Jeff Riger: More Than A Season On The Line!
When the Wings got off the ice this morning and the media was let in the dressing room, you couldn't help but to feel that this could be it. Not only could Detroit's season end tonight but so could an era where the Wings have made the playoffs for 20 consecutive years and have won 4 Stanly Cups in that span. My feeling of things being over, only intensified when Kris Draper told me that he did not want to talk about his future. Of course Draper is in the last year of his contract and while he still without a doubt has something left in the tank there might not be a spot for him on next year's roster.
Chris Osgood is another core member of the crazy success that Detroit hockey has experienced over the last 2 decades and his season and career might end tonight as well. Osgood is one of just 10 Goalies in NHL history that has won 400 games but has really struggled over the last 3 seasons. Whether it has been a hockey hangover after winning the cup or multiple injuries the last 2 years, there is no definitive proof that Ozzy will be back at the Joe next season. Osgood is in the last year of his contract and would be ecstatic to sign on for at least another year as a back-up net minder for a very friendly cap price, just like Draper. The question is: do the Wings want him? He continues to be a great mentor to Jimmy Howard, but can he still play? The Wings also have prospects in the minors that sooner or later will have to find time at the pro level. So Osgood could be gone!
Saving the best for last and as much as this hurts, we have to talk about Nick! Nick Lidstrom is 41 years old and again a Norris Trophy candidate for the best defenseman in the game. Lidstrom still logs plenty of ice time and was second among all D-men in scoring with 61 points during the year. It is no secret that the Captain refuses to sign a multi-year deal and that he will decide his future after the season which of course could be tonight. I believe Lidstrom can play this game successfully and at a high level for the next 5 years, but does he believe that? Does he want to continue the 82 game grind and then playoffs for another year? I get the gut feeling that Nick will come back but that is nothing but pure speculation. So Lidstrom, like Osgood and Draper could see his career end tonight as well!
While Mike Modano has only been a Wing for this year, he too feels like part of the group mainly because he is from here. Modano was brought in on a one year deal for a chance to win another cup. Both him and Mike Babcock talked today about how things could have been different if a wrist injury didn't make the forward miss over half the season. Modano is another healthy scratch tonight and while it is not guaranteed that he will be done after this year, it is about as close as a guarantee can be. The Livonia native talked after the morning skate saying "each summer I think I could muster up one more year and try to have a nice positive fun year, something I could be happy about and content with leaving at that point. I have been trying to find it for three years so maybe it's not there". Modano, yet another member of this Wings team that could see his career end tonight.
There is no doubt that the Wings will continue to be a great organization and make the playoffs and hopefully win more Stanley cups in the years to come. But if Detroit loses tonight, they could be losing a lot more than just a series to the Sharks, they could be losing their identity for the last 20 years. Here's hoping for at least one more great moment from some truly great players.
