Patrik Elias may “desperately” want to play next season, but after undergoing knee surgery in May, it remains to be seen if he’ll actually be able.
“We haven’t committed one way or the other, nor has he,” Devils GM Ray Shero said this weekend in Buffalo (video).
“We’re just going to see. He’d love to try to play again, but he doesn’t know yet and we don’t know yet, so we’ll see where that takes both of us. Hopefully he can be healthy and try to make a go of it.”
Injuries limited Elias, 40, to just 16 games last season. He had two goals and six assists.
According to Shero, whether Elias re-signs will depend how the veteran of 1,240 NHL games, all with New Jersey, feels come August or September.
“Until then, I don’t see him playing for another team,” said Shero. “We’ll see where he is later in the summer.”