Nick Bonino arrived in Pittsburgh in the summer of 2015 after being acquired in a trade from Vancouver. The 27 year-old center slotted in on the third line behind superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. In two seasons he scored 66 points, grew a hellacious beard, collected two Stanley Cup rings, then left for unrestricted free agency.
When the parade ended, Bonino shaved the beard to convince prospective teams there was plenty of tread left on his 29 year old tires. Youth and vibrancy secures many of the favors in life including dollars in free agency.