Red Wings star Pavel Datsyuk has decided where he wants to play when his NHL contract expires after next season.
He’s just not making that decision public.
Also: Via Yahoo!'s Dmitry Chesnokov, Datsyuk’s agent, Gary Greenstin, told SovSport.ru that, despite Russian media reports, the 34-year-old winger had not reached an agreement with Ak Bars to join the club for the 2014-15 season.
Because that would be against the rules.
Rumors of Datsyuk returning to Russia to finish his playing career are nothing new. He played for CSKA Moscow during the lockout, and clearly he enjoyed his time in his home country. When the work stoppage ended in January, he professed his desire to stay in the KHL until the end of the season.
Datsyuk has already won two Stanley Cups and made a pile of money in the NHL. And if he chose to play out his career in the KHL, there’s plenty more money to be made over there.
Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said in March that he has plans to sit down with Datsyuk once the season is done.
“We’ll talk before he goes home sometime in June, but anything beyond that is speculation and rumors,” Holland said. “Nobody’s told me anything. They haven’t told me they’re staying or going. I haven’t asked either. We hope he wants to stay, but I’m certainly aware there’s a professional league in Russia and they pay their players well. Beyond that, I don’t know.”