Defenseman Shea Weber’s illustrious NHL journey could soon be coming to an end.

Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin said Thursday that Weber “won’t be back next season, and probably won’t be back for his career” after suffering knee, ankle, foot and thumb injuries.

“I was amazed at how he played [in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs],” Bergevin told reporters Thursday. “He was one of our top players. I wasn’t aware [of the severity of Weber’s injuries] … Shea is a man of few words and isn’t the type to complain about the pain of his injuries.”

The Canadiens acquired Weber, 35, for P.K. Subban in a blockbuster trade on June 29, 2016. Since that day, Weber – who was named team captain in 2018 – has been the team’s leader on and off the ice.

“It’s hard for [Weber]. That’s all he knows. He’s a hockey player to his core,” Bergevin said. “We had an emotional, deep conversation. It will be impossible to replace [Weber].”

Weber has five seasons left with an average annual value of $7.8 million on the 14-year contract he signed with the Predators in 2012. Bergevin feels the NHL will give him permission to put his contract on long-term injured reserve, giving them salary-cap relief from his contact.

Over his 16 seasons in the NHL, the hard-shooting Weber has notched 224 goals and 365 assists in 1,038 career games with the Predators and Canadiens.