The career of one of the best defensive defensemen of the modern era is coming to an end. Craig Morgan of AZ Coyotes Insider reports that Arizona unrestricted free agent Niklas Hjalmarsson is set to retire after 14 NHL seasons. Morgan notes that the humble veteran is unlikely to make a formal announcement, but multiple sources have confirmed that Hjalmarsson’s NHL career has ended.
While Hjalmarsson is still a capable pro, this move should not come as much of a surprise. The 34-year-old has been in decline over the last few years, more or less since leaving the Chicago Blackhawks in 2017. This season, he refused to waive his No-Movement Clause ahead of the trade deadline, preferring to stay with his family in Arizona rather than compete for a Stanley Cup. It seems that his three titles with Chicago were enough for the respected veteran, and when that drive is gone the career doesn’t last much longer. Recently, rumors emerged that his family would be moving back to his native Sweden, again a sign that Hjalmarsson was ready to move on as well.
While Hjalmarsson never received the accolades of other top defenseman or even his other championship teammates with the Blackhawks, he was quietly one of the best defensive players in the NHL over much of his career. A player whose numbers don’t do him justice, Hjalmarsson played with elite hockey IQ and vision, rarely getting caught out of position. Hjalmarsson could single-handedly shut down an offensive rush or stymie a power play. An incredibly effective shot blocker, Hjalmarsson’s defensive zone presence was the stuff of nightmares for the opposition in his prime. While only ever contributing modest offense, not much of puck-mover, and not a noticeable physical presence, it didn’t matter – Hjalmarsson was an effective top-four defenseman all the same. A dependable player who ate minutes and took on difficult match-ups throughout his career, including 137 career playoff games, Hjalmarsson was a key piece of every team he played for.
While not unexpected, Hjalmarsson’s departure from Arizona is yet another confirmed absence from the Coyotes’ 2021-22 blue line, which is set to look very different. Arizona had seven defensemen play 40+ games this past season. Heading into the off-season, four of those were unrestricted free agents: Hjalmarsson, Alex Goligoski, Jason Demers, and Jordan Oesterle. A fifth, captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson, has since been traded. Hjalmarsson is now confirmed not to return and veterans Goligoski and Demers are not expected to return either. Depth defensemen Aaron Ness and Jordan Gross are also UFA’s and may not re-sign. Jakob Chychrun will lead a new unit that looks to include Shayne Gostisbehere, Ilya Lyubushkin, Kyle Capobianco, and rookie Victor Soderstrom. Chychrun will need to channel Hjalmarrson and other former teammates if he want to play the well-rounded game needed to become a bona fide No. 1 and leader of a young defense corps.
Loved watching Hammer play, but it was time.
Backbone of D Core in Chicago’s Cup runs , he was a good player and will be missed
Played a key role during the Hawks run. Job well done!
Hammer was awesome. I wish him all the best.
Coyotes defense now looks really awful.Let’s hope Viktor Soderstrom is not another Chayka’s bust
Happy Retirement, Nik! You’re a Top-shelf guy in my book, three times over!
Congrats on your well earned retirement, Hammer! Thanks for all you did as a Hawk, and maybe one day your number will be in the rafters at the UC!
Total class act and fantastic shot blocker. Don’t how he managed to get up from some of the hits he took on his legs, much play at the high level that he did. Much success in whatever is next for you. Thanks for the memories Nick.
Fundamentally sound, stay-at-home defense IS flashy to me. A player sacrificing their body by blocking shots, while simply cringeworthy, is about as flashy as it gets. No one did that better than Hammer. No one. He was a different breed and, without him, it’s quite fair to say that we might not have won three cups, let alone one. That is not to discredit his teammates by any means either. Everyone played their roles and Hammer never wavered in his.
I wish all the best to my most favorite rear-guard to ever play the game. Enjoy retirement Hammer!!
Agreed 100%. I loved playing that type of role growing up and the Hjammer was always a favorite. It’s no surprise that he’s the type of player that all other fanbases can respect like in this comment section.
Lifelong Habs fan but total respect for him.
Has their been a player who blocked more shots than Hammer did?!
Well deserved retirement.
He is 18th all-time.
Seabrook is #1 and Keith is #5. No wonder they won 3 Cups.
Wow, that is an impressive stat for one team to have!
As a Coyote fan. It was nice seeing Hammer in a Yotes sweater, however in hindsight it would’ve been better to keep Connor Murphy.