Sometimes, you can never truly say goodbye.
Alex Pietrangelo is a perfect example of this, as the Vegas Golden Knights defenseman addressed the media on Monday about what the future holds. Let's just say he's determined to get back on the ice.
"I wouldn’t say anything changed (health-wise). I guess going through what I went through last year, to be able to play at the level that I thought I could get to, is obviously very difficult. Then you get to the end of the season… it was all kind of fresh to me. The season ends, my focus is on what we didn’t accomplish as a team. It’s not really about the players. I think when you talk to most guys here, they’re not going to dwell on the injuries that everybody had. So you kind of go through that process and then you consult with the medical staff and doctors and go through the process and see what your options are, and then that’s how I came to the decision."Alex Pietrangelo
Mind you, this is the same man who stepped away from the game because of injuries. Sometimes, the love for the game trumps everything else.
Pietrangelo talked about how the rehab process was going great, leaving a possibility of playing in 2025-26. Granted, it's a long shot that he'll be on the ice for the regular season (and potentially the Stanley Cup playoffs). However, the 35-year-old showed his competitive spirit by bringing up the possibility.
Is there a chance of the defenseman coming back and potentially saving the day for the Golden Knights? Or is this unrealistic for fans to expect from the two-time Stanley Cup winner?
Alex Pietrangelo isn't likely coming back this season for the Golden Knights
The thought of Alex Pietrangelo returning sounds nice on paper. You get a gritty defenseman who plays hard at every stretch and contributes plenty of offense. However, the truth is that it's hard to return when the required surgery isn't a guaranteed success.
That's probably why Pietrangelo hasn't explored that option. Would bilateral femur reconstruction truly help him if it's not 100% certain to work? Still, there's a good reason why the surgery is being proposed to the $8.8 million AAV man.
The last three seasons have shown serious regression, leaving fans wondering if the two-time Stanley Cup champion still has it (stats from Hockey Reference).
Season | Goals | Assists | Hits | Blocked Shots | Takeaways | Giveaways |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022-23 | 11 | 43 | 65 | 177 | 56 | 52 |
2023-24 | 4 | 29 | 46 | 160 | 50 | 40 |
2024-25 | 4 | 29 | 41 | 139 | 25 | 106 |
Last season was a perfect example of this. Pietrangelo looked like he lagged behind the play almost every time, skating slower and letting attackers slip behind him. Fans noticed it and weren't afraid of expressing their concern.
"Is this it for Alex Pietrangelo?"
"Man, he looks like he's not as fast or offensively viable as he once was."
That obviously comes with Father Time taking precious abilities away from a hockey player. Even McCrimmon himself has stated that it's unlikely that the defenseman will play again. Still, that isn't stopping Pietrangelo from doing whatever it takes to return to the ice.
"Nothing is really concrete. I'm just going to continue to take it day-by-day and see where it goes."Alex Pietrangelo