The San Jose Sharks held their season-ending media availability on Sunday after having a poor campaign that saw them finish 29th in the NHL with a record of 22-44-16.
During the team's media availability, General Manager Mike Grier was asked about 28-year-old defenceman Markus Nutivaara, who missed the entire 2022-23 season with a hip injury.
"It got to the point where he couldn't play at an NHL level." Grier said.
Nutivaara suffered the injury early in training camp in September and was aiming to make a return in November, but suffered a setback and was subsequently placed on long-term injured reserve for the remainder of the season.
Grier didn't sound too positive that Nutivaara could continue playing during an interview with Sharks' reporter Curtis Pashelka saying that his career might be over.
The Oulu (Finland) native was signed to a one-year contract by the Sharks on the opening day of free agency last summer and is set to become a UFA on July 1st.
Grier said Markus Nutivaara had a hip injury. "It got to the point where he couldn't play at an NHL level." Sounds like Nutivaara's career might be over.— Curtis Pashelka (@CurtisPashelka) April 16, 2023
