Daniel Alfredsson went through a difficult first season with the Detroit Red Wings in 2013-14 that was highlighted by inconsistent offensive production and injuries that limited him throughout the regular season and Stanley Cup playoffs.
After playing 18 seasons in the NHL, there isn’t much more for the veteran winger to accomplish other than winning his first championship. According to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, Alfredsson will either play for the Red Wings next season or retire.
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In fact, the two sides won’t even talk about a new contract until late in the summer:
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Re-signing Alfredsson isn’t a salary cap issue for the Red Wings because they have $14,720,455 in cap space with 18 players already signed for next season, per CapGeek. This situation is more of a health issue. Alfie missed 14 regular-season games and two playoff games in 2013-14, and a back injury prevented him from playing an important role in the top-six forward group.
With that said, Alfredsson did tally an impressive 49 points (18 goals, 31 assists) in 68 games. If he’s healthy, Detroit should definitely bring him back for another year.
