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Alfredsson stops skating after tweaking back

Detroit Red Wings v Minnesota Wild

ST PAUL, MN - MARCH 22: Daniel Alfredsson #11 of the Detroit Red Wings looks on during the game against the Minnesota Wild on March 22, 2014 at Xcel Energy Center in St Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

Hannah Foslien

From the Detroit Free Press:

The odds that Daniel Alfredsson goes to training camp without a contract have increased after a setback in his skating.

Alfredsson “felt a little bit of a tweak,” last week, Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland told the Free Press on Wednesday. Alfredsson has held off on re-signing with the Wings pending assessment of back pain that comes and goes. He’d been skating daily with the Wings for about a week until the reoccurrence of pain. A decision was made to stop skating until Alfredsson feels better.

This latest flare-up - coming after a long off-season tending to his back - doesn’t bode well for playing another season.

Alfredsson is 41 years old, so it’s more than possible he ends up retiring. Only three skaters were older than he was in 2013-14 -- Teemu Selanne, Jaromir Jagr, and Ray Whitney. The first retired and the third is “at peace” with possibly hanging them up.

That being said, Alfredsson did manage to score 18 goals, with 31 assists, last season. Also, he’s never won a Stanley Cup, so the opportunity for one more shot at the crown could be a motivating factor.