Farewell Old Vets!

Old veterans such as Chelios, Peca, Sakic, Nolan, and Perrault, haven't been signed and have yet to field serious offers from other clubs.

Why is it that they haven't received such offers?

It has nothing to do with their play all of the players mentioned above have had good seasons.

Other vets such as Forsberg, Selanne, Naslund, and Rob Blake didn't either play that much or played particularly superb last season, so understandable that they haven't had as much interest.

But it's still hard to believe that these players are no longer the ones NHL teams are drooling over.

Sundin is the only oldie that has broken from their mold and is in high demand, yet he's the only one who has expressed that he's undecided whether he wants to continue or not.

Sure some of these guys are almost done for when it comes to putting up serious points, but saying that these veterans are the type of players teams need to show their young guys what it takes to win and compete every game.

It's sad to see these vets wait along the side while younger players who've still yet to play significant time in the NHL get signed for the same job that they would be doing.

The vets are being pushed out of the NHL by force now as opposed to graceful retiring in the end.

Previously this was the career of an elite point getter with good hockey sense:

For the first five years of his career he'd put up decent points while learning to play against the bigger, faster, tougher NHL d-men.

The next ten years would be him leading his team in scoring and finishing in the top ten or twenty in scoring.

He'd then finish his career with five years of occasionally putting up decent points, but mainly playing the third line role player.

With the new CBA the jobs of the vets are being given to the younger players. There's no more window where an elite scorer loses his point production and can drop down to the third or fourth line.

If the player is lucky he will have one, two at the most, seasons on the third line.

The hard facts are, you either put up or someone younger and faster will play the defensive hockey you would have played.

It's a sad reality to a player when he realises that he no longer can play in the NHL any more.

It's especially hard for those that find out the hard way.

Not finding a dance partner in free agency is not a pleasant feeling for anyone especially the ones that were the be all and end all five years ago.

Fortunately for the guys I have mentioned above they still have enough juice left for one or two more seasons before they are ungracefully retired by being left out in the cold by in free agency.

Players forced out of the NHL:

Alexander Mogilny, Brian Leetch....