Despite earlier reports from Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff that Paul Stastny might be considering retirement, it sounds like the veteran center wants to continue playing but is taking a firm stance on his contract demands. Stastny, 37, is not interested in proving himself through a professional tryout (PTO) and is exclusively seeking concrete contract offers from potential suitors, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Last season, Stastny experienced a significant shift in his role, transitioning to a bottom-six position with the Carolina Hurricanes. Despite signing a one-year, $1.5 million contract with Carolina in August 2022, well before training camp, Stastny now faces the imminent start of this year’s camps without a contract in hand.
During the 2022-23 season, he tallied nine goals and 13 assists for a total of 22 points in 73 games. It was a new low for him and his ice time dropped to just 11 minutes and 52 seconds per game. The feeling around the NHL must be that he’s either slow down or only useful in a depth role, but with so little salary cap space to go around, it’s difficult for teams to fit Stastny on the roster, even if he were to play for close to league minimum. Teams could sign him to a bonus-structured contract because of his age, but so far, there’s been no real talk of interest among teams.
Stastny is reliable and sound defensively, but his offensive productivity has steadily declined since the 2015-16 season. If he’s not open to a PTO, he might not get a deal before camp and could choose to wait until a team that is dealing with injuries needs assistance.
Will Stastny Get The Guarantee He Wants?
As the countdown to training camp continues, it remains to be seen whether Stastny will adjust his stance if he fails to secure an NHL contract. With over 1,145 regular-season games, he still seeks to fulfill his dream of winning a Stanley Cup and believes he has another solid season of hockey left in him.
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