Veterans who need to prove they still belong in the NHL

The veteran forward stole headlines over the offseason when he left the San Jose Sharks after nearly two decades to join the young Toronto Maple Leafs squad . Marleau showed a few sparks of brilliance in his 2016-17 run, notably notching his 500th career NHL goal. But with near identical points in consecutive seasons, it's a wonder how much the 38-year old can keep up with the William Nylanders and Auston Matthews out there.

The Boston Bruins certainly seem confident enough that the 40-year-old Slovak can keep playing. But even with rumors of a contract extension floating around, we have to stop and wonder if that's such a good idea. The defenseman's remains a steady force for the B's, leading the team in ice time in the 2016-17 season. However, his age brings into question how much of that workload he can continue to handle.

The 38-year-old netminder has looked good thus far in preseason play. But after missing the last six weeks of the 2016-17 season with a lower-body injury, questions still remain as to how much of a workload he can handle. His extensive injury history includes hip surgery two summers ago. 

Cullen straight up "put off" retirement for the opportunity to play for his hometown Minnesota Wild. And he reportedly entered training camp in solid shape. But Cullen is also coming off back-to-back championships with the Penguins, and the lack of off-season rest could come into play as he plays in, what could be, his final season in the league.

There is plenty of mystery surrounding the seasoned forward, who has yet to sign with a team for this upcoming season. Unsigned Iginla is coming off a down season, where his name was more associated with trade talk than it was about on-ice production. This could be a season where we see Iginla playing in the Olympics, but not the NHL. 

The masses are understandably miffed as to why The Mullet has yet to be picked up by a team yet. But while Jagr still appears to be an ageless wonder, it's hard not to see where teams are coming from. Even though Jagr continues to dazzle on the ice, his age gives teams pause. And being that he is such a polarizing figure, teams have to consider how that will impact the culture in the dressing room.

The bearded forward made headlines last playoffs when it was revealed that he played in the first round of 2017 playoffs with a torn ACL and MCL. While the surgery was reportedly a success, it remains to be seen if Thornton's knee – and the rest of him for that matter – can still dominate the ice. His on-ice production took a dip after a stellar 2016-17 campaign, replicating his stat line from the truncated 2012-13 season. Team Teal still looks to Jumbo Joe as one of their fearless leaders. Is he going to make a comeback and carry the team with him?

The former Philadelphia Flyer is getting a fresh start, having signed a two-year deal with the Winnipeg Jets in the off-season. The key for the veteran netminder is going to be staying healthy, something he had a bit of trouble with during the 2016-17 campaign.

The LA Kings captain isn't just looking to get his team back to winning, he is also looking to get himself back on track. Kopitar is coming off his worst season, and will be looking to get back to his old self in a season that won't be interrupted by the World Cup or the Olympics. (Both of which Kopitar has previously participated in.)

The winger is returning to the Nashville Predators, where he got his NHL career start in almost two decades ago. There are high expectations for Hartnell, as the Western Conference champions look to him to be a veteran presence . But that will also mean that his production will have to pick up, after a dip last season with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Vrbata was one of the summer's biggest fish, as the Florida Panthers inked him to a one-year deal . On one hand, the winger still finds the back of the net, scoring 20 goals for the Arizona Coyotes during the 2016-17 season. But the 36-year-old also ended the season logging a -18. The Panthers will be looking for a lot out of Vrbata as they try to make the playoffs again this season.

No, we are not saying that Hank is going to retire any time soon. That being said, the heavily-decorated veteran is starting to show signs of slowing down, recording a career-low .910 save percentage last season. (Granted, New York's defense had some issues, but that's another story.) While Lundqvist isn't leaving the league any time soon, it isn't odd to wonder if he can still handle the same workload.

The crazy thing about the Sedin twins is that they clearly have the ability to keep playing past this season. But if they don't stay in Vancouver past this contract year, we could see the notorious Canucks hanging up their skates.

One of the younger players on the list of this veterans, Sharp appears promising as he returns to the Chicago Blackhawks after a couple seasons in Dallas. He is coming off a difficult campaign, however, which was riddled with concussion symptoms and involved a hip surgery. Staying healthy will be key for Sharp right from the start of the season.

One could argue that the defender hasn't been the same since he took a slap shot to the face in 2013. That being said, Staal's is reportedly in the midst of fighting for his job as the Rangers try to fill in the holes that plagued their defense last season. 

While not exactly long in the tooth, Fleury's injury history puts him on the list of veterans who have a bit to prove. (Especially after he lost out on the starting job to newbie netminder Matt Murray.) With a fresh start on the Las Vegas Golden Knights this season, Fleury has room to prove he can still hold his own as a starter in the league.