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Is Holmstrom Decision Imminent? |
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I am returning from a much-needed, weeklong family vacation and there's a lot of business to attend to today, including chasing several trade rumors and the latest on Shane Doan. I'll have much more later today. For now, here's a quick hit for your late Saturday morning.
Back on July 11, Red Wings general manager Ken Holland indicated that he expected a final decision to be made on Holmstrom's future within the next week. Well, here we are three-plus weeks later, and nothing has been officially decided by the player on whether he will retire or accept a one-year contract and reduced role for the Red Wings next season.
It is hardly uncommon in hockey for soft deadlines to pass without a trace; especially when it's couched as an "expected answer" and not even described as a deadline. The Red Wings pledged not to rush the 39-year-old Holmstrom and, to their credit, they've held to it.
Holmstrom has been working out this summer, testing his battered knees and back to see if his body can withstand the grind of one more NHL season. He shot down rumors in Sweden than he'd consider free agent offers from teams other than Detroit. It will be the Wings or nobody (although there are persistent rumors that he'd consider suiting up in a few games in the Swedish Elite League to stay in game shape if he opts to play and there's a lockout in the NHL).
The longer these situations go with aging players contemplating retirement or one more season, the greater the likelihood the ultimate decision will be to play one more season. That is by no means a guarantee that Holmstrom will come back to the Wings for one more year, but the signs seem to be pointing that way.
At any rate, from what I'm hearing, it looks like Holmstrom may be ready to make a final decision within the next week.
More to come....
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