Nik Antropov may be coming back to the NHL. The Russian forward, who played from 1999-2013 with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Atlanta Thrashers and Winnipeg Jets, told the Toronto Sun’s Lance Hornby that he thinks he’s still got the talent to play in the league and that he’s even talking with a couple of teams about a return.
“I have a year or two in me for sure,” Antropov said. “We’re talking to a couple of teams, who I won’t name. My experience is huge (not to mention he’s still 6-foot-6). I know the game has gotten a lot faster, which is why I’m at this camp. We’ll see where I end up.
“If anything comes up, I’ll be grateful. If not, I’ll have to think about what’s going on.”
The Russian forward admitted to having no regrets in leaving the NHL for Astana Barys of the KHL.
“It was a good time, a good team and I don’t have regrets that I left.”
There may not be a ton of interest for a 35-year-old forward who has been out of the league for a couple years, but Antropov may be worth a training camp flier. He scored 45 points in his 75 games in the KHL, and was an effective NHLer before he left the league in 2012-13. While he may not be the 20+ goal scorer that he was in the late 2000’s, he could be a big body used in the bottom-six for a club in need of depth.
