Matt Carle’s time as a Predator was brief, and soon it will be over.
On Friday, Nashville placed Carle on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract, per The Tennessean. The move comes after the Preds waived Carle earlier this week, and he went unclaimed.
The 32-year-old defenseman was signed this summer after getting bought out by the Lightning. Inked to a low-risk deal (one year, $700,000), the hope was that Carle could replicate some of the form shown earlier in his career -- a two-time 40-point scorer, Carle was a good offensive defenseman in his prime (which is how he landed a six-year, $33 million deal from the Bolts in the first place).
But things didn’t work out in Nashville. Carle appeared in just six games, averaging a shade over 13 minutes per, and hasn’t been in the lineup since Oct. 26.
Update: Turns out Carle is hanging up his skates, having announced his retirement via the Preds...
“It has been an honor to be a player in the National Hockey League and play for four great organizations over the past 12 seasons,” Carle said. “At this time, I have decided to retire as a National Hockey League player. I want to thank the San Jose Sharks, Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning and the Nashville Predators for the opportunity to play for each organization. I would also like to thank all the fans that I have met throughout my career for the support that you have given me.
“Most importantly, I want to thank my family for all the sacrifices they have made on behalf of my career. My Parents, brothers, and wife Clancey allowed me to focus on the pursuit of playing the best sport in the world, in the best League in the world and I will always be grateful.”