Is This Goodbye? Five NHL Veterans who Could be at the End of the Road

The NHL itself is a continuous cycle of once-great players getting older and being replaced by younger iterations. And with the draft fast approaching, five current NHL veterans may have hit the end of their line.

At draft time, it's always enticing to focus on the promise that that the prospects carry as they move one step closer to realizing their NHL dreams. 

But the league is a zero-sum game. Every new player who comes in squeezes out someone else. And no matter how much money they've made, not all of them are ready to leave on their own terms.

Last season, we saw three-time Stanley Cup winner Phil Kessel try to take one more run. But the Vancouver Canucks elected not to bring him on board for their playoff run. 

Other greybeards did find spots, with varying results.

And while veterans like Joe Pavelski and Zach Parise have already indicated that they're not looking to play in 2024-25, others will be looking to extend their careers. 

Here are some veterans who may find it tough to carve out a spot.

The oldest player in the NHL last season, Giordano was on the second year of a bargain deal that he hoped would allow him to chase a cup with his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs.

That quest came up short. The 2019 Norris Trophy winner saw his ice time drop by more than two minutes a game in 2023-24 as injuries limited him to just 48 regular-season games, and he didn't see the ice in the playoffs.

For an undrafted player, Giordano's 1,148 games over 18 NHL seasons are a tremendous accomplishment. But with his 41st birthday approaching in October, he may not find another place to play this summer.

The New York Rangers made two low-budget veteran signings going into last season. 

Jonathan Quick, who turned 38 in January, was a revelation in his return to the East Coast and has already been re-signed for next year. 

But the path was not as smooth for Blake Wheeler, who managed just nine goals and 21 points in 54 games before suffering a horrific leg injury that ended his regular season in mid-February.

After an aggressive rehab, Wheeler got the green light to return while the Rangers were still alive in the playoffs. But after drawing into Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final against Florida, he took a pivotal holding penalty on Aleksander Barkov in overtime, which led to Sam Reinhart's sudden-death winner. 

If that's the end, it's a sour finish to an impressive career that saw Wheeler skate in 1,172 regular-season games and spend six seasons as the captain of the Winnipeg Jets.

He’s a two-time Stanley Cup champion and he’s only 30, but Matt Murray could have a tough time attracting a new team when free agency opens on July 1.

Hip surgery last October kept him out of action for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2023-24. Murray did get healthy enough to start three AHL games on a conditioning stint in April, but his challenges weren't a one-off: injuries had also limited him to less than 30 games in each of his three previous seasons.

Goalie depth can be crucial to a team’s success, so it might be too soon to say a permanent goodbye. Nevertheless, Murray’s injury history could leave him needing to put together a solid string of healthy games for an American League squad before he gets another chance to show his stuff in the NHL.

A sixth-overall pick by Edmonton in 2007, Sam Gagner came into the NHL on the coattails of his father Dave — then, a respected forward and now a high-powered agent with Wasserman Hockey. 

And while the Oilers struggled to be successful during his initial tenure, Gagner built a reputation as one of the best-liked players in the NHL, even if his stats never popped to expected levels.

Gagner got his first demotion to the AHL back in 2015 but has continued to fight for NHL spots and prolonged his career by nearly a decade.

Now in his third tour of duty in Edmonton, he hasn't played since the last game of the regular season. But he's available if needed, and his uplifting presence is still appreciated by the Oilers' players and staff.

Whether or not he can return to Edmonton next season, Gagner has let it be known that he'd like to keep playing, But after getting into just 28 games in 2023-24, his odds of securing further full-time on-ice employment appear increasingly slim. 

With his personality and reputation, a future could be waiting for him in a player development role.

Originally drafted in the first round back in 2006, Trevor Lewis won two Stanley Cups with the Los Angeles Kings and has carved out a long career as a defensive specialist and penalty killer who's tough to play against. 

After brief tenures in Winnipeg and Calgary, Lewis returned to the Kings this season, where he's now ninth on the team's all-time games-played list at 756. And while his ice time has slipped in recent years, Lewis has stayed healthy and available over the last four seasons — a good sign for an older player.

Lewis has always delivered good value, never making more than $2 million a season. And he was born in Salt Lake City, which could make him an intriguing bottom-six add for the new Utah club as it sets its roots in the community. 

For 16 years, Lewis has made it easy for NHL teams to keep him around. And he hasn't played a day in the minors since the 2012-13 lockout. But he's also the kind of player whose hockey sense will be replaced, at some point, by younger, fresher legs.