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Scott Gomez Announces His Retirement

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After a 16 year NHL career, center Scott Gomez has decided to hang up his skates at the age of 36, writes Doyle Woody of the Alaska Dispatch News.

“This has been my life.  It’s so weird to think I’m never going to play hockey again.  But I’m done. I’m done.”

Gomez had spent the last few seasons as a role player and spent time with the Blues and Senators last year, where he collected a goal and eight assists in 34 games between the two teams.

Feb 7, 2015; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; New Jersey Devils center Scott Gomez (21) before the game against Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY SportsHe spent the bulk of his career with the New Jersey Devils, becoming one of the better playmakers in the NHL at that time while winning a pair of Stanley Cup titles in 2000 and 2003.  When he became an unrestricted free agent back in 2007, he surprised many by joining a cross-state rival in the New York Rangers, signing a seven year, $51.5MM deal.

Gomez only wound up spending two years with the Rangers before being dealt to Montreal for a package highlighted by Ryan McDonagh.  After a strong first year with the Canadiens in 2009-10, he struggled considerably over the next two seasons, picking up just nine goals and 40 helpers in 138 games.  The team bought him out for the 2012-13 season after the NHL granted them permission to use a compliance buyout a year early; their original intention for that season was to send him home to sit out in order to avoid injury.

For his career, Gomez finishes with 181 goals and 575 assists in 1,079 total games while earning nearly $64MM in salary, the bulk of which came from his free agent deal with New York.  That makes him the highest scoring Alaskan-born player in NHL history; he sits just shy of 400 points ahead of Brandon Dubinsky so it’s safe to say he’ll hold that mark for several more years at least.

As for what’s next for Gomez, Woody notes that he has a broadcasting job lined up after dipping his toes into the TV waters during the most recent Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Tim Jackman Retires From NHL

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According to Elite Prospects, long-time journeyman Tim Jackman has decided to hang up his skates and retire from professional hockey. Jackman played 483 games across parts of twelve seasons, suiting up for the Blue Jackets, Coyotes, Kings, Islanders, Flames and Ducks along the way.

Now 34-years old, Jackman was originally picked in the second round of the 2001 draft, and would contribute 75 points and over 800 penalty minutes across his career. The North Dakota native got into nine playoff games in 2014-15 with the Ducks, his first taste of NHL postseason.

Playing with the San Diego Gulls of the AHL last season, Jackman put up two points (1-1) and 33 penalty minutes in 22 games. Don’t be surprised to see Jackman’s name in a coaching staff in the future, as often tough guys and journeymen find success behind the bench after their playing days are over.

Week In Review: 7/18/16 – 7/24/16

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With the excitement of free agency mostly over, NHL teams are now taking care of housekeeping items like avoiding arbitration hearings with their remaining RFAs. Here’s a look back at the week that was.

Trades

July 18 – New York Rangers acquire C Mika Zibanejad and a 2018 2nd round pick from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for C Derick Brassard and a 2018 7th round pick.

Notable Signings

Marcus Johansson (Capitals) – avoided arbitration with a three-year, $13.75MM contract.
Mikhail Grigorenko (Avalanche) – the RFA forward signed a one-year contract worth $1.3MM before his arbitration hearing.
Chris Kreider (Rangers) – agreed to a four-year, $18.5MM contract, avoiding arbitration.
Kevin Hayes (Rangers) – avoided arbitration by signing a two-year contract worth $5.2MM.
Connor Carrick (Maple Leafs) – unlike many of the weeks signings, Carrick was not eligible for arbitration. He signed a two-year, $1.5MM contract.
Luke Schenn (Coyotes) – signed a two-year, $2.5MM contract in Arizona after splitting last season between the Flyers and Kings. Schenn was ranked 30th on our Top 50 Unrestricted Free Agents List.

