve ever been around, period. So he doesn’t have to say much, all he’s got to (do) is look at you and you snap into shape. He makes you a better coach.

“If you haven’t been cross-checked in the ribs by him you find out what that is, too. He cuts a big swath out there. He shoots it so hard no one wants to stand in his lane.

“But what I like about him best is when he walks in the dressing room you know it’s business. And so he’s a culture-type person. He makes your franchise better when he walks in the door. Bar none.”

Canada’s Babcock gushes over Canadiens’ Shea Weber

And yet, arrives in Montreal & very quickly the GM is blaming the poor attitude in the room for a near franchise-worst season...

Guess the room impact is yet another aspect of his game in rapid decline

 

[Harry Kakalovich]

Asked about the impact of new Montreal Canadien Shea Weber, Team Canada coach Mike Babcock gushed — or at least as close to gushing as Mike Babcock gets — as he discussed the impact of the hulking defenceman who played for him on the 2010 and 2014 Olympic gold medal teams.

“Just physically, he’s man-mountain,” Babcock said on Tuesday.

“When he looks at you, you know (he means) business. He’s as good a human being as I’ve ever been around, period. So he doesn’t have to say much, all he’s got to (do) is look at you and you snap into shape. He makes you a better coach.

“If you haven’t been cross-checked in the ribs by him you find out what that is, too. He cuts a big swath out there. He shoots it so hard no one wants to stand in his lane.

“But what I like about him best is when he walks in the dressing room you know it’s business. And so he’s a culture-type person. He makes your franchise better when he walks in the door. Bar none.”

Canada’s Babcock gushes over Canadiens’ Shea Weber

Yeah he's a great defenseman.

 

[1909]

Folks are forgetting the first season of Weber with the Habs compared to Subban's one in Nashville. I am talking about the regular season. Not the Playoffs, of course. And I am talking "hockey wise" not "entertainment" wise.

Weber was better in every facets

 

[NotProkofievian]

Folks are forgetting the first season of Weber with the Habs compared to Subban's one in Nashville. I am talking about the regular season. Not the Playoffs, of course. And I am talking "hockey wise" not "entertainment" wise.

Weber was better in every facets

Nobody forgets the October Norris, don't worry.

 

[montreal]

Folks are forgetting the first season of Weber with the Habs compared to Subban's one in Nashville. I am talking about the regular season. Not the Playoffs, of course. And I am talking "hockey wise" not "entertainment" wise.

Weber was better in every facets

Weber was never a better skater, quicker or had more mobility so he wasn't better in every facet. In that year Subban only played 66 games but had just 2 less points. So he had the higher ppg.

Weber - .54 ppg
Subban - .61 ppg

 

[cphabs]

Folks are forgetting the first season of Weber with the Habs compared to Subban's one in Nashville. I am talking about the regular season. Not the Playoffs, of course. And I am talking "hockey wise" not "entertainment" wise.

Weber was better in every facets

MT was summarily dismissed as head coach of arguabley the most talented hockey team in the league, Penguins, because he pissed off the most talented players in the NHL... He even called them out on national TV! His interim replacement for that season won the Stanley Cup with the same f***ing team. What did we do? We hired the idiot as the head coach afterwards! MT happily pissed off our best player, and Norris winner, to the point where trading him was the only option. Seriously. You can not make this stuff up if you tried.

 

[Roke]

Folks are forgetting the first season of Weber with the Habs compared to Subban's one in Nashville. I am talking about the regular season. Not the Playoffs, of course. And I am talking "hockey wise" not "entertainment" wise.

Weber was better in every facets

It took Weber having a 102 PDO (compared to Subban's 99) and the Habs powerplay set up almost entirely around long-distance Webershots for the two to even look comparable that year.

Weber's been a good #1 defenceman, but he's not elite like Subban is (and he's never been elite except when paired with Ryan Suter, while Subban's managed it with a number of guys, including Hal Gill and Josh Gorges)

 

[SpezNc2]

Weber was never a better skater, quicker or had more mobility so he wasn't better in every facet. In that year Subban only played 66 games but had just 2 less points. So he had the higher ppg.

Weber - .54 ppg
Subban - .61 ppg

True but in the sametimes, Subban 10 goals in 66 games, Weber 17 in 78 games,. Weber with the higher gpg.

Subban: 0.1515
Weber : 0.2073

 

[Miller Time]

True but in the sametimes, Subban 10 goals in 66 games, Weber 17 in 78 games,. Weber with the higher gpg.

Subban: 0.1515
Weber : 0.2073

The only real ffacet of the game where Weber surpassed PK... And this heavily dependent on the Habs building their PP around Weber shooting the puck

 

[The Great Weal]

Trade is a fail no matter how you look at it. Even if you think that Weber and Subban are equal, the age and contract difference easily favours Subban.

 

[yianik]

Trade is a fail no matter how you look at it. Even if you think that Weber and Subban are equal, the age and contract difference easily favours Subban.

Yes. For me even if you like Weber better, you simply cannot justify that Weber is that much better to lose those 4 years.

 

[1909]

Yes. For me even if you like Weber better, you simply cannot justify that Weber is that much better to lose those 4 years.

Of course, it doesn't. Trading Subban was a gamble, a huge one. Trading Subban for Weber only without another young player or a top draft pick was a HUGE mistake. Fiala or Samuel Girard could had been added to Weber.

 

[yianik]

Of course, it doesn't. Trading Subban was a gamble, a huge one. Trading Subban for Weber only without another young player or a top draft pick was a HUGE mistake. Fiala or Samuel Girard could had been added to Weber.

