We don’t know if the Red Wings courtship of Mike Modano amuses you, saddens you or makes you want to hurl, but at the very least it’s provided a nice, heartwarming like a G-Rated movie kind of side show to the Ilya Kovalchuk circus of inaction that continues to go on. We mentioned last night that Modano was going to meet with Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch and general manager Ken Holland today and, as it turns out, that meeting turned into date night for a free agent future hall of famer.
Ilitch, Holland and Modano all took in this evenings Detroit Tigers game at Comerica Park and while there, Modano seemed to be even more impressed with Detroit than he was before, so much so that Chris McCosky gives us Modano’s rather surprising revelation.
Forget about the Blackhawks or any other NHL team. If Westland native Mike Modano decides he wants to play hockey next season, he is going play for the Red Wings.
“There isn’t any other team,” said Modano, standing outside Tigers and Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch’s suite at Comerica Park Tuesday night. “It will be here or I’m not playing. I think it’s narrowed to that.”
As for what Modano can bring to Detroit, it’s a third line centerman that can score as well as be reasonably defensively sound as well. Guys like Kris Draper and Darren Helm (who is a restricted free agent himself) don’t have the offensive touch that Modano has, even at the age of 40.
Of course, it remains to be seen if Detroit will, indeed, bring him on board. The Wings for the meantime are about $4 million and change away from the cap after signing Drew Miller to a one-year $650,000 deal today. Should Modano decide to retire instead of play one more year, it’s not a decision that’s likely to ruin Detroit’s off-season game plan.
