Regardless of his age and the actual fact he didn’t play a full season in 2023-24, veteran defenseman Mark Giordano stays a sought-after free agent as he explores his choices for the upcoming NHL season. His agent Ritch Winter mentioned Friday on Sportsnet’s Flames Discuss, groups just like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, and Buffalo Sabres have expressed curiosity within the 39-year-old. Regardless of being the NHL’s oldest participant final season, Giordano has no plans to retire and is decided to safe one other NHL contract.
Giordano has spent the final two-and-a-half seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, contributing 9 targets and 45 factors in 144 video games whereas averaging 18:14 of ice time per sport. Nonetheless, his function shifting ahead is predicted to be as a bottom-pairing defenseman, given his declining minutes and possession stats. Whichever group indicators him is probably going solely on the lookout for a participant who they’ll put out in sure conditions and probably not for each sport. Final season, Giordano recorded his lowest common time-on-ice for the reason that 2008-09 season.
Regardless of this, Giordano stays a helpful chief and veteran presence who might assist a contending group and supply depth on the blue line. The Oilers, for instance, is likely to be on the lookout for a participant similar to him. After dropping Philip Broberg and Cody Ceci, they may profit from Giordano’s expertise and see him as a backup if a participant like Ty Emberson doesn’t plan out as hoped.
The Leafs, who’ve maintained curiosity, would additionally present him with one other alternative to contend for a Stanley Cup, and be a well-recognized location for him.
A return to Calgary holds sentimental worth as Giordano spent 15 seasons with the Flames and received a Norris Trophy in 2019. They aren’t contending, so this is able to be Giordano seemingly closing issues out the place they began or changing into a commerce asset that could possibly be moved on the deadline. Winter didn’t see the Flames as a favourite.
Buffalo, with a younger defensive core, is also a very good match, as Giordano’s management and expertise would assist their improvement. The Sabres have been anticipated to take the following step for a while now, but it surely merely hasn’t occurred.
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