Mark Giordano could reach unrestricted free agency in less than two weeks. The veteran defenseman is coming off his second full season in a Maple Leafs sweater but fell out of the regular lineup early on in the season, battled injuries, and was a healthy scratch for the whole of Toronto’s first-round loss to the Bruins.
However, the 2019 Norris Trophy winner has no intentions of retiring and hopes to return to the NHL for what would be his age 41 season, his agent Rich Winter tells Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star. A potential 19th NHL season may not be his final one, either.
“Mark has made the decision that he’s playing for a few more years,” Winter told McGran. “He feels very confident. He’s been talking to a lot of people who tell him: Don’t quit until they make you.”
How much interest Giordano receives coming off the worst season of his career when the market opens July 1 remains to be seen, though, nor is it clear whether there’s a path for him to return to the Leafs. Limited to 46 appearances, he had three goals and nine points with a +10 rating while averaging 16:37 per contest, his lowest usage since 2008-09. He had a significant finger injury that cost him nearly all of December and a concussion that held him out for most of March.
While his possession numbers were still strong, even relative to his teammates, he spent most of his time in the lineup alongside Timothy Liljegren, who routinely has strong advanced metrics despite some rather visible defensive gaffes. Giordano’s lack of offense and, correspondingly, lack of power play time make him a far different player than the one who had double-digit goals in six straight seasons for the Flames, including a 21-goal, 74-point monster performance that earned him his Norris.
To say Giordano is an offensive specialist is a mischaracterization, though. He’s always boasted strong possession numbers, even dating back to his early days as a fresh undrafted free agent signing in Calgary, and he’s continually deployed in penalty-killing situations. Even this season, Giordano averaged 2:16 per game shorthanded, fifth on the Leafs. There was still NHL value in his game this season, but teams will wonder how much longer it sticks around as he remains the league’s oldest active player.
Giordano is wrapping up a two-year, $800K AAV extension he signed in May 2022. He likely won’t cost any more than that and would even likely take a slight pay cut to earn the $775K league minimum.
If he’s willing to play for bottom feeders, I think he’s definitely worth bringing in to be a bottom pairing guy and mentor young defensemen. As far as playing for contenders though I think that window has passed unless he wants to be a healthy scratch for a majority of the year
Good, cheap pickup to teach young players until the trade deadline. Then trade him for a 3rd or 4th rounder maybe.
Maybe Conroy will look at him back in Calgary.
@HockeySenseNot — Except that Conroy is peeling off layers of old skin to the point he’ll be hitting bone soon. He’s practically on pace for a full-on rebuild.
He really is, but you always need those veteran voices. He would be coming home and setting up for an after playing career.
Kraken legend Mark Giordano
@deepseamonster32 — The inaugural Captain. No one will ever be better.
Nobody will ever break his record for being Seattle’s 1st Captain
Colorado could use a cheap option to round out the bottom 4. Even if you shelf him for portions of the year, this could be an opportunity for some of the cap relief that the Avs so desperately need
Thing is, the Avs don’t need a 41 year old out of gas defenseman when it comes to crunch time. I agree that for a young team needing mentoring — a Chicago, a Utah — he’d be a fine pick.
Maybe, but I’m thinking about the cap situation with Gabe and Val. Shedding Manson or girards contract and picking up Giordano on the cheap might be a prudent move.
Sure, but can Giordano outplay some young prospect up from the AHL, twenty years younger and with better legs, who’d be playing for league minimum anyway?