Chris Neil may have played his last game for the Ottawa Senators, but he still may play in the NHL.
With Neil leaving the Ottawa Senators it certainly feels like the end of an era. He was last member of the 2007 Stanley Cup Final squad and his leaving draws a solid line in Sens’ history. With Neil leaving the Sens it seemed as though his career would be over. After all he’s an aging enforcer who barely scores. He already had a career far longer than most players of his archetype. In fact he’s had a longer career than most player’s period. Retiring after this season seemed like a fitting conclusion for Neil. However, as it turns out Neil may be in the NHL with a different team next season.
A New Team
Going into next season Chris Neil could find himself in the NHL, in a uniform different from the one he’s played in his entire career. In an interview he stated that he has offers on the table. Interestingly enough he has one-way offers on the table. Meaning for those that don’t know, he would get the same salary in the AHL as he would the NHL. This effectively guarantees that he won’t be sent down to the minors. This is particularly surprising as not many teams look for enforcers anymore, especially not any of the older variety. However, despite the odds Neil could find himself in an NHL sweater this season.
The biggest question around Neil is which team he would sign with. It’s difficult to gauge with enforcers who would be interested. It’s not as easy to determine as it is with a scorer. Although it can be easy to tell which teams need help with goal scoring, not so much when it comes to an enforcer. There haven’t been any reports of which teams are interested so we’ll have to just wait and see.
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Final Thoughts
Chris Neil has been with the Ottawa Senators for longer than nearly anyone. However, that time has come to an end. It was expected that this would be the end of his NHL career, but that may not be the case. Neil has offers on the table and will likely play next season. Whichever team signs him, it’s bound to be an emotional night when he returns to the Canadian Tire Centre.