Joe Sakic still is thinking it over.
Sakic, the Avalanche’s longtime captain who will turn 39 next month, still has not made up his mind whether to return for a 20th NHL season, his Winnipeg, Manitoba-based agent Don Baizley said Monday.
“Joe has not told me of any decision yet, and I assume that means he hasn’t told the team anything yet,” Baizley said.
The wait is turning into an anxious one for the Avs and their fans. The team would like to know Sakic’s decision as soon as possible, with the NHL draft and the free-agency period both happening within two weeks.
Sakic, who did not return calls for comment, has kept a low profile during the offseason. He has been with his family at his Denver home of late, but is expected to travel with his family this week to Croatia, where Avs teammate Marek Svatos will be getting married. Sakic’s parents are also from Croatia.
Baizley said there have not been contract talks with the Avalanche. He also said he does not know the intentions of Peter Forsberg, whom he also represents.
One former teammate of Sakic’s, Claude Lemieux, said he would advise Sakic to keep playing if he were his agent.
“He can still play at a high level,” Lemieux said. “I’m sure Joe is thinking about things like how he might want to spend more time with his kids, and that he’s made a ton of money and things like that. That might make him think it’s time to go. But the trouble is, after about a year or so, you really, really miss it, especially if you think you could have still been a good player. I think a lot of players will tell you they wished they’d kept playing if they’d had the chance. There’s still going to be lots of time for the family in the future.”
Most of the Avalanche staff will travel to Ottawa in preparation for this weekend’s draft. The team does not have a first-round pick this year, having traded it to Columbus for defenseman Adam Foote. The team is slated to get its first pick at the No. 50 spot.
Adrian Dater: 303-954-1360 or adater@denverpost.com
