It’s been a long time since we’ve seen an athlete like Gordie Howe, who played professionally in 5 different decades. Although some athletes hang on to their careers a bit too long, it’s highly unlikely that we will see someone like him again. For our modern athletes that have more lucrative contracts and longer careers than their predecessors, when is it the right time to walk away?
Let’s examine 5 NHL players that need to hang up their skates, and 5 that should still lace them up next year.
RETIRE – Patrick Kane, Detroit Red Wings
Patrick Kane is currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings. The hip shaving surgery Kane had is a relatively unknown process for professional athletes. The ones that attempted to come back from the surgery were not the same as before. He is just 35 years old, and under normal circumstances he would still have some life left in his legs, but this is not normal times. Why tarnish your legacy? With 451 career goals, 1,237 points, and 3 Stanley Cups, he’s a future Hall of Fame inductee. Patrick Kane has nothing left to prove.
STAY – Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
“Sid the Kid” is 36 years old and is currently entering his 19th season in the league. Can we still call him a kid? Anyway, despite the advancing years, there is still plenty of productivity left. Last season, Crosby played in all 82 regular season games and finished with a line of 33 goals, 60 assists, and averaged almost 19 minutes of ice time per game. Yeah, there’s still pop to his game. With two years left on his current deal, he’s a free agent after the 2024-25 season, there’s no contract squabble on the near horizon, which means that for the foreseeable future, we can still enjoy watching Sidney Crosby take the ice.
RETIRE – Mark Giordano, Toronto Maple Leafs
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At 40 years of age, Mark Giordano is currently the oldest player in pro hockey. The NHL has become a young man’s league. The game has gotten faster. At 40 years of age, that should be enough of a reason for his inclusion on our list. At best, he should be a depth player or 7th defenseman at best but played 78 games last year and averaged close to 19 minutes of ice time. While that shows impressive stamina, at this point Giordano should step aside and allow a younger player to gain valuable minutes. Perhaps the fact that he’s still so heavily relied upon is more a sad testament to the Maple Leafs, the reality is it’s time for Mark Giordano to retire.
STAY – Marc-Andre Fleury, Minnesota Wild
Marc-Andre Fleury is an underrated all time goalie. He currently sits 3rd in most career wins for a goalie and is poised to move into 2nd place sometime during the 2023-24 season. But chasing records is not the only reason for Fleury to keep playing. Despite being 38 years old, he is still capable of playing at a high level, as noted by his status as the starting goalie for Minnesota in the 2022-23 season. He begins this season as the backup to Filip Gustavsson, which might turn out to benefit Fleury in the long run. The reduced workload of a backup goalie might lessen the wear and tear on his body, allowing Marc-Andre Fleury a few more years in net.
RETIRE – Ryan Reaves, Toronto Maple Leafs
Ryan Reaves is a bit of a dinosaur in today’s NHL. While he is a great motivator in the locker room, his game does not mesh with the present game. Today’s players are about speed and skill, and while toughness is still needed, it’s tough to provide it when you can’t keep up with the younger, faster players. Reaves provides little to no offense, and the 8 minutes of ice time he gets a game could be better utilized with a younger player. Perhaps at this stage of his career, he would be of greater service in the role of a player-coach, emphasis on the coach. Ryan Reaves has had a nice long career, but it’s time to hang up the skates.
STAY – Alexander Ovechkin – Washington Capitals
Alexander Ovechkin might be 38 years old, but is not playing like a typical 38 year old. He is still one of the most dangerous offensive players in the game today. With 75 points in 73 games last season, Ovechkin is still averaging over a point per game. In addition, he starts the 2023-24 season 72 goals away from passing Wayne Gretzky to become the all-time goal scoring leader in NHL history. At his normal pace, barring injury, “the Great Eight” should pass “the Great One” either late next year or early in 2025-26. Chasing history and playing under a reasonable contract means that Alexander Ovechkin will be around for a few more years.
RETIRE – Jack Johnson, Colorado Avalanche
During last offseason defenseman Jack Johnson signed a one year contract with the Avalanche for the 2023-24 season. He shouldn’t see the end of the year with Colorado. In 83 games last year with the Avs and Blackhawks, Johnson had 2 goals, 6 assists, and a -15 rating. The truth is that he has never been a great offensive threat from the blueline. Over his previous 17 seasons, Johnson has never had more than 42 points in a season, and that was accomplished during his 5th year in the league. If his defensive side is now faltering too, which appears to be the case, there really is no point in keeping Jack Johnson on the ice.
STAY – Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings
Anze Kopitar has had an interesting career so far, and by no means is it close to being finished. Over his previous 17 years with the Kings, Kopitar has amassed 393 goals, 1,141 points, and has won several awards: Lady Byng twice, Selke twice, and the Messier Leadership Award. Despite being 36 years old, LA signed him to an extension that runs through the 2025-26 season, ensuring that Kopitar’s offensive output will remain in their lineup. He is a consistent 20-25 goal scorer with 60-70 points per season, and last season finished with 28 goals and 74 points. The Kings were smart to re-up with Anze Kopitar, as his production is vital to the team’s playoff aspirations.
RETIRE – Mike Smith, Free Agent
Some athletes don’t know when it’s time to call it a career. Although common sense dictates it’s time to leave, some still can’t. Meet Exhibit A: Mike Smith. He is currently a 41 year old unrestricted free agent goalie. Smith has had a moderately successful career (although he did lead the league with 42 losses in 2014-15), winning 299 games with a 2.70 Goals Against Average. The last few seasons he has been relegated to a backup role, but with little interest during the offseason, Smith apparently is still holding out hope of catching on someplace. He shouldn’t. Mike Smith has played for a long time, but his playing days are definitely behind him.
STAY – Joe Pavelski, Dallas Stars
Joe Pavelski is like the Energizer Bunny, he keeps going and going and going and… Currently, at 39, he is the 2nd oldest player in the league, but is still very productive. Over the last two seasons, Pavelski has scored 80+ and 70+ points, respectively. In fact, when you look at his overall career, induction into the Hall of Fame seems like a real possibility. However, that is for the future. For the present, it is about playing a vital role in helping the Dallas Stars compete for the Stanley Cup. Playing on a 1 year deal with a $3.5 million cap hit, it’s reasonable to take it year by year, but at least Joe Pavelski will still be playing.