It's what happens when you are desperate. MB bought into MTs game plan, among other things and he had to, all of a sudden, unload a Norris winning D man before the NTC kicked in.

My God, think about it, putting yourself in a position of weakness by wanting to trade a young, NORRIS winning Dman who was also a fan favourite.

Remarkable incompetence. And that idiot Molson obviously has no concept that he also needs to entertain the fans so he signed off on it.

Dumb, Dumber and Dumbest.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

If the injury/surgery does not affect his play, then all this time off could be very beneficial for Weber. He barely missed any games in his previous 11 years in the nhl and he is a very physical defenseman.

 

[HOPE]

If the injury/surgery does not affect his play, then all this time off could be very beneficial for Weber. He barely missed any games in his previous 11 years in the nhl and he WAS is a very physical defenseman.

Fixed.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

Trade is a fail no matter how you look at it. Even if you think that Weber and Subban are equal, the age and contract difference easily favours Subban.

In their primes they are equal. Weber was a beast, constant Norris candidate, etc...

It's all about the age to me.

 

[The Great Weal]

In their primes they are equal. Weber was a beast, constant Norris candidate, etc...

It's all about the age to me.

It's a shame because Weber gets so much hate. The guy is still a #1 Dman. Injuries may prevent him from going back to #1 dman status again, but he was not the issue. Sure as f*** isn't Subban though, and we should have gotten more to make up for the age difference and his contract.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

It's a shame because Weber gets so much hate. The guy is still a #1 Dman. Injuries may prevent him from going back to #1 dman status again, but he was not the issue. Sure as **** isn't Subban though, and we should have gotten more to make up for the age difference and his contract.

I suspect MB wanted to trade Subban. I can't tell you why because I don't know but I feel as though they wanted Subban out without losing the ability to compete.

Under that assumption it's hard to see another team swapping #1s. You don't see SJS giving up Burns for Karlsson. Weber was likely the best "stay competitive" option if PK had to be traded.

Personally...I don't get why it happened. I like Weber, I like Subban...just seems like a move MB felt compelled to make because even if it's equal on paper and they were same age...PK was/is a fan favorite.

 

[The Great Weal]

I suspect MB wanted to trade Subban. I can't tell you why because I don't know but I feel as though they wanted Subban out without losing the ability to compete.

Under that assumption it's hard to see another team swapping #1s. You don't see SJS giving up Burns for Karlsson. Weber was likely the best "stay competitive" option if PK had to be traded.

Personally...I don't get why it happened. I like Weber, I like Subban...just seems like a move MB felt compelled to make because even if it's equal on paper and they were same age...PK was/is a fan favorite.

Did he not have a trade planned with Edmonton if Dubois was still there? Pretty sure he did. And he was getting younger assets. How someone goes from getting younger to getting older in hours is beyond me.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

Did he not have a trade planned with Edmonton if Dubois was still there? Pretty sure he did. And he was getting younger assets. How someone goes from getting younger to getting older in hours is beyond me.

I don't know about that rumor so I can't answer. I've heard a lot of PK to Edmonton, Weber to Edmonton, Pacioretty to Edmonton, Price to Edmonton rumors...99% were fake.

 

[Habs Halifax]

4-5 Months recovery time puts it mid Nov to mid Dec. Habs predicted mid December as a conservative approach. Anybody know when Weber is expected to start skating? Is that is November sometime?

 

[LyricalLyricist]

MT was summarily dismissed as head coach of arguabley the most talented hockey team in the league, Penguins, because he pissed off the most talented players in the NHL... He even called them out on national TV! His interim replacement for that season won the Stanley Cup with the same ****ing team. What did we do? We hired the idiot as the head coach afterwards! MT happily pissed off our best player, and Norris winner, to the point where trading him was the only option. Seriously. You can not make this stuff up if you tried.

I believe you have the timeline mixed up.

MT blasted the team before and then they made the Stanley cup finals.

He wasn't fired in 2009 because he blasted them in 2005.

 

[Habs Halifax]

True but in the sametimes, Subban 10 goals in 66 games, Weber 17 in 78 games,. Weber with the higher gpg.

Subban: 0.1515
Weber : 0.2073

Subban may catch Weber in goals for each season moving forward but he has not caught him yet. Subban had 16 goals last year and that is his career best. Weber averages like 19 goals per year.

People are all over Weber's future decline but in fact, his age 30+ stats are on par or better than his career stats.

Since the trade?

Weber:
- 104 games
- 23 goals
- 0.221 goals per game.

Subban:
- 148 games
- 26 goals
- .176 Goals per game.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Weber just got named Captain. Byron and Gallagher named assistant captains.

 

[Captain Mountain]

Folks are forgetting the first season of Weber with the Habs compared to Subban's one in Nashville. I am talking about the regular season. Not the Playoffs, of course. And I am talking "hockey wise" not "entertainment" wise.

Weber was better in every facets

Except for at ES:

1) Points per 60;
2) Goals per 60;
3) Assist (primary and secondary) per 60;
4) Penalty differential;
5) Corsi % and Corsi % relative teammates;
6) Shots for and against;
7) expected goals for and against; and
8) expected goals for (relative teammates);

on the PP:

1) Points per 60; and
2) Assist (primary and secondary) per 60; and

on the PK:

1) Goals against per 60;
2) Shots against per 60; and
3) scoring chances against per 60.

There are other areas Subban was better at too, but they aren't as relevant to hockey success.

Weber had one amazing month, but he needed a ton of luck and a Subban injury to look even comparable. Subban was the better player before the trade and after the trade. Weber is still a #1D, but Subban has been clearly better for a while now. Weber's probably the more entertaining one now though (with his physicality and slapper). But Subban does the little things better.