According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, Sergei Gonchar may be looking at the open market. At 36, the veteran defenseman seems unlikely to accept a decrease in salary after posting 50 points in 62 games.
Since we live in a cap era a contract for a 36-year-old warrants caution. Over the past seasons he missed 83 games despite posting consistent offensive number on one of the league’s highest scoring teams.
He would be hard pressed to find a situation where he is the number one defenseman and on a highly skilled team as most elite teams already boast elite defensemen.
As far as drafting Gonchar goes, do so with caution. The Russian native will definitely give you a 10/30/40 season until he decides to pack up for greener pastures but keep in mind the extensive mileage on his body.
