Mark Giordano talks about his time in Toronto and what comes next; will Gio be back next season?
Well, the realization has sunk in that what was supposed to be a very successful Leafs season is finally over, ending in disappointment yet again. This time, however, the Leafs don't have anything to be ashamed of. They took the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champions to 7 games and looked like the better team for much of the series. Unfortunately, lopsided officiating and a red hot Andrei Vasilevskiy in games 6 and 7 ultimately cost the Leafs their ticket to the 2nd round.
On Tuesday, the Leafs held a media session with several players, coaches and executives to talk about the season and about what comes next. One of the players who spoke was veteran deadline acquisition and Toronto native Mark Giordano.
For much of his time in Toronto since coming over in February, Giordano appeared to be the missing piece, with the Leafs enjoying a very successful late season run, entering the postseason with home ice advantage. Unfortunately, we all know how that ended and with Gio set to become a UFA this summer, there are some decisions ahead.
Giordano revealed on Tuesday that he has enjoyed his time in Toronto, unsurprisingly, and stated that he'll meet with his agent next week to discuss the next steps. I think it's a reasonable assumption that the Leafs could have an interest in bringing him back on a cheaper deal this summer.
Gio, 38, also confirmed that he has an interest in playing at least a couple more seasons and that the idea of mentoring some younger players is something he does have a desire to do. The former Norris Trophy winner certainly has some wisdom to pass down and that's something the Leafs could certainly use with youngsters Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren already showing great promise.
| POLL | ||
MAI 17 | 482 ANSWERS Mark Giordano talks about his time in Toronto and what comes next; will Gio be back next season? Should the Leafs re-sign Mark Giordano this summer? | ||
| Absolutely | 446 | 92.5 % |
| No | 36 | 7.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
