No retirement for Lidstrom if the Wings are eliminated early?

The question on whether or not longtime Wings defenseman and team captain Nick Lidstrom will retire has been a question amongst the organization and fans for a while now.

This year is no different.

With the Wings down 3-2 in their series against the Sharks, Lidstrom has been asked the question once again, will you retire at season’s end? For Lidstrom however he continues to maintain that he will not make a decision until the season is officially over.

It has long been rumored that Lidstrom would like to return to Sweden after his career in the NHL is over and with Lidstrom accomplishing just about everything he can in the NHL that time could come very soon.

However, Kevin Allen of the USAToday doesn’t seem to buy the retirement talk, not after this season.

In his Rink Rap column Allen gives five reasons why Lidstrom won’t retire at the end of the season if the Wings are eliminated…

1. Even though Lidstrom and his wife Annika have talked about going back to Sweden when his NHL career is over with, leaving the place you’ve called home for the past two decades will be tough.
2. Allen states that the relationship between Lidstrom and the Red Wings organization is about as perfect as your going to get. What this means is that Ken Holland tells Lidstrom how the team is looking in terms of the salary cap and Lidstrom gives Holland a number that he can live with.
3. It would seem difficult to walk away from the contract he could potentially make next season. This year Lidstrom is making $6.2 million. If he were to return next season, his 2011-12 salary would more than likely be around that same 6.2 number.
4. Lidstrom still loves to play the game and there has been no indication, according to Allen that Lidstrom will hang up his skates at the end of the season.
5. Finally, Lidstrom is once again a finalist for the Norris Trophy meaning you can consider him one of the top 3 defensemen in the league, even at 40 years of age. Allen says that he is still too good to retire. You can’t argue with him there.

I agree with everything that Allen has to say in his column. The only way Lidstrom retires at the end of this season is if he has some kind of injury were he believes that he can’t come back and play at the level he is accustomed too or if the Wings win the cup.

Lidstrom doesn’t seem like the type of player that holds onto the game too long. When he knows he’s done he won’t make any hesitation calling it quits. With that said Wings fans can rest assure that if Lidstrom is to return next season he will still be the same Lidstrom that they are use to seeing.

Source: USAToday