Waivers

Jordan Schroeder (Wild) – cleared waivers, then settled on a new one-year, $650K contract prior to his arbitration hearing.
Peter Holland (Maple Leafs) – Holland is not expected to be back with the Maple Leafs next season after clearing waivers ahead of his upcoming arbitration hearing.

Notable Prospect Signings

Auston Matthews (Maple Leafs) – three-year entry-level deal
Jack Roslovic (Jets) – three-year entry-level deal

Retirements

Brad Richards (Red Wings) – The veteran center announced his retirement on July 20. Richards scored 932 points in 1126 NHL games with the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, Dallas Stars, and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Richards won two Stanley Cups: 2004 with the Lightning and 2015 with the Blackhawks. Richards was the Conn Smythe Trophy winner in 2004.

To Retire Or Not To Retire (Part Two)

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That is the question, and after already asking it about four veterans last weekend, this week saw one prediction come true as Brad Richards called it a career. There are even more well-known veterans whose successful careers currently have an indefinite future. The NHL is getting younger and faster, and even the best veterans are being pushed out of the league earlier than ever. Meanwhile though, players like Jaromir Jagr, Shane Doan, and Zdeno Chara are still making a big difference for their teams well past their “prime” years. No one wants to retire while they still believe that they have gas in the tank and can help a team throughout the 82-game season, whether that be a contender in need of depth or a rebuild in need of leadership. The question is not totally on the player either; is there even a market for their services? The following players have had long, storied careers in the NHL, but as the summer continues to dwindle, they must decide whether they’re willing to keep playing, regardless of the team or contract, or if they’re ready to hang up the skates.

Alex Tanguay: 36 years old, 35 pts in 2015-16

Tanguay should still be playing in the NHL. There’s no question about it. At 36, he has shown few signs of slowing down. We had him ranked as #33 among our Top 50 Free Agents and recently profiled him as one of the most impactful free agents remaining on the market. So, if Tanguay isn’t on a roster in 2016-17, it will be completely due to the market. Twenty-three days into free agency now, it’s been all quiet on the forward front for Tanguay and several other high-profile players, and it seems to have less to do with the quality of the players and more to do with the demand for their services. However, Tanguay may have an edge over the others because of the strong veteran presence he can bring, a trait desired by both contenders and rebuilders. A veteran of over one thousand NHL games with close to 500 career points, Tanguay had 55 points with Colorado in 2014-15 and put up 35 more in 70 games between the Avs and the young Arizona Coyotes last year. Tanguay’s ability to contribute at that level has shown that the 35-year-old “point of no return” has not hit him as hard as it hits others, and should keep him in consideration this off-season. The locker room leader and two-way contributor has what it takes to continue his playing career, so as long as a team can find a spot for him, Tanguay should jump at the chance. Verdict: Keep Playing

Dennis Seidenberg: 35 years old, 12 pts in 2015-16

The former Bruins defensive stalwart, who turned 35 this week, has struggled the past couple seasons. Seidenberg is not far removed from being one of the most reliable defenseman in the game, and was a big part of Boston’s 2011 Stanley Cup championship as one half of a dominant pair with fellow veteran defenseman Zdeno Chara. While it once seemed like Seidenberg was more than capable of playing at that level well into his late 30’s, injuries have derailed his career. After being limited to just 34 games in 2013-14, he returned in 2014-15, but looked like a very different player, and then skated in only 61 games last year for a disappointing Bruins defensive unit. Despite having a $4MM cap hit and a no-trade clause going into 2016-17, Seidenberg was surprised when the Bruins bought him out in June to open up cap space and more opportunity for their younger defenseman. The German star is very attached to the city of Boston, and there were rumblings that he would not approve a trade and would retire if the Bruins bought him out. To this point there has been nothing solid to confirm that he has plans to retire, but if he would like to stay in Boston at all costs, it seems like it won’t be as an NHL player. Teams could find a bargain if they can sign Seidenberg for a cheap deal and get him back to his 2012 form, but in all likelihood, that player is gone. It might be time for the Seidenberg to hang ’em up and move on to a new stage of his career. Verdict: Retire

