Mark Giordano has been busy since last playing in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The 41-year-old, who’s yet to announce his retirement from the league, joined TSN for their trade deadline coverage in March. Beyond that, Giordano still appears as a guest on TSN 1050 from time to time.
The Norris Trophy-winning defender, though, will also be working as a defense coach with projected first-overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, Matthew Schaefer. Speaking with NHL.com senior writer Mike Morreale, the 17-year-old says he’ll be skating with Giordano throughout the summer.
“I’m working out with (trainer) Bryan Marshall, and my defense coach is Mark Giordano, so I’m super excited to work with him,” Schaefer said. “I’m going to be skating with him a lot.”
Shaefer, who played just 17 games with the OHL’s Erie Otters this season after having surgery on a broken clavicle with Canada at the World Juniors, will train with Giordano and likely New York Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech, among others, in Mississauga, Ontario, this summer.
The Toronto, Ontario, native was acquired by his hometown team in March 2022 in hopes of a deep playoff run. However, the Maple Leafs fell 4-3 to the Tampa Bay Lightning that year.
Following that season, Giordano and Toronto agreed to a two-year contract, which paid him $800,000 annually. In his first full year as a Maple Leaf, Giordano played 78 games and scored four goals and 20 assists, his most productive since the 2021 season with the Calgary Flames.
Exploring Buyouts? Why That Would Be A Major Misstep For The Maple Leafs This SummerThe Toronto Maple Leafs could look quite different next season. From star forward Mitch Marner testing free agency to a wealth of vacant spots up front to fill either via trade or free agency, General Manager Brad Treliving has the opportunity to put an additional stamp on the team he took over in 2023. But what he should try to avoid, if possible, is using buyouts.
During that season, he also broke the NHL blocked shots record, which was previously held by Kris Russel (2,044). San Jose Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic passed Giordano, who has 2,164 blocks, on March 4.
The veteran defenseman also appeared in all of Toronto’s playoff games in 2023, making it to the second round for the first time since 2004. The Maple Leafs eliminated the Lightning in six games before going out to the Florida Panthers in five.
Giordano last appeared in an NHL game with the Maple Leafs on April 17, 2024. For most of that season, the veteran defenseman found himself on the outside looking in, especially when Joel Edmundson and Ilya Lyubushkin joined the club ahead of the playoffs.
He also dealt with an injury and the loss of his father, Paul, in the back-half of that season.
Maple Leafs Prospect Easton Cowan Dominates Memorial Cup, Validates Return To Junior DecisionToronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan is a Memorial Cup champion with the OHL’s London Knights.
Giordano wasn’t re-signed by Toronto following the 2023-24 season and held out hope that an NHL club would sign him later in the year. The defenseman finished his tenure in Toronto with nine goals and 36 assists in 144 games.
Before arriving in the Maple Leafs organization, Giordano spent one season with the Seattle Kraken. He was plucked out of the expansion draft by Seattle after the Calgary Flames, with whom Giordano spent 15 years of his career, left him unprotected.
An undrafted defenseman, Giordano joined the Flames organization in the summer of 2005. Along with winning the Norris Trophy, Giordano was Calgary’s captain for eight seasons, from 2013 to 2021. His Flames tenure ended with 143 goals and 366 assists for 509 points in 949 games.
Report: Maple Leafs And Golden Knights Discussed Trade Around Mitch Marner, Shea Theodore Last SummerToronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner reportedly could’ve been a Vegas Golden Knight last summer.
Although he’s yet to call it a career, Giordano has 577 points (158 goals, 419 assists) in 1,148 games split between the Flames, Kraken, and Maple Leafs over 18 years.
Stay updated with the most interesting Maple Leafs stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.
Read the full article here
