Kronwall unsure about retirement, could play with Red Wings next season

DETROIT -- Niklas Kronwall doesn't know if he wants to retire after this season, and the Detroit Red Wings have interest in bringing back the 38-year-old defenseman.

No matter what happens, it's surprising considering where he was a few months ago.
"Going into the season," Kronwall said before the Red Wings played the Ottawa Senators at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday (7:30 p.m. ET; FS-D, TSN5, RDS2, NHL.TV), "I thought for sure that this would be the end of the story."
Kronwall has had chronic problems with his left knee for years. In August, he said he had to be realistic that this season could be it. He was entering the last season of his contract and getting older while the Red Wings were getting younger.
Coach Jeff Blashill didn't know how much ice time Kronwall could handle.
"I wondered where he was at physically," Blashill said. "I didn't know if he'd be able to grind through every game. I didn't know how his play was going to be. I didn't know how much his knees were going to affect him in his ability to be good. I thought it was slipping a little bit the wrong way."
Kronwall missed the Red Wings' first three games because of another issue. But he has played each of their 54 games since and averaged 19:58 of ice time, the most he's played in three seasons. He's plus-4, after finishing the last seven seasons without a positive rating.
He said he switched up his offseason training program two summers ago, and his left knee feels better than it has in a long time.
"Physically, you feel like you can still be out there and not be too much of a liability, I guess," he said.

Blashill said Kronwall had been one of Detroit's better defensemen game after game.
Of course, it's all relative. The Red Wings have dealt with injuries to veteran defensemen and growing pains with younger ones while struggling as a team. They are 22-28-7, 29th in the NHL with 51 points.
Kronwall has high standards. He was a first-round pick (No. 29) in the 2000 NHL Draft and a key player as the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup in 2008, went to Game 7 of the Cup Final in 2009 and didn't miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs until 2016-17. His 928 games played in 15 NHL seasons rank 10th in Red Wings history.
"I don't know really how to put it," said Kronwall, who has 14 points (two goals, 12 assists). "I think it's been OK. Could have been better? Absolutely. But in saying that, you have to be somewhat objective too. I'm not the same player I was 10 years ago."
The Red Wings value Kronwall's work ethic and competitiveness, especially how he serves as a role model and mentor for their young players at this stage of his career.
General manager Ken Holland met with Kronwall recently about the 2019 NHL Trade Deadline on Feb. 25 at 3 p.m. ET, involving him in the process, even though he doesn't have a no-trade clause in his contract, out of respect for what he has done in Detroit.

Holland said he would listen to offers but wasn't shopping Kronwall, calling a trade highly unlikely.
"I couldn't be happier and more grateful for the opportunity I've gotten to be with the team for all these years," Kronwall said. "If something were to come up, I owe it to him to listen to what he wants to do."
At some point after the trade deadline, Kronwall will have to meet with his family and decide if he wants to continue playing -- and perhaps whether he would consider other teams. He's within reach of the 1,000 NHL games milestone. The Red Wings will have to balance his performance and mentorship against opening a spot for a younger defenseman.
"I'm still not sure where it would lead," Kronwall said. "I'm just trying to make the most of it and trying to enjoy it as much as I can here every day, really make the most of every time you have the opportunity to be on the ice or be amongst the guys, and then whatever happens, I'm sure it will come towards the season's end or even after that.
"But I feel pretty good, and I still love the game."
This isn't as easy as he thought it would be.
"When I was younger and older guys would sort of say, 'Oh, I feel pretty good, but I'm not sure,' I was like, 'How hard can it be?' " he said with a smile. "And now you're in the same boat. You're like, 'All right. I see where they're coming from.'"