After struggling for most of last season in Pittsburgh, many have speculated that retirement could soon be on the horizon for Penguins forward Jeff Carter. He told reporters including Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he has not yet given any thought as to whether this season – his 20th in the NHL – will be his last. The 38-year-old played in 79 games last season, his highest total since 2016-17 but managed just 13 goals and 16 assists while seeing his playing time drop under 14 minutes per game. Early indications in training camp are that it might be dropping again as he has lined up as a fourth line winger so far which wouldn’t be a great return on a deal that carries a $3.125MM cap hit for the upcoming season.
More from the Metropolitan:
- Hurricanes winger Teuvo Teravainen dealt with a thumb injury last season that caused him to miss part of the playoffs as well. While he was able to return for the final game of the postseason and is a full participant in training camp, the winger told reporters including Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer, that while his thumb feels pretty good, he doesn’t believe it will truly get back to ‘normal’. The 29-year-old is entering the final year of his contract and will be looking for a big year whether it’s with Carolina or elsewhere; significant talks on an extension have yet to begin.
- Devils prospect Chase Stillman will be out for multiple weeks after being injured in New Jersey’s prospect tournament, relays Ryan Novozinsky of the Newark Star-Ledger. The 20-year-old was a first-round pick back in 2021 (29th overall) and will be making his professional debut this season after spending last year with OHL Peterborough where he had 48 points in 59 games in 2022-23.
It would be very helpful if Carter wasn’t utterly useless again this season. A big plus.
He looked like a rec league player who won a radio contest most nights last year.
Finger injuries are no joke especially for hockey players. Gotta feel for Teravainen.