The playing status for 2018-19 of Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg remains the biggest offseason question for the team as we enter mid summer. It’s a question that head coach Jeff Blashill apparently doesn’t know the question to either.
Via The Detroit Free Press and TSN.ca:
“At this point, I haven’t heard anything from Henrik to say that he is or is not playing,” Blashill told the paper. “The biggest thing with Henrik is, how healthy is Henrik? I know he spent the whole second half of last season not practicing because of his back. He ground it out because he is the ultimate warrior, one of the best I have ever been around, and was able to still be a real good player. But that continues to take a wear and tear on your body.
“So I think he is in the process of deliberating to see where is his back at? And only Henrik can answer that and it will be answered I am sure come camp time.”
The lingering “question” regarding Z’s back though may just be smokescreen and a decision on his immediate future could have already been decided.
Jeff Moss of the DSR reported earlier in the month that Zetterberg hasn’t been medically cleared to play and will be put on the long-term injured reserve. Moss even went as far to say that some of his sources have believe that “Zetterberg’s days wearing the Winged Wheel are over”.
…the DSR started doing some investigation into the situation, including speaking with three sources who believe Zetterberg’s days wearing the Winged Wheel are over.
In a bizarre revelation for a player who has not missed a regular season game in three seasons, the DSR has learned that Zetterberg currently isn’t medically cleared to play due to a back injury. And nothing about Zetterberg’s health is expected to change in the future.
Conveniently for the Wings, this medical condition will allow them to bury Zetterberg on Long Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) alongside his fellow countryman Johan Franzen. If Zetterberg had decided to just leave the NHL — like longtime teammate Pavel Datsyuk — the Wings would have been on the hook for a recapture penalty of $4.3 million for the next three seasons.
From Zetterberg’s standpoint there little monetary reason for him to finish up the long-term, front loaded contract he signed with the Red Wings. Zetterberg currently carries a $6.08 million cap hit while making $3.35 million this upcoming season and $1 million each of the following two seasons. Likewise for the Red Wings, if Zetterberg decides to walk away the cap penalty for Detroit would be much easier to swallow unlike the that cumbersome Datsyuk contract that the Red Wings were able to unload to the Coyotes upon the Russian forward leaving for the KHL.
Despite Zetterberg’s status for 2018-19, the 37-year-old captain played in all 82 games last season, posting 11 goals and 56 points.