Former New York Rangers Defenseman's Career Reaches An End With No NHL Teams Wanting Him
Photo credit: Brad Penner-imagn images
Calvin de Haan found himself in New York after being dealt to the Rangers in the Ryan Lindgren trade to the Avalanche. He'd find himself warming the bench quite often in New York, much to his dismay. He hasn't signed a long-term deal in the NHL since 2018. Is this it for him?
The New York Rangers and Calvin de Haan split with prejudice this postseason, as neither would meet at a table for an extension. That was after he called out the team in the media, and would effectively find himself out of a job in July.
This is the fourth offseason in which he's found himself on a hunt for a job, of which the last three deals have come at ($775K) league minimum, with a one-year term.
For de Haan, we're concerned due to the fact that the last few summers, the 34-year-old depth defenseman found deals on July 1st or 2nd.
De Haan To Take His Game To Europe?
This year, it might be a time for him to explore other options as he remains without an NHL contract.
De Haan played only 47 games this season, and scored 8 points (8A) split between the Avalanche and Rangers.
But his calling card has never been his offense, as he's never scored more than 20 points in a season (2016-17).
For him, the trouble may be the fact that he hasn't played a full NHL season since 2016-17 and has continued to be plagued by injuries.
Also working against him is his age, while he is a great addition for teams who have struggled to find depth on a budget.
Aside from health and availability, many other factors work against a player like de Haan. The NHL tends to favor younger players, and teams aim to add youth to their lineups. If a team is rebuilding, it might prefer not to have a veteran blocking prospects from gaining vital playing time.
For De Haan, he could still find himself a job playing overseas in Russia, Finland, or Switzerland like his fellow NHL veterans have in the past.
But it seems like he might have hit a rock bottom in his career in the NHL.
Previously on NYRangersInsider
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