Chelios Out of Detroit

The fate of Chris Chelios sort of lies in limbo at the moment, as he has been informed that the Red Wings will not be offering him a contract to remain with the team for another season. The 47-year old rearguard has been