Nash's future unknown: 'There's definitely a chance' I don't come back
Rick Nash remains undecided about whether he will play in the NHL again.
The 34-year-old elected to forgo the July 1 signing period and remains an unrestricted free agent due to concussion symptoms that hampered his 2017-18 campaign.
"I miss it; I love the game," Nash said, according to The Athletic's Aaron Portzline. "The game has been my whole life, so it's been a hard adjustment to not show up for training camp, for fitness testing ... it's been really tough.
"But my family is what's most important to me, and I have to get my health in the right spot before I figure out what my plans are, and I don't know when that will be.
"There's a chance I could get healthy, come back, and be great. But there's definitely a chance that I don't."
On Tuesday, rumors surfaced that Nash was going to submit his paperwork to retire. However, Nash's agent, Joe Resnick, gave a statement to TSN's Darren Dreger refuting the claim.
Statement from Joe Resnick, Rick Nash’s agent, addressing speculation: “There is no truth to the tweet that Rick Nash is retiring today. Our position has not changed since July 1.”
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) October 9, 2018
Nash has a history of concussions and suffered his latest one as a member of the Boston Bruins on March 17 against the Tampa Bay Lightning after taking a hit from forward Cedric Paquette. Nash subsequently missed the final 12 games of the regular season before returning for the playoffs.
While Nash's career remains up in the air, he admits he's happy he currently has more time to spend with his family.
"I'm in a good place," Nash said. "I'm in the city that I love. I have my kids, they're healthy, and that's No. 1 in my life. Sure I miss it, but I'm more worried about my health and getting back to 100 percent. You can't put a price on that."