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The last time we saw Toni Lydman in an NHL game, he was being helped off the ice after taking a huge -- and suspension-worty -- hit from Red Wings forward Justin Abdelkader in the postseason. That might end up being the last we see of Lydman in an NHL game, too.
According to Aaron Ward of TSN, it's anticipated that Lydman will announce his retirement in the upcoming days. According to Ward, Lydman already turned down two-year deals worth $5 million so it's not about lack of interest and probably not about enough money either.
Hopefully it's not about the hit from Abdelkader either and it's just that he feels it's time to hang up the skates. He is, after all, almost 36 years old.
Lydman played 35 games for the Ducks last season, scoring no goals and picking up six assists. He was never a huge goal scorer, having 36 in 847 career games with the Ducks, Sabres and Flames, but his point production had gone done in recent seasons. He hasn't scored a goal since 2010-11. However he was still logging nearly 20 minutes a game for the Ducks.
As it stands, the Ducks have seven defenseman signed to the big club for next season, six of them on one-way deals.