Matt Cullen: 39 years old, 32 pts in 2015-16

Cullen was the best bargain in the NHL last year, helping the Pittsburgh Penguins to a Stanley Cup title at a price tag of just $800K. His 32 points over the course of a full 82-game schedule, followed by six more points over 24 playoff contests displayed a durability and dependability that is not often seen at his age. Cullen is set to turn 40 this next season, but the only question that remains is whether he will still be playing next season. While the simple choice for Cullen would be to go out on top as a Stanley Cup champ coming off of a strong season in his twilight years, the option to return to Pittsburgh remains open. Penguins GM Jim Rutherford expressed a desire to bring back both Cullen and defenseman Justin Schultz this off-season, and while many people pointed to the team’s depth and lack of cap space as reasons why that was unlikely (us included, who predicted that the 38th ranked Cullen would just retire in our Top 5o Free Agents), Schultz has already been re-signed. Cullen could be next, if Rutherford can squeeze him in. If the desire to continue playing is there for the 19-year veteran who has scored 35 points or more in eight of his last ten seasons, then there isn’t a better fit than a return to the Penguins. Verdict: Keep Playing

Marek Zidlicky: 39 years old, 16 pts in 2015-16

Zidlicky certainly knows the feeling of having to wait late into the off-season to find a taker for his services. He didn’t sign on with the Islanders last season until September 18th. He also knows that to keep your career alive at his age, you have to bounce around. Zidlicky played on a one-year deal last season with the Islanders, and split 2014-15 between the New Jersey Devils and Detroit Red Wings. So waiting to find the right team for another one-year deal is not something Zidlicky would struggle with. However, even though puck-moving defenseman seem to always be in demand, it seems like Zidlicky’s chances might have run out. At 38 years old, he managed to play in only 53 games, putting up the lowest point and ice time totals of his career. That alone would make it hard enough to find a team, but in a market where a 26-year-old with those same numbers (Luke Schenn) has to wait this far into free agency to sign, and younger possession defenseman like James Wisniewski, Kyle Quincey, and Matt Carle remain unsigned, Zidlicky is likely not a top consideration, even for the most D-needy teams. Verdict: Retire

Brad Richards Retires

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According the NHLPA website, veteran pivot Brad Richards has retired from the NHL following a distinguished 15-year career.

Richards, who spent the 2015-16 season with the Detroit Red Wings, ends his career with 932 points in 1,126 regular season games. He’s also been part of two Stanley Cup championship squads, winning a Conn Smythe award as playoff MVP in 2003-04 while a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Drafted originally in the third-round (64th overall) of the 1998 entry draft (the same draft that saw Vincent Lecavalier go #1 overall to Tampa), Richards formed a deadly tandem down the middle with Lecavalier, and helped to elevate the team into the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference. He would spend the first six-plus campaigns of his career with the Lightning before being shipped to Dallas at the 2008 trade deadline. With Lecavalier in the midst of an 11-year, $85MM deal and Richards under contract at $7.8MM annually, the Lightning decided they could no longer afford both centers and executed the trade with Dallas.

Richards spent parts of four seasons with Dallas, averaging better than a point-per-game and helping the Stars to a berth in the 2007-08 Western Conference Finals, where the club lost to eventual Stanley Cup champion Detroit in six games. Unfortunately that would be the highlight for Richards during his tenure with the team as the Stars failed to again make the postseason.

Richards would leave the Lone Star State following the 2010-11 season and as one of the marquee free agents that summer, would go on to sign a lucrative, nine-year contract worth $60MM with the New York Rangers. As was typical with big money free agent contracts of the day, Richards’ deal was heavily back-loaded in an effort to drive down the AAV and subsequently the salary cap hit. Richards was to collect $57MM of the money in the first six seasons, with each of the final three years coming with salaries of just $1M each.

