Mike Knuble will not be returning to the Washington Capitals next season.

The veteran forward told the Washington Post on Wednesday that the team informed him that they will not re-sign him on July 1.

Knuble posted a farewell message to the city of Washington on his Twitter account on Wednesday:

To Caps fans everywhere:thanks for an awesome 3 yrs in DC. We loved living and playing here. Great teammates, great friends. We’ll miss it

— Mike Knuble (@MikeKnuble22) June 6, 2012

Knuble said he was not surprised with the Capitals’ decision after the 39-year-old finished with only six goals and 18 points in 72 games this season.

“I don’t think it was unexpected, the way things went this season,” Knuble told Washington Post. “There are younger guys stepping up and those guys will need a spot to play and a chance to play. … It’s really the first time in my career that I’ve been told by a team they don’t want me back, but it’s not like I was blindsided.”

He spent significant time on the fourth line and was unable to extend his streak of scoring 20 goals in eight consecutive seasons.

Knuble, who will become an unrestricted free agent, hopes to continue playing in the NHL.

“I feel prepared for anything,” he said. “I could be in hockey, outside of hockey — but my first priority would be to keep playing.”