411mania- Inside The Penalty Box 08.26.08: Retire Or Return?

To Stay Or Go: Veterans Weighing The Option To Retire Against Another Run In The NHL

 

 

 

 
 

Mats Sundin Photo Credit: sportsnet.ca

All athletes are eventually faced with deciding whether they are capable both mentally and physically to return for another run in the sport they love, or simply hang ‘em up and call it a career. With the Brett Favre and Roger Clemens’ of the world, retirement isn’t as final as it used to be. However, any player that has to come to grips with the closing of his career wants to face the unenviable predicament as few times as possible.

Three of the greatest talents to ever apply their craft on NHL ice currently remain in limbo about their future in the sport, while another is certain he will return but is in no rush to ink a new deal. Mats Sundin, Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg have made it quite clear that they’re taking their time in this truly life-altering decision. Meanwhile, Brendan Shanahan has made it known that he wants to play another year and preferably with the New York Rangers, yet will be patient and is willing to sign elsewhere if continuing his career on Broadway is not in the cards.

The most prolific of this bunch is Sundin. As the NHL turned toward the free agent frenzy of the summer on July 1, one of the most sought after players was Sundin. In addition to the Toronto Maple Leafs, several teams came out the chute offering big money deals to the 37-year center, including a reported $20 million offer over two years from the Vancouver Canucks. At the end of the day, though, Sundin stood pat in his stance to take his time and didn’t jump at the first top-notch contract to come his way. Insane or not, it’s August 26 and the Swedish forward remains a free agent. And despite claiming that he would make a decision by August, I don’t think there’s going to be one for at least another week or two. He could reasonably take this to the start of training camp.

I don’t think there’s any doubt that Sundin still has the talent to be a prolific center in the NHL. Just last season with the Maple Leafs, he posted 78 points and 32 goals, which marked the 15th time in his 17 NHL seasons that he put up over 70 points (the other two were his rookie season and the lockout year in 1994-95.) He still possesses great scoring and playmaking ability even in his elder years and is one of the most respected leaders in hockey. Though I question his character somewhat for refusing to be moved at the trade deadline last year yet appearing to be on his way out of Toronto this summer, I have to admit Sundin is an asset for whatever team scores him if he chooses to return.

I believe Sundin will return to the NHL for next season. He has too much left in the tank, and too much money sitting on the table, to opt for retirement right now. And while it’s hard to judge exactly where his head is at, the one thing that should take No. 1 priority for Sundin when choosing a team is how likely it is to contend for the Cup next season.

The only publicized offer for Sundin came in the form of that $20 million deal over two years with the Canucks. A tempting offer, I’m sure, I don’t think $10 million a year is going to be enough to entice Sundin into playing for a squad that has little chance of making anything out of the 2008-09 campaign, and presumably the year after, as well.

I highly doubt, however, Sundin is going to jump at a deal worth anything significantly less than that deal from Vancouver. I’m sure that when he does choose a team, it’s going to cost at least $7.5-8 million per season on a one- or two-year contract, which takes salary cap considerations into account for all reportedly interested teams.

At the forefront is the New York Rangers, who could use another top six forward but only possess about $2 million in cap space at the moment. To move at least $6 million is going to be damn near impossible for the Rangers. Philadelphia has also come up as a team with some interest, but they’re about $4.5 million over the cap limit and need to get rid of some players before even being legal for the 2008-09 season. Toronto remains in the loop and has about $7.5 million in cap space to spare, but Sundin doesn’t want to head back to the Maple Leafs, otherwise he would have done so early in free agency. The team that traded for his rights prior to July 1, Montreal, is also apparently out of the mix for his services.

The Colorado Avalanche have recently come out as a team of interest. Of course, he is merely a backup plan for the Avs pending Joe Sakic’s decision, which should come during a Thursday morning news conference.

Unlike Sundin’s situation, Sakic is a one-team man. If he laces the skates for another campaign, it will be for Colorado – the franchise, Quebec included, where he has played his entire 19-year NHL career. Like Sundin, though, Sakic certainly has enough talent remaining in his aged body (39 years old) to give the Avs another run as a top line center.

