Giordano resigned with the Leafs on a cheap deal because he wants to win the Cup

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Jeff Drouin
May 25, 2022 (3:49 PM)

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It's a great story that has been the talk of the NHL this week.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have agreed to terms on a two-season contract with veteran defenseman and Toronto native Mark Giordano.

The deal will pay him $800,000 per year. An incredible bargain.

Yes, only $800,000 per year, when according to contract experts, Giordano could have possibly signed for close to $3 million per season (Ryan Suter signed for $3.65 million per season).

We then learned, thanks to Elliotte Friedman (Sportsnet), that the Maple Leafs offered Mark Giordano $1 million per year (for two years), and he refused. Giordano asked the Leafs to lower their offer, to offer him less money. Wow!

Today, we have a little more detail.

Giordano explained that he was willing to make a financial sacrifice, to join and help a team with a real chance of winning the Stanley Cup in the short term.

He is now 39 years old and he knows that his years are counted in the NHL.

I'm at a stage in my career where I want to get as many opportunities to win as possible. So, we thought of it first as a family nucleus. Since my kids won't have to change schools or addresses, it was the perfect combination."- Giordano

Clearly, the veteran defenseman really believes in this team, despite ANOTHER first round playoff exit this season.

"Having played here with the guys and from my perspective of being a hockey player on this roster, it's not hard to see that this is a club that is not far from contender status in this league." - Giordano

Obviously, he's happy with his choice and so is his boss Kyle Dubas. What a solid team player!

For details and credit: TVA Sports