A tweet from ESPN’s Craig Custance reads: “Tim Thomas closing in on a decision. Possibly today. Discussions continue with multiple teams.”
It was reported in July that Thomas was exploring an NHL return. The 39-year-old goalie took last year off to focus on “friends, family and faith.”
An unrestricted free agent, Thomas is free to sign anywhere he likes. As for which teams might be interested, it really depends on what kind of role he’s willing to accept, and for what kind of money.
The New York Islanders, to whom Thomas (more specifically, his contract) was traded in February, make some sense given the questions about Evgeni Nabokov. (Update: Isles not involved, per Newsday’s Arthur Staple.)
But one could make a case for a lot of teams to roll the dice on the 2011 Conn Smythe Trophy and two-time Vezina Trophy recipient, especially if it’s as a cheap insurance policy with massive upside.
Update (12:03 p.m. ET):
Apparently, Thomas isn’t looking to be a back-up...
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