July 20: Weber has officially retired from the NHL, meaning there will be no return to North America after the three-year deal in Switzerland. Over 13 seasons, he played 499 regular season games, 42 postseason contests and reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 2017.
June 8: With his latest NHL contract coming to an end, Yannick Weber is going home. The Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman has signed a three-year contract with the ZSC Lions in Switzerland, likely ending his playing career where it all began.
Now 32, Weber was originally a third-round selection of the Montreal Canadiens in 2007 and ended up playing more than 500 games in the NHL. During his 499 regular season contests, the depth defenseman managed 94 points. In 2017 he went all the way to the Stanley Cup Final with the Nashville Predators, playing in 22 of the team’s playoff games.
This season he suited up just twice for the Penguins, spending most of the year on the taxi squad with his two-way contract. With unrestricted free agency pending once again, he’ll take the stability of a three-year deal back in his home country and likely bid farewell to the NHL. Weber will turn 33 before the 2021-22 season gets underway.
There goes the Kraken plan!