Chris Kelly isn’t ready to hang up his skates just yet.
Despite missing nearly all of this past season after breaking his femur in November, the Boston Bruins forward intends to return for a 12th NHL campaign in 2016-17, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Tuesday.
Whether he’ll play another game for the Bruins, however, is another conversation. Kelly, who resumed skating in March but watched as Boston’s season ended before he was well enough to return to game action, is set to become an unrestricted free agent Friday.
Re-signing the 35-year-old still could be a desirable option for the Bruins, though. Kelly commands tremendous respect in the B’s locker room, is a skilled penalty-killer and likely could be had for far less than the $2.5 million he made this season.
“I’m actually going to speak with Chris Kelly’s representative,” Bruins general manager Don Sweeney told reporters over the weekend , via CSNNE.com. “We had great news that he was physically and medically cleared, so we’re going to have a discussion with them in short order.”
Kelly played in 11 games for Boston in 2015-16, scoring two goals. He said at the team’s breakup day that he was not considering retirement.
Thumbnail photo via Anne-Marie Sorvin/USA TODAY Sports Images
