10/16/2007

To retire or not... Come on!

While still waiting for the return of several key players, the Anaheim Ducks are finding their form as others have stepped up in their place. Among them are Kent Huskins, who scored his first NHL goal in the 6-3 win against the Detroit Red Wings. Several of the absentees are injured, like Mathieu Schneider, Todd Bertuzzi, Todd Marchant, and goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere who is not yet fit to play consecutive games. But, along with Teemu Selanne, the most important player, captain Scott Niedermayer, is still deciding whether to retire or not.
I am a big fan of both Selanne and Niedermayer as players, but this is getting more and more ridiculous. Why is this thing taking so long, and why is it so hard to decide on this? I am sure they both think they have good reasons for this stalling, but I fail to see it.
A few years ago Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom was contemplating retirement. He wanted his children to attend a Swedish school, but ultimately decided to sign a new contract and stay in Motown for a few more years. The difference is he did this thinking in the summer.
So if it is such a hard decision to make, maybe you shouldn't be playing and just call it quits.

***

The Toronto Maple Leafs are in for a bumpy ride this season. The 4-5 loss to Buffalo last night (which included an own goal by Bryan McCabe) was the second straight game in which Toronto blew a two-goal lead. If this years Leafs will make the post season, it won't be by much. My prediction is they will have to sit out yet another playoff.

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