While perhaps not quite living up to that price tag with the Rangers, Richards did help the club make it to the Eastern Conference Finals his first year with the team. He was also part of the squad that lost to the Los Angeles Kings in the 2013-14 Stanley Cup Finals.

After three years with the club and in desperate need of cap space as they continued their pursuit of a championship, the Rangers exercised a compliance buyout on Richards following the 2014-15 season. Under terms of the new CBA, the Blueshirts would have faced stiff cap recapture penalties had they not gone that route and Richards retired prior to the end of his contract.

Richards would move on as a free agent, signing with Chicago and winning another Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks. But the writing may have already been on the wall as Richards tallied just 37 points that season, the lowest full-season total of his career to that point.

Following his one year in Chicago, Richards signed with Detroit where his offensive production continued to wane. In 68 contests with the Red Wings, Richards scored just 10 goals and 28 points.

The announcement comes just weeks after former Lightning teammate Vincent Lecavalier also stepped away from the game.  It’s also quite possible Dan Boyle joins in to make it a trio of former Lightning players walking away from the NHL this summer. One year ago, Martin St. Louis, who played with Richards, Boyle and Lecavalier in Tampa and again with Richards and Boyle as members of the Rangers, announced his retirement.

Richards was a free agent, profiled recently on Pro Hockey Rumors here, but after apparently not finding the right fit, has elected to hang up his skates and move on to the next phase of his life. Those of us here at Pro Hockey Rumors would like to congratulate Richards on his wonderful career and wish him the best in his future.

To Retire Or Not To Retire (Part One)

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That is the question, especially for a handful of well-known veterans whose successful careers currently have an indefinite future. The NHL is getting younger and faster, and even the best veterans are being pushed out of the league earlier than ever. Meanwhile though, players like Jaromir Jagr, Shane Doan, and Zdeno Chara are still making a big difference for their teams well past their “prime” years. No one wants to retire while they still believe that they have gas in the tank and can help a team throughout the 82-game season, whether that be a contender in need of depth or a rebuild in need of leadership. The question is not totally on the player either; is there even a market for their services? The following players have had long, storied careers in the NHL, but as the summer continues to dwindle, they must decide whether they’re willing to keep playing, regardless of the team or contract, or if they’re ready to hang up the skates.

Dan Boyle: 40 years old, 24 pts in 2015-16

Boyle has had quite the career. A veteran of over one thousand NHL games, Boyle is a two-time All-Star and a Stanley Cup Champion and was once a perennial Norris candidate. He has been one of the best power play quarterbacks of the last two decades, and helped to usher in the age of the small, possession defenseman being a dominant force in the NHL.  He was a force to be reckoned with during long stints in both Tampa Bay and San Jose. However, at 40 years old, gone are the days where Boyle can still fly around the ice and play top pair minutes. The past two years with the New York Rangers have been less than spectacular, and his average time on ice in 2015-16 was the lowest that it’s been since his days with the Florida Panthers in the late ’90s. The Rangers are not open to a return for Boyle, and in a market where players like Kris Russell, James Wisniewski, and Luke Schenn still remain available in mid-July, it seems unlikely that Boyle would find a suitor, especially one willing to pay him anywhere near his $4.5MM cap hit in New York. Verdict: Retire.

Patrik Elias: 40 years old, 8 pts in 2015-16

It’s always a great story when a player is able to play out his entire career with one team. Whether he retires or not, that will be the case for Patrik Elias and the New Jersey Devils. Elias made his NHL debut with the Devils all the way back in 1995, and twenty years later he is still the heart and soul of the team. The legendary fan favorite helped to lead New Jersey to Stanley Cups in 2000 and 2003 and the team has clung to him ever since. With 1025 points in 1240 career games, the four-time All-Star has certainly made the most of his career. He is currently in the top ten among active players in goals, assists, points, plus/minus and nearly every other category. His versatility and ability to play in all situations helped the Devils franchise through all of the ups and downs of the past twenty years. The team now appears poised to be back on the upswing after some recent struggles, but a 40-year-old Elias isn’t going to be the piece that puts them over the top as a playoff team. Injuries kept him to just 16 games last season, as the wear and tear of twenty seasons finally caught up with him. Though Elias is just a few years removed from 53 points in 2013-14, and the Devils may use that to justify one more year with the face of the franchise, it seems like now is the time to call it quits. A position within the Devils organization seems almost like a guarantee, so it’s not as if his hockey career is over. The legend of Patrik Elias will continue. Verdict: Retire.

