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Michael Grabner Makes Interesting Choice For 2020-21 NHL Season

Michael Grabner has decided not to sign with an NHL team prior to the 2020-21 season starting. Will he return at all?

Veteran winger Michael Grabner is one of the many names insiders are still keeping an eye on as unrestricted free agents come off the free agency board with a bit more regularity this week. But, fans and teams will have to wait a bit longer to see what the forward’s future holds. The long-time NHL vet has made an interesting decision.

Related: Mike Hoffman Waiting On an NHL Team, Wants Multi-Year Deal [Rumor]

Grabner was bought out back in October, and while it was originally thought he’d make a decision on where he might play next closer to training camps, Craig Morgan of AZ Coyotes Insider reports that Grabner will wait until the NHL season gets under way. H has spoken with a few teams, but will elect to see how the season unfolds and whether or not he wants to come back to play at all.

Grabner, 33, is coming off a tough season in Arizona. He posted only eight goals and three assists in 46 games, which represented his second poor season in a row. In 2018-19, he posted only nien goals and 16 points. That said, this is a player who is only two seasons removed from back-to-back 25-goal campaigns. Has he slowed that much? Or, was it a matter of just being part of the Coyotes organization?

That he’s not sure he’ll return might indicated his best days are well behind him. Grabner did produce a bit in the NHL bubble, scoring three goals in nine playoff games, but his contract was still bought out.

Michael Grabner Coyotes
Michael Grabner Coyotes

Is There A Team That Could Use Him?

Grabner is probably not the same player he was two seasons ago. But, on a short-term, low-cost deal, he could still provide some depth for a team. He can skate and is an excellent penalty killer.

The question is, who could use that kind of player? Is there a team looking for an older vet who can kill penalties and potentially pot a few goals? And, if he does, could that team use a player they could potentially flip at the deadline?

Next: Blackhawks Sign Center Carl Soderberg to 1-Year Contract

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