Captain America aka Joe Pavelski retires. The long time San Jose Sharks forward , that signed with the Dallas Stars via free agency, is hanging up his skates. He played the last five seasons with the Stars and was a key piece to building the team into a Western Conference contender.
Joe Pavelski Officially Retires
Joe Pavelski was a 7th-round pick in the 2003 NHL Draft …
🔹1,332 career NHL games played
🔹475 goals
🔹1,068 points
🔹x4 NHL All-Star
🔹Most playoff goals by an American-born player (74)What an unbelievable story 👏 pic.twitter.com/OTsVQ2WSjM
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 4, 2024
Pavelski was like a fine wine that only gets better with age. Despite being 38 years old, Pavelski is still a tremendous player and a great front net presence. He is arguably the best tip-in machine and does a tremendous job causing chaos in front of the goalies.
His fifth season in Dallas was a success, as he surpassed the 20-goal mark for the fourth year in a row. Furthermore, he had 67 points and was primarily playing on the top line with Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson. Of his 67 points, 21 came on the power play, and he had shown to be a weapon with the man advantage. Pavelski still has good hockey left in the tank and his contract was great for both sides.
What this Means for the Stars
As Pavelski retires, it is important to recognize what he brought to the game. He was a great leader, net-front presence, and key producer. Pavelski was known to come up in clutch moments and always rose to the occasion. He got better with age and did it for as long as he could. Safe to say, his presence will be missed.
As for the organization, this is a hole that will need to be filled. Fortunately the Stars have key young players that can look to play the top line. The pipeline for the Stars is bright and plentiful, so they are in good shape. New leaders will need to step up, as Pavelski was huge in that aspect.
Main Photo: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
