Should You Bet on Pavel Datsyuk to Retire in 2019?

Pavel Datsyuk is one of the best players the world has ever seen. And as he gets older, bookmakers are placing odds on his future career. According to our betting preview, a bet on Pavel Datsyuk to retire in 2019 is the best choice for gamblers.

Pavel Datsyuk is, without a doubt, one of the most skillful players to take the ice rings in history. In 2017, and while playing for the KHL already, he was named one of the “100 Greatest NHL Players”. For 15 years, he played for the Detroit Red Wings, helping the team to win two Stanley Cups. In 2012, he was part of the Russian team that won the World Championships. And in 2018, after Russia won the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, he became the most recent player to join the Triple Gold Club.

Now, he continues to prove himself in SKA Saint Petersburg. As online sportsbook news sites in Russia report, in his first year with the team, they won the Gagarin Cup. And, last year, they reached the Conference finals. However, as he is in his 40s already, questions about his possible retirement in the near future arise. At 22BET Sportsbook, his chances of delaying it this year are lower. However, there are important reasons to think this might be his last season.

Pavel Datsyuk might be ending his career this year

Pavel Datsyuk has been playing in Russia’s main league since 2017, after spending 14 years in the NHL. Last year, he signed a one-year extension with SKA Saint Petersburg. As this is likely to be his last season in the team, there are chances he will retire after finishing his Russian campaign.

So, after three successful seasons in the country, the next step would be to return to the NHL. However, when he left the Red Wings, he mentioned personal reasons as the main motives to go back to Russia. And at the time, he also stated that he would like to end his career in his home country. So it seems that crossing continents again would be out of the question.

Another fact to consider is that he hasn’t played a full season since 2012. In fact, his last season in Detroit was his worst since his debut year. This, along with his age, raises some concerns regarding his productivity and how much more will he last as a professional athlete.

For these reasons, finishing his season in SKA Saint Petersburg is a very plausible option, despite his low odds (4.68) at online sportsbook sites in Russia.

Gamblers shouldn’t bet on Pavel Datsyuk to retire in 2019 if they are looking for the safest option

It is true that in ice hockey it is common for players to retire when they are in their 40s. In average, goaltenders are the ones lasting longer, but there have been many position players to play until later. Currently, Jaromír Jágr who is 47 years of age is the oldest active player in the world. And playing for the NHL is the 42-year-olds Matt Cullen and Zdeno Chára. So the almost 41 years old of Datsyuk is not a reason to assume he is retiring soon.  

Moreover, he hasn’t been showing any signs of injury since 2016. This means that, despite his not so regular appearances in recent years, he is still in good shape.

Earlier in the year, his agent also specified that he will be a free agent from July 1 and that returning to the NHL is not out of the table. And as the Red Wings might see some of their best player leaving at the end of the season, having someone with his experience might be of their interest, as he will add value to the team.

This way, his odds of keeping playing professionally are 1.15 at 22BET Sportsbook.