Adam Graves, Steve Thomas, Cliff Ronning and Adam Oates headline a group of over a dozen veterans who remain unsigned four weeks from the beginning of the NHL's regular season.
Phil Housley, Ulf Dahlen, Igor Kravchuk, Bill Houlder, Rob Ray, Sylvain Lefebvre, Paul Ranheim and Shjon Podein are other recognizable names on a list of players who share similar characteristics: they're all over 35 years old and they'd like to squeeze out one more year.
Then they can all walk away when Armageddon arrives a year from now with the expiration of the NHL's collective bargaining agreement. But the looming labour war has clubs tightening their purse strings and that's frozen out many of these veterans.
For now, many of them are waiting to see what transpires in different NHL camps as clubs perhaps realize they need help. Others may retire.
Graves, 35, had a career-low 18 points (9-9) in 82 games with the San Jose Sharks while earning $3.2 million US last season. He was close to re-signing with the Sharks for less than $1 million but the deal fell through when San Jose said it simply couldn't fit it in its budget.
So Graves, one of the classiest players in the league, moved his young family to the Toronto suburb of Oakville in time to get his kids enrolled in school and that's where he's waiting today.
Graves is just the type of seasoned veteran any up-and-coming team would benefit greatly from acquiring, a responsible leader both on and off the ice who would be a great role model for younger players.
Speaking of role models, Thomas is close to signing with an undisclosed team in the Eastern conference sometime this week according to a source close to him.
Phil Housley, Ulf Dahlen, Igor Kravchuk, Bill Houlder, Rob Ray, Sylvain Lefebvre, Paul Ranheim and Shjon Podein are other recognizable names on a list of players who share similar characteristics: they're all over 35 years old and they'd like to squeeze out one more year.
Then they can all walk away when Armageddon arrives a year from now with the expiration of the NHL's collective bargaining agreement. But the looming labour war has clubs tightening their purse strings and that's frozen out many of these veterans.
For now, many of them are waiting to see what transpires in different NHL camps as clubs perhaps realize they need help. Others may retire.
Graves, 35, had a career-low 18 points (9-9) in 82 games with the San Jose Sharks while earning $3.2 million US last season. He was close to re-signing with the Sharks for less than $1 million but the deal fell through when San Jose said it simply couldn't fit it in its budget.
So Graves, one of the classiest players in the league, moved his young family to the Toronto suburb of Oakville in time to get his kids enrolled in school and that's where he's waiting today.
Graves is just the type of seasoned veteran any up-and-coming team would benefit greatly from acquiring, a responsible leader both on and off the ice who would be a great role model for younger players.
Speaking of role models, Thomas is close to signing with an undisclosed team in the Eastern conference sometime this week according to a source close to him.
