Del Zotto on waiting for new contract: 'Season is two months away, there’s no rush yet'

As the list of available free agents continues to dwindle, 24-year-old defenseman Michael Del Zotto remains without a new contract with an NHL club. While he appears somewhat frustrated with the lack of progress, he realizes there's plenty of time to find a new hockey home after the initial signing frenzy.

“Sure it’s a bit of a slow process. But it’s part of the business,” the former Nashville Predators and New York Rangers defenceman told the Stoufville Sun-Tribune. “The NHL season is still two months away and there’s no rush yet.”

Del Zotto also acknowledges he's responsible for being in this somewhat undesirable situation: “It definitely wasn’t the year that I wanted. But it's part of the game. It was unfortunate. Right now I just want to move forward. I’ve been training hard, skating and trying to prepare myself mentally and physically.”

After recording only three goals and 13 assists in 67 games last season, Del Zotto's value is most certainly at an all-time low. But there's always a market for young, mobile defenseman in today's NHL, meaning he's likely to sign somewhere soon.