Detroit Red Wings: Niklas Kronwall returning next season?

Niklas Kronwall wouldn’t give much indication either way if he were expecting to return to the Detroit Red Wings next season or ride off into the sunset.

The leader of the Detroit Red Wings, Niklas Kronwall will have a decision to make regarding his NHL future.  He’s been a warrior on the ice and a pro’s pro off the ice for many years.  With former captain Henrik Zetterberg suddenly retiring before the start of last season Kronwall quietly slid over from riding shotgun into the pilots’ seat leading the Wings all season long.

As the season was set to take off in September, it was all but certain this would be Niklas Kronwall’s final NHL season.  The veteran defender has played exceptionally well for the Wings this season along with mentoring the young up and coming defensemen.

The problem that arises for the Detroit Red Wings is they have a plethora of veteran defensemen rostered and under contract with several younger defenders with high upside sitting in the waiting room looking to become NHL regulars.

The Wings have Trevor Daley who has impacted Madison Bowey in a positive way along with bringing him into his house, so he doesn’t need to live out of a suitcase in a hotel.  Jonathan Ericsson who at best is a seventh defender on a below average team with not much tread left on the tires.  Mike Green has been stricken by injuries over the past two seasons but is the most talented of the veteran group; he’s helped youngster Filip Hronek develop along the way as the rookie models his game around Green’s style.

In an article published by the Detroit News, Ted Kulfan was unable to get a definitive answer on Kronwall’s future from Jeff Blashill nor Kronwall himself;

"“I don’t really have a time table,” said Kronwall after the morning skate. “We (Kronwall and general manager Ken Holland) talked in January, or whenever it was, and (agreed) to sit down after the season. Everything is going to figure itself out over the next few weeks or months, or whenever that’ll be.“I’ll spend some time with the family now and be a full-time dad and that’s something I’m looking forward to now.”“He’s made a huge argument that he can, for sure, play one more season, and good for him,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “He’s put himself in a spot where he can make that decision, and he’s not being forced into a decision. The decision will ultimately be his.”"

If Kronwall decides to return for one more final season, the Detroit Red Wings will need to move at least one but preferably two veteran defensemen this summer.  I would expect Daley to be shopped around as he will be entering the final year of his current deal at an affordable 3.17 million dollar salary.

Green is the other defenceman that holds value on the trade market, and if he can stay healthy during the year, I’d expect Ken Holland and company to field offers for his services.  I have a feeling the Wings might hold onto to Green past next season with Ericsson, Daley, and Kronwall all expected to be removed from the franchise by next summer.

Initially, I was all but sure this would be Kronwall’s swan song, but he’s played well enough to warrant another year if he wants to grind out another rebuilding season.  It would also be laborious for the Red Wings to justify keeping the four veteran defenders along with DeKeyser and Hronek, in turn, blocking Dennis Cholowski, Madison Bowey and possibly Jared McIsaac, Villie Saarijarvi, Gustav Lindstrom from all making the team.

The Wings will also have a decision to make regarding Joe Hicketts who is a restricted free agent this summer along with unrestricted free agents Dylan McIlrath who’s been a leader with the Grand Rapids Griffins and momentum changer Luke Witkowski.

In 79 contests this season Kronwall recorded 27 points (3 G, 24 A) while playing as a minus -5, averaging 19:57 TOI per game, a minute and a half on average per game more than last season.  His CF% was below average, but considering the minutes he played for the majority of the time against the opposing teams’ top line 48.7% isn’t horrible.