Detroit Red Wings: Time to move on from Henrik Zetterberg

The Detroit Red Wings need to move on from their captain Henrik Zetterberg going into the 2018-19 season.

The biggest question for the Detroit Red Wings this offseason is the status of grizzly veteran forward and team captain Henrik Zetterberg. He has been hinting signs of retirement after sustaining nagging injuries in his back.

However, Zetterberg has not officially ruled out a return to the ice for the 2018-19 season. Uncertain about the status of their captain, the Red Wings have been left in a limbo trying to make a roster around him and his unknown status. They should make things easy on everybody and move on from Zetterberg.

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At 37 years old and coming off one his worst seasons in points, his career is on a downward spiral. To add more fuel to the flame, Zetterberg is struggling with a back injury that seems to be career ending.

Unfortunately, for all of these reasons, the Red Wings must prepare for life without their captain.

There is no question that Zetterberg is one of the greatest players in franchise history. It would be unfortunate to see a good career have a sour ending.

Ever since he was named captain, Zetterberg and the Red Wings have struggled tremendously. He struggles to lead the locker room while still producing offensively the way he once did. Zetterberg has also struggled to stay healthy recently.

With the rise of young players both on the Red Wings and within the organization, big changes are bound to happen. And with those changes comes the hard part of partying ways with beloved players.

As far as the Red Wings go, not only is parting ways with Zetterberg the necessary move but so is moving on from Nicklas Kronwall and Jonathan Ericsson. All of these players are older and do not contribute enough to earn a spot on the roster. Instead, those positions should be filled by younger guys like Joe Hicketts, Givani Smith, Michael Rasmussen and Dennis Cholowski.

Currently, Zetterberg’s status is still unknown for next season and his career as a whole. Time is running out and a decision must be made.

As of now, the right decision is to move on from their captain. It’s time for someone else to take the torch and lead them into the future.