Free agent forward Mike Modano isn’t expected to make a decision on his future until the beginning of August however James O’Brien of 
ProHockeyTalk.com believes that the Red Wings should make their decision now and that would be to pass on the Michigan native and longtime Star.
It’s not an issue of whether Modano has the will to lace ’em up in September or October; but what is his will to play out an entire season? That seemed to be an issue in Dallas the past couple of seasons and explains in part why the Stars made the choice to walk away from a player who has been the face of the franchise for two decades.
If we were Wings GM Ken Holland, we’d take a run at Bill Guerin or Paul Kariya to add veteran scoring punch and give one of their young prospects a shot at centering the third line. Less nostalgic, perhaps, but in the long run, we’re guessing it would be a more productive move with less potential for dressing-room headaches.
O’Brien argues that Guerin was a good fit alongside Sidney Crosby but didn’t really show up during his short stint with the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference. As far as Kariya, O’Brien believes that he is small, injury prone and a huge bust for St. Louis this past season however a short one year contract might be a gamble worth taking. O’Brien simply believes that Kariya and Guerin have a bit more left in the tank then Modano.
I may sound like an arrogant Red Wing fan but the nostalgia of playing with your hometown team for a Stanley Cup you would think would motivate any aging veteran like Mike Modano. I’ve watched Modano for a long time and when you watch him now he is still very dangerous with the puck and is the type of player that can still make the other players around him better. You combine that with the excitement of playing in your hometown and you get a motivation that no other team can give.
