Defenseman Jordan Leopold wants to keep playing in the NHL, but not even a letter from his young daughter might be able to accomplish that.
"I wish it were that easy," Leopold told the Star Tribune on Monday.
Leopold, 35 on Aug. 3, was traded to the Minnesota Wild at last season's NHL Trade Deadline after a letter written by his 11-year-old daughter Jordyn asked if her dad could play closer to home.
The veteran is now an unrestricted free agent unlikely to re-sign with the Wild.
"This is the latest I've ever waited to see if I'm playing or not," Leopold told the newspaper. "After doing this for 13 years, it's been a great experience. If it doesn't end up working out, then it doesn't work out. I can't say I haven't been there or done that. I've seen it all."
That includes the letter writer by Jordyn, which asked the Wild to trade for her father, a Minnesota native who was playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
"Even now when I go to weddings or other events, that's the first thing people bring up," Leopold said. "My daughter is more famous than me."
Leopold has played 695 NHL games, including 43 last season.
"Of course I'd like to keep playing, but coming home this year with my family and experiencing what I did, I don't think I could really go out with a better sendoff if that's the case," he said.
"We'll see what ends up happening. I don't think things will pick up again until maybe August. As a player, you want to know what's going on. But you just have to wait and see what happens."
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