DETROIT – Daniel Alfredsson, who is still a free agent, has stopped skating due to his persistent back pain, Helene St. James is reporting.
The 41-year-old right wing said if he came back for another NHL season it would be with the Red Wings. However, it appears the back injury which hampered him at the end of this past season could end up dashing his chances for a return.
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"It's possible he comes to camp without a contract," Detroit GM Ken Holland told St. James. "We'll see what happens over the next week."
Alfredsson's 49 points last season tied him for the scoring lead on Detroit -- Niklas Kronwall also had 49 points. Alfredsson has brought veteran depth to an increasingly younger Red Wings forward lineup.
He signed a one-year contract with the Red Wings last year after spending 17 seasons with the Ottawa Senators. He had 18 goals and 31 assists in 68 games with the Red Wings before the injury kept him out of the lineup.
He returned from his back injury to appear in three playoff games against the Boston Bruins, but wasn't very effective. He was held pointless in the postseason.
Meanwhile, everyone is waiting for Detroit to sign restricted free agent defenseman Danny DeKeyser.
Red Wings training camp gets underway later this month. The first preseason game is Monday, Sept. 22 against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Detroit.