Scott Gomez: 36 years old, 9 pts in 2015-16

Elias’ teammate on those 2000 and 2003 Stanley Cup-winning Devils teams was a young Scott Gomez. The 1999-00 Calder Trophy winner helped to form the Devils dynasty, but his career took a different path than Elias’ did. Gomez left New Jersey in 2007 to sign a seven-year, $51.5MM contract across town with the New York Rangers. Two years in, he was traded to the Montreal Canadiens in a deal that brought the Rangers current captain Ryan McDonagh. Gomez played three years in Montreal before being bought out in 2012 and since has signed a one-year deal with a new team each year (SJ, FLA, NJ, STL). It’s not exactly the Elias route of sticking with one team, but it has worked for Gomez. His numbers are not what they were in the mid-2000’s, but he has provided a reliable veteran presence on every team, and even put up 34 points in 58 games in his return season to New Jersey in 2014-15. While Gomez has long lost the pedigree he once had, his services seem to be in demand by some team each and every year, and the short one-year deals and limited number of games have kept him from the usual rigors of playing hockey past 35. Gomez may not be a difference maker, but as long as there are teams out there that find you useful, like potentially the Ottawa Senators, who signed Gomez for a short 13-game span at the tail end of last season, then stay available. Verdict: Keep playing.

Brad Richards: 36 years old, 28 pts in 2015-16

Another veteran center who has bounced around since his early days as the face of a franchise is Brad Richards. The 2004 Conn Smythe winner, who led the Tampa Bay Lightning to its first ever Stanley Cup championship, has had a very successful and consistent career. Richards had at least 60 points in every full season for the first 11 seasons of his storied career, many of which were spent alongside Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, and Dan Boyle in Tampa. He was traded to the Dallas Stars in 2008, and then famously signed a nine-year $60MM contract with the New York Rangers in 2011 (which only lasted three years before he was bought out). He has spent the past two years as a productive veteran acquisition, helping the Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup in 2014-15 and helping the Detroit Red Wings extent their postseason streak in 2015-16. However, the numbers have noticeably tailed off since Richards left Dallas, and at 35 years old, this past season in Detroit was the worst of his career. It may seem like Richards could fall into that Scott Gomez role of being a perennial veteran addition to a needy team, but the fact that both the Blackhawks and Red Wings jumped on Richards on July 1st the past two years, and he still sits unsigned, make it seem more likely that perhaps Richards is done. He also doesn’t come cheap like Gomez, and the money might not be there this year for a contender to hand out $2-3MM to a 36-year-old coming off a down year. He has certainly cashed in on an excellent career though, and there would likely be no regrets if he called it quits now. Verdict: Retire.

Matt Carkner Announces Retirement

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Matt Carkner is walking away from hockey at 35 years old, he announced today. The veteran grinder, who last played an NHL game in 2014, announced his retirement with a Facebook post thanking his friends, family, fans, and past teams. While he may be done as a player, his hockey career is not over. Carkner added that he will has been named an assistant coach by the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the team he spent the past two seasons with.

