Craig Anderson tried to push through the pain one last time.
When the discomfort in his hip began following a win over New Jersey on April 21, Anderson tried to practice through the injury and couldn’t finish the workout. He rested for a few days before trying again. Finally, on the eve of the Sabres’ season finale, he took the morning skate in Boston and realized that he wasn’t going to be able to go.
“Now it’s just a matter of letting it rest and seeing where it goes,” Anderson told reporters Saturday at the final media availability of his 19th season in the NHL.
At 40 years old, Anderson was everything the Sabres wanted when they signed the accomplished goalie to a one-year, $750,000 contract on the opening day of free agency in July.
On the ice, he delivered 17 wins – including victories over Toronto, Vegas, Minnesota, Nashville and Carolina – across 31 games in Buffalo’s net. In the dressing room, and between stoppages in play, he provided words of wisdom. He exemplified the professionalism, dedication and perseverance that coaches and management want in the organization.
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Kevyn Adams, the Sabres’ general manager, has expressed interest in having the pending unrestricted free agent return next season. But Anderson isn’t ready to commit to the grind of an 82-game schedule. He’s coming off a year that included a neck injury that sidelined him for almost three months and will decide with his wife, Nicholle, if his NHL career will continue.
“There’s life after hockey and at some point, you really have to consider what the injuries, how they’re going to affect your day-to-day post-career,” said Anderson. “I haven’t really put too much thought into it. Obviously, you’re dealing with the neck and hip. There’s some serious considerations to take into account. I haven’t thought too much into it. I think in the next two to three weeks see how things calm down. If things calm down the way I’d like them to then that’s when the thought process would kick in.”
The experience was everything Anderson wanted at this stage of his career. He called his time with the Sabres “one of the most fun seasons I’ve ever had” and expressed pride in the fact that he was chosen by management to be a prominent leader in the franchise’s quest to build a new culture behind the scenes.
There’s a glaring need in goal for Buffalo next season. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who sustained a lower-body injury in Rochester’s win Friday, is expected to become a full-time member of the Sabres in the fall. But the franchise needs an experienced goaltender to work in tandem with the 23-year-old prospect.
Most options in free agency will require a multi-year contract or the promise of a significant role. Anderson, on the other hand, embraced the opportunity to compete for the starting job and won it outright before he suffered the neck injury Nov. 2. The Sabres already know that Anderson fits well alongside the young core. He befriended teammates of all ages, including 21-year-old forward Peyton Krebs.
If Anderson is to return for another season, Buffalo would be a place where he could start more games and make a sizable impact. His 308 wins rank fifth among all U.S.-born goalies and are tied with Tuukka Rask for 33rd all-time. Even though Anderson’s heart is with the Sabres, he has his family and health to consider.
“If I was five years younger, that would be the ideal situation right now,” said Anderson. “Yeah, again, the respect that I received as a player, the respect the players in the room get from management, from the coaching staff. You want to be here. You want to play for those guys. Again, if this was five years ago and we were doing this, man, this would be a great thing for me to buy in and be long-term.
But the age comes in, the body comes in. I think RJ said it best the other night, the spirit is there, the flesh is not. … We’re in limbo at the moment. The mind says absolutely, I would love to be with these guys and that says a lot as far as the group of guys and the management and staff.”
Looking ahead
Many Sabres fans know more about Malcolm Subban's singing voice than his puck-stopping prowess because of a wrist injury that ended his season in January, but he's a talented, athletic goalie who could be a logical third netminder for the club next season.
Subban told reporters Saturday following his remarkable rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner the previous night that he would "love" to return. The injury prevented Subban from showing how he can help the club -- he appeared in only four games after his trade from Chicago in December -- but he's a 27-year-old with upside who would benefit from starting a bulk of games in Rochester, where the Sabres aren't expected to have a prospect goalie.
Defenseman Mark Pysyk also told reporters that he would be "open" to returning. The pending unrestricted free agent was an alternate captain this season but sat eight straight games late while the Sabres went young on defense.
Competition
Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin confirmed that he was asked to represent Sweden at the IIHF World Championship in Finland next month, but he wasn't ready to say if he'll accept the invitation.
"We'll see," he said with a grin.
