3 players who may be entering their final season in the NHL.

Although we all love our spots the sporting world can truly be a cruel mistress. Sure in the modern day professional athletes rake in boatloads of cash in terms of their annual salaries but it is often easy to forget that their careers are extremely short when compared to the averager profession. 

That means that each and every year some of our favorite stars fade into the background only to become distant memories over time, this in spite of the fact that many of us have spent several years rooting for them on their respective teams. The 2019 - 2020 National Hockey League regular season will be no exception to this and there are some strong candidates for retirement this time around with many elderly statesmen of the NHL playing out what could be the final year of their NHL careers. 

Today we are going to look at 3 players who could very well be playing out the final year of their careers on the ice, 3 players that may either choose to step away from the game after one last season or could potentially be forced to do so when no contract offers materialize next summer. Here are our top 3 candidates in no particular order. 

#3 Zdeno Chara.

The Boston Bruins captain took a beating in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs and with no contract at the end of the season many expected the broken jaw and the ankle injury to finally convince the big man to step away from the game. Chara will be 43 years old next season, ancient by NHL standards, but there is no question that he can still contribute at a high level when he steps out onto the ice. Chara makes this list purely because of his age, but I must admit I would not be surprised to see him continue to play until someone forces him not to.

#2 Ryan Miller.

Signed to a one year deal by the Anaheim Ducks in late June this seems like it may be the final kick at the can for Ryan Miller. The veteran goaltender has been relegated to a backup role at this stage of his career and although he performed admirably last season, you have to wonder how much he has left in the tank. Miller is coming off a 20 game performance in which he recorded a .912 save percentage, but at 40 years of age any further decline this season could see the once formidable goaltender playing in his final career season.

#1 Jason Spezza.

The one year deal he signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs this summer appears designed to give the once shining star a farewell tour in his hometown of Toronto. Spezza's skills have seen a noticeable decline over the past few seasons and he will no doubt be used as a depth scoring option exclusively during the 2019 - 2020 NHL regular season. It is obvious that Spezza took this deal in part because the Maple Leafs give him a legitimate chance at achieving a Stanley Cup Championship, but whether they succeed or fail in that goal it would come as no surprise if this was Spezza's final year in the league.