from Eric Engels of Sportsnet,

We now know that when Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin stood up at his July 1 press conference and talked about icing a competitive, young and fast team that should be able to make the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, he wasn’t selling hope; he was selling a fantasy.

You have to wonder what good could possibly come from that.

Perhaps people would’ve seen it as fantasy regardless — looking at a team that hadn’t done much to improve on paper between April and July after finishing in 28th place in the NHL standings this past season. But in the wake of news breaking Wednesday that top defenceman Shea Weber underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee to repair a torn meniscus, how will anyone see it any other way? The operation, which was done on June 19, will keep Weber out of action until December, and that’s the kind of roster problem that can’t be solved immediately.

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