Detroit
Red Wings

Red Wings Team Report

Updated: May 29, 2012 06:18 EST

Tomas Holmstrom, the NHL's premier net-front player for more than a dozen years, would like to return for a 16th season with the Red Wings.

But it's not as simple as signing a new contract. Holmstrom and the club will weigh many factors before coming to a joint decision, likely in early June.

Holmstrom must determine if he's healthy enough and motivated to prepare for another long and grueling season. Can his body take another year of abuse? And is he willing to accept a reduced role, perhaps a frequent healthy scratch?

And do the Wings, with a crowded roster of forwards, want to use a roster spot on Holmstrom?

"We want him to decide if he's healthy and if he has the passion and the energy to play another season," Wings general manager Ken Holland told MLive.com. "It's not strictly his call. We have to look at our team and decide what we're doing."

Holmstrom's production and ice time dwindled during the second half of the season. He went 28 games without scoring a goal at one point and scored just five goals in the final 53 games. He finished with 11 goals, his lowest output in nine seasons.

But Holmstrom was still effective on the power play, where he scored 10 goals.

He said he still loves the game and is highly motivated to play, but wear and tear on his body is a concern, as is his role on the team.

"I just know that mentally, the last couple of years, I've had to go through stiffness, soreness, aches and pains," Holmstrom said. "It can be pretty tough during the regular season."

SEASON HIGHLIGHT: One of the Wings' main goals was to re-establish their dominance at Joe Louis Arena after going 21-14-6 there in 2010-11. They did just that with an NHL-record 23-game home winning streak from Nov. 5 to Feb. 19. That shattered the old mark of 20 shared by the 1929-30 Bruins and 1975-76 Flyers. The Wings led the league with 31 wins at home.

TURNING POINT: The Wings were leading the NHL with 84 points on Feb. 21 when their best player, Pavel Datsyuk, underwent arthroscopic knee surgery. Four days later, they lost defensemen Nicklas Lidstrom (ankle bruise) and Jonathan Ericsson (broken wrist), and the injuries began to mount. They closed out the season with a 7-11-4 record and never recovered. They were plagued by slow starts and a lack of offense.

--Jim Nill's goal is to become an NHL general manager, and he was intrigued about the possibility of taking over a storied franchise like the Montreal Canadiens. But Nill, the Wings' assistant GM, passed on the chance, feeling the timing was not right, due to an illness in the family, he told MLive.com. Nill does not have an out clause in his contract this season, but the Canadiens called Wings owner Mike Ilitch and asked for permission to speak to him. Nill has been the team's assistant GM for 14 seasons and has spent 18 years in the Red Wings' front office. He runs the amateur scouting department and oversees the selections at the entry draft. He also oversees the development of the organization's prospects with the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins, as well as those in the Canadian junior, European and college ranks.

--The Wings are proceeding with plans to build a new 18,000-seat downtown arena. The Sports Business Journal reported that the club has hired two architectural firms to design the new building. The Wings have been playing in Joe Louis Arena since 1979. It is the fourth-oldest arena in the NHL.

--Pavel Datsyuk's bid to become the cover athlete for the video game "NHL 13" by EA Sports ended in the quarterfinals, as the talented center lost to John Tavares of the Islanders in fan voting. Datsyuk was attempting to become the third Detroit athlete to be featured on the cover of a video game this year, joining the Tigers' Justin Verlander ("MLB 2K12") and the Lions' Calvin Johnson ("Madden NFL 13").

QUOTE TO NOTE: "He's got to take somebody's job away (to earn a spot on the roster). (The NHL) is a hard league to be good at when you're 21, unless you're a superstar. He's got to continue to mature as a player. He needs to come to camp and keep developing. He competes hard, has good hands. He needs to get quicker in terms of leg strength." -- Wings general manager Ken Holland, on forward prospect Tomas Tatar.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Goaltender Jimmy Howard was on his way to a special season, on pace to shatter the team and NHL record for wins in a season, when he suffered a broken index finger on Feb. 2. After he returned, he twice missed short stints with a groin strain. Overall, he still had a strong season, going 35-17-4 with a career-best 2.12 goals-against average. His strong and consistent play gave the team a chance to win on most nights.

MOST DISAPPOINTING PLAYER: It was a tough season for versatile forward Danny Cleary. He was plagued most of the season by a sore knee that will require offseason surgery. The knee was drained several times and required a couple of cortisone injections late in the season. He needed a pain-killing injection before each playoff game. As a result, he struggled much of the season and had just 12 goals and 25 assists in 75 games.

BIGGEST NEEDS: They desperately need a sniper, a pure goal-scorer to support Pavel Datsyuk. Johan Franzen led the team with 29 goals but was too inconsistent. If Nicklas Lidstrom retires, they also will need a top-tier defenseman, someone who can log 23-plus minutes per game and play in all situations. It wouldn't hurt to add a decent-sized, physical fourth-line player who wears on the opposition's defense.

FREE AGENT FOCUS: Nicklas Lidstrom will decide prior to the entry draft (June 22-23) whether to play another season or retire. Brad Stuart is expected to sign with a team closer to his West Coast home. Jiri Hudler is likely to receive a better offer than the Wings are willing to make.

PLAYER NOTES:

--G Joey MacDonald believes he will not need back surgery this off-season and expects to be ready to play at the start of training camp. MacDonald's season ended on March 14, when his bulging disc in his back flared up. But the injury has responded well to treatment that has included cortisone injections. MacDonald has one year remaining on his contract and is the leading candidate to earn the back-up job to Jimmy Howard.

--RW Patrick Eaves expects to be ready to play at the start of training camp. His season ended on Nov. 26, due to a broken jaw and subsequent post-concussion symptoms after he was hit by a shot. But headaches are fewer and further between, he is able to exercise longer and he was spending more time on the ice before the season ended.

--RW Dan Cleary had surgery May 15 to remove some debris and repair torn cartilage in his left knee. He is expected to be ready for the start of training camp. The procedure addressed several issues that plagued Cleary last season. Cleary indicated he should have opted for the surgery during the season.

MEDICAL WATCH:

--RW Danny Cleary was expected to have surgery on his left knee to repair torn cartilage.

--C Darren Helm (lacerated tendons in forearm) is expected to be ready for the start of training camp.

--RW Patrick Eaves (concussion) is expected to be ready for the start of training camp.

--G Joey MacDonald (bulging disc) hopes to heal with treatment and injections and avoid surgery.