Quote:
Originally Posted by Textcritic
In my opinion, it's a big risk banking on any player to be playing at a high level when he is 40-years-old. Joe Thornton just played out his 40-year-old season, and he looks like he might be done. Bear in mind that while Giordano will be 37-yeats-old at the time of the expansion draft he will be entering the 2021 season at 38. As good as Giordano is today I am still thinking long and hard about protecting him in expansion.
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I wouldn't be surprised if Gio is still an effective top 4 dman at 40, he's unlikely to be Norris level at that point but with his fitness and low miles I can see him still being good enough. Thornton has played nearly double the NHL games and forwards tend to lose a step faster than defencemen. That being said I agree that we probably shouldn't be protecting him unless the younger options are obviously inferior.