Unfortunately, last season was not one of Sakic’s healthiest. After missing just one game between the 2003-04 and 2006-07 campaigns, he sat out 38 contests last year courtesy of hernia surgery. In his 44 games played, though, he posted 40 points and is just two years removed from a 100-point season in 2006-07. I don’t think it’s a guarantee that Sakic will be an everyday player in his 20th season. But when he hits the ice, he can lead the Avs toward contention for the Stanley Cup.

And I think that Sakic’s announcement Thursday morning will be one that pleases the faithful fans in Colorado. Injury aside, Sakic was still a valuable asset late in the season and in the playoffs and didn’t appear to suffer any major setbacks in his typical game-changing ways. Thus, the only thing that I feel would tilt Sakic’s decision toward retirement – health – shouldn’t play a factor and I anticipate he’ll be donning a Colorado sweater come the drop of the puck in October.

While bringing Sakic back is a no-brainer for the Avalanche, who have plenty of cap space ($10.6 million) to accommodate him, the same cannot be said for Forsberg.

Peter Forsberg Photo Credit: sportsreport.freedomblogging.com

For the past few years, Forsberg has been a pain in the butt to track. While certainly among the elite of the elite as far as talent goes, Forsberg is an injury-riddled mess that cannot be counted upon as a healthy asset at any point in the season. What’s worse with Forsberg is that one day he might feel fine, yet the next day is a complete disaster and he’s out for an unknown amount of time. Simply put, it’s a risky venture entering the world of Forsberg.

The most recent happenings to Forsberg are also pretty inconsistent. A month ago, it was determined that Forsberg would need to rehab his right foot and wouldn’t even think about re-entering the NHL until Christmas. Yet early this month, he played a charity game with his team in Sweden and scored a hat trick.

And that’s really the problem with Forsberg – he’s unpredictable. It’s really unfortunate because he is such a talented center. Even in his very limited play last year with the Avs, Forsberg posted 14 points in nine regular season games and added five points in seven games during the postseason. At least as a playoff asset, he’s one of the finest the NHL has ever seen. But that nagging foot injury, on top of groin problems, is extremely risky for both Forsberg and any team looking to pick him up.

With that said, Forsberg has proven himself time and time again to be stubborn. The man probably should have retired a year or two ago, yet he keeps coming back for more punishment. Call him a warrior or just plain stupid, but he seems determined to play even if it’s extremely limited. And I think that trend will continue for the 35-year old Swede next year.

Forsberg will likely play a Scott Niedermayer and sit out for a good portion of the season before deciding to re-join the league. A spot on the Avs is far from guaranteed, I’m sure. But if he’s willing to come back cheap like he did last year for the Avs at just over $1 million, then I can’t imagine they would turn him away. There will probably be more interest, including from the Flyers and probably Toronto, but I think Colorado will be the most likely destination if, or really when, Forsberg chooses to come back after the New Year.

Shanahan’s commendable patience certainly won’t last that long. Injuries won’t bar him from returning right away and he’s focused on giving it another run in the NHL. The 39-year old winger has his sights set on one more season with the New York Rangers. However, if general manager Glen Sather can’t figure out a way to get him on the roster, which would be further hindered if he pursues Sundin, then Shanahan will seek employment by another team.

One of those other teams that has an interest in Shanahan is the John Davidson-run St. Louis Blues. No formal contract has been offered by Davidson to Shanahan, who played with St. Louis from 1991-1995. But he put the option out there to Shanahan’s agent Rick Curran. And if the Rangers continue to stall and don’t bring Shanahan back, I don’t see any reason why he wouldn’t strongly consider another run with the Blues.

I do, however, believe Shanahan will be back on Broadway. He feels like he has unfinished business in the Big Apple and the Rangers could use his leadership and top six forward ability. Shanahan will need to take a pay cut and Sather will still need to do some maneuvering to make the necessary cap room. But at the end of it all, I anticipate the two sides figuring something out to reach their mutual goal – partnering up for one more season.

 

From 411mania.com