Nazzy retiring?

Unconfirmed news came today that current NY Ranger, and all-time awesome Canuck, Markus Naslund may be hanging up the skates for good. You can read the TSN report for more details, or check out Puck Daddy for a detailed explanation of how Nazzy, in his usually classy way, put the team ahead of his own interests.

In short, the Rangers would have had to pay him $2 million if they bought out his contract, which was a likely scenario given the team's cap-crunch. By retiring Naslund forgoes the $2 million but saves the Rangers valuable cap space for next season and the one after. How many pro athletes would forego that kind of cash to avoid screwing over a team with which they had only spent one season?

It is sad that Naslund did not retire a Canuck, but no doubt he expected more from himself in his new start in New York. His numbers this season were decent, but not Naslund-like: 24 goals and 22 assists for 46 points in 82 games. This continues the downward trend since his brilliant 104-point campaign in 2002-03.

Naslund will go down as one of the greatest Canucks of all-time. He holds club records for goals and points, and was peer-voted to win the Lester B. Pearson Trophy in 2003. While he wasn't the same heart-and-soul type of player as Trevor Linden and Stan Smyl, he was nonetheless an excellent captain in his own quiet way - though the burden of the 'C' did seem to be wearing on him as the seasons dragged on.

I hope, and expect, that Naslund's number will one day be hanging alongside Smyl and Linden in the rafters of GM Place. We will have to wait for the official announcement before reflecting too much further on Naslund and his impact on the Canucks organization, but here's wishing Markus all the best with his future plans.

And I can't help but wonder, if he chooses to play a season in Sweden next year, if we might see Nazzy back on GM Place ice for one last hurrah with Team Sweden at the 2010 Olympics. I have a feeling that the applause would bring down the house.