Carkner was drafted in the 2nd round of the 1999 NHL Draft, taken 58th overall by the Montreal Canadiens. He made his NHL debut with the San Jose Sharks in 2005, but played the bulk of his NHL career with the Ottawa Senators from 2008 to 2012. Carkner became known for his physical play and aggressive style during this time, with 190 penalty minutes in the ’09-’10 season and then 136 penalty minutes in only 50 games during the ’10-’11 season. Carkner played his final two NHL seasons with the New York Islanders, where he was again a physical presence, but also as a strong locker room leader. The past two seasons, he has provided that same veteran knowledge and guidance to the young players on the Islanders’ affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

Although Carkner may not necessarily be remembered for his hockey skill (21 points in 161 career games) at the NHL level, his presence on the ice and in the locker room made him a memorable player, and he will continue to have an impact on the game of hockey, as he begins a promising coaching career.

 

Vincent Lecavalier Announces His Retirement

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Longtime NHL forward Vincent Lecavalier has officially announced his retirement today.  TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie was first with the report.  Lavoie also notes that he will be placed on waivers but that won’t have any effect on his decision to walk away from the game.

The 36 year old had two years remaining on his contract with a full cap hit of $4.5MM (split equally between the Los Angeles Kings and Philadelphia Flyers).  The $2.25MM that each team carried as a cap hit now comes off the books.  General Fanager adds that there will be no salary cap recapture penalties for either team.  Despite walking away from the last two years of his deal, Lecavalier will still be paid $1,761,905 annually until 2026-27 as part of his buyout from Tampa Bay.

The decision comes as little surprise as Lecavalier had indicated that he was leaning towards retiring when he waived his no-movement clause to accept a trade to the Kings last season.  After recording just a single assist in seven games with the Flyers, his play picked up following the deal as he tallied ten goals and seven helpers in 42 games with Los Angeles.

He spent most of his career with the Lightning after being the first overall pick in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft.  Lecavalier played in 1,037 games with the Bolts (a team record), collecting 383 goals (also a team record) and 491 assists.  For his career, he finishes with 421 goals and 528 assists in 1,212 games between the Lightning, Flyers, and Kings.

Lecavalier won several awards over his career, including the Rocket Richard Trophy (most goals in 2007), plus a Stanley Cup in 2004 with the Lightning and a World Cup with Team Canada in 2004.  He also currently has the most points of anyone drafted in 1998 as he sits 17 points ahead of longtime Tampa teammate Brad Richards.

Datsyuk Announces Retirement From NHL

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As expected from yesterday’s news, Detroit Red Wings center Pavel Datsyuk officially announced his retirement from the NHL today at a press conference in suburban Detroit. During the brief press conference, Pierre LeBrun tweeted that Datsyuk made the decision because of his family. Yahoo’s Nick Cotsonika tweets that Datsyuk will play in the KHL next season. Red Wings beat writer Ansar Khan tweets that the Wings will be making a statement at 2pm EST at the Joe Louis Arena.

The 38-year-old has been rumored for some time to walk away from the NHL. In April, an interview with Detroit Free Press writer Mitch Albom shed light on Datsyuk wanting to spend more time with his daughter in Russia. As written about at length by many analysts, the $7.5MM cap hit remains for the Red Wings due to Datsyuk extending his contract at the age of 35. Though the AAV was $7.5MM, Datsyuk benefitted from a front loaded contract where he made $10.5MM in 2014-2015, $7MM in 2015-2016, and was slated to make $5.5MM in 2016-2017. Datsyuk’s agent Dan Milstein pointed out, however, that Datsyuk only made $15MM in the first two years of his contract because he declined a $2MM bonus this past February. Milstein also indicated that the Red Wings would have no problem trading the contract away.

Regardless, Datsyuk’s decision puts the Red Wings in a lurch heading into the 2016-2017 season. Even if the Red Wings successfully move the contract, it will most likely include a high draft pick or prospects. Forwards Tomas Jurco and Teemu Pulkkinen were two names floated as potential trade bait. Should the Red Wings opt to take the hit, it will most certainly restrict them from trying to land any potential free agents. The Wings have been linked with Alexander Radulov, and more recently, Steven Stamkos, should he hit the market.

 

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