It appears unlikely Andrei Markov will return to Canadiens
Andrei Markov got married last week in Russia, but the honeymoon will have to wait.
“There was no honeymoon. There’s no time for that … once he’s done playing,” said Sergei Berezin, the former NHLer who is one of Markov’s closest friends, an adviser and his off-season trainer. “He took three or four days off to get married, came back and boom! Back to work. That’s the kind of person he is.”
Berezin was on the phone from South Florida on Friday afternoon after putting Markov, 38, through a morning workout. On June 30, Berezin posted three videos of a shirtless Markov working out on a beach in Florida, writing: “99 degrees heat? No problem!!! Work goes on ... #gettingreadyfortomorrow.”
July 1 was the first day of NHL free agency, but two weeks later, “tomorrow” still hasn’t come for Markov, who remains unsigned after spending the last 16 seasons with the Canadiens. Markov, who is representing himself without an agent, has been reported to be seeking a two-year deal worth US$12 million after earning an average of $5.75 million in each of the last 10 seasons.
“Working out on the beach is just a small part of what we do … it just looks good on the video,” Berezin said with a chuckle. “A lot of the stuff is boring stuff that we do every day.”
Markov isn’t your average 38-year-old, as anyone who watched him shirtless in the Twitter videos can attest. Last season, Markov ranked third on the Canadiens in average ice time per game at 21:50, while posting 6-30-36 totals and a plus-18 rating in 62 games. After the season, Markov made it clear he wanted to remain in Montreal, hoping to sign a new contract before July 1.
“My first option’s going to be in Montreal … I’d like to stay here,” Markov said at the time. “I’ve always been here and most probably I’d like to finish my career here. So we’ll see what’s going to happen in the summer. … My family likes the city and I love the city.
“I’d like to stay for the rest of my life,” he added.
The Canadiens sure look like they could use Markov back on the blue-line after losing Nathan Beaulieu, Alexei Emelin and top prospect Mikhail Sergachev during the off-season, while adding defensive defenceman Karl Alzner. But as time goes by, it seems less likely Markov will be back in Montreal.
Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin — who has said “expect the unexpected” more than once since the end of last season — has 22 players signed to his 23-man roster and still has just over $9 million left in salary cap space. Bergevin can afford Markov, but appears reluctant to give him a two-year deal, with the GM saying he had given the defenceman a take-itor-leave-it offer. Bergevin said the same thing about free agent forward Alexander Radulov, who ended up signing with the Dallas Stars.
Berezin said he believes Markov wants to play longer than just two more years.
“It all depends on how he feels inside,” Berezin said. “You can see his eyes are still burning and he has the fire. I would imagine another, I don’t know, five, six years, easy. The way he works, the way he wants to work, is just unbelievable … it’s amazing. I’ve never seen anybody like it. Nobody I played with, nobody I work with … nobody I know.”
When asked if he’s surprised Markov hasn’t signed a new contract yet, Berezin said: “No … there are a few different scenarios. I wish it was done by now . ... He’s working on it … he’s representing himself and that’s quite an experience. I wish him well and I’m sure everything’s going to be all right. I know he has a few options.
“I don’t want to go ahead and tell something to the media while he’s negotiating … it’s up to him when he decides it’s time to talk to the media,” Berezin added. “He played in Montreal for 16 years ... you don’t have to be a genius to figure out that it’s his second home.”
It has become very rare for a longtime Canadien to finish his career in bleu-blanc-rouge. In fact, the last Montreal captain to retire as a Canadien was Bob Gainey in 1989. With 572 career points, Markov is tied for second with Guy Lapointe on the alltime list for Canadiens defencemen, trailing Larry Robinson’s 833. Lapointe finished his career with the St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins, while Robinson retired as a Los Angeles King.
If Markov leaves the Canadiens, it won’t be an easy decision for him.
“As a hockey player, it doesn’t get any better than playing for the Montreal Canadiens,” Berezin said. “I was lucky. I played five years for Toronto and then had a chance to play in Montreal. And I played in markets like Phoenix, Washington. If you love hockey, it’s all about hockey in Montreal, and that’s what Andrei likes.”