Whether you were a fan of him as a Leaf or not, you are probably disappointed that Mark Giordano didn’t get a chance to win a Stanley Cup with his hometown Maple Leafs (I’d assume since you are reading a Maple Leafs site.) Of course, it also would be strange if you weren’t a fan of Mark Giordano, a former Norris Trophy-winning defenceman who made just more than the league minimum for the opportunity to be a Maple Leaf and was a player who routined stepped up in significant ways to help the much maligned Toronto blueline.
Mark Giordano, who will be turning 41 before the start of the season, hasn’t received a contract offer from the Maple Leafs, and with the influx of new defenders it seems unlikely that one will be coming at this 11th hour from Toronto. That’s not to say that there won’t be offers on their way as Frank Seravalli reported on Wednesday:
“Mark Giordano: Interest from 4-6 teams, seeking chance to win Cup or impact young players. Among tops in Leafs fitness last year.”
Giordano’s fitness was put to the test last season through injuries and over usage. By the time the playoffs rolled around Sheldon Keefe was more in favour of using his newer options in Joel Edmundson and Ilya Lyubushkin over Giordano and that seemed like the end of the relationship between the player and the team.
Options being available to Giordano do make a ton of sense and like Seravalli said, there is a great opportunity for him to continue his affordable depth role with another playoff bound team. Teams like Boston, Tampa, and Vegas are always open to affordable depth that help them through the season. Other options like the Ducks or the Senators may want his veteran presence with their younger rosters.
What seems likely is that Mark Giordano will turn up somewhere even if there isn’t a pro tryout yet. The first couple of days on the ice for teams can make certain needs more apparent and that’s likely when Giordano will find his landing spot.
