Maple Leafs pending UFA Giordano intends to play 'a few more years'
Published
It appears Toronto Maple Leafs veteran defenceman Mark Giordano isn't ready to hang up his skates any time soon.
Giordano's agent, Rich Winter, told Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star that the 40-year-old intends to play next season as he approaches unrestricted free agency on July 1.
“Mark has made the decision that he’s playing for a few more years,” Winter said. “He feels very confident. He’s been talking to a lot of people who tell him: Don’t quit until they make you.”
Giordano played sporadically this season, posting three goals and nine points in 46 games. He did not dress in any of Toronto's seven playoff games. He was the oldest player in the league this past season.
The long-time Calgary Flames defenceman has 158 goals and 577 points in 1,148 career NHL games. He won the Norris Trophy with the Flames as team captain in 2019. Two years later, he was selected by the Seattle Kraken in their expansion draft, spending 55 games as team captain before he was dealt to the Maple Leafs at the trade deadline in 2022.
He is coming off a two-year, $1.6 million deal signed to stay with the Maple Leafs ahead of reaching free agency in 2022.
The Maple Leafs appear poised to make major changes on their blueline this off-season with Giordano, T.J. Brodie, Joel Edmundson and Ilya Lyubushkin all slated for unrestricted free agency.
Morgan Rielly, Jake McCabe, Simon Benoit, Conor Timmins and rookie Cade Weber are under contract for next season, with Timothy Liljegren eligible for arbitration as a restricted free agent.