Giordano not planning on retiring even if Leafs don't re-sign him
Longtime NHL defenceman Mark Giordano isn’t ready to call it a career just yet.
Giordano, who has spent parts of the past three seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, was the oldest player to suit up in the NHL in 2023-24 at the age of 40. It seemed that Father Time had gotten the best of him, as injuries limited him to just 46 games, during which time he averaged less than 17 minutes of ice time.
Despite the decline in play, Giordano’s agent, Rick Winter, confirmed to Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star that his client not only intends to play in 2024-25, but also another season or two after that. Whether that potential opportunity will come with the Leafs remains to be seen.
Giordano is set to hit the free-agent market on July 1, as his two-year, $1.6 million deal expired at season’s end. Though the Leafs will have some holes on their blue line with several others on expiring deals such as T.J. Brodie, Joel Edmundson, and Ilya Lyubushkin, management is expected to target some other highly sought-after free agents such as Brandon Montour and Chris Tanev.
Should the Leafs choose to let Giordano walk, one potential option that could be available for him is a return to the Calgary Flames. He spent the first 949 games of his career in a Flames sweater, serving as their captain from 2013 to 2021 while winning the Norris Trophy in 2018-19.
The Flames have some questions on their back end as they are in the early stages of what appears to be a rebuild and have plenty of cap space as a result. Bringing back Giordano would certainly give the fan base something to celebrate, though having yet to win a Stanley Cup in his career, he may have his eyes set on more of a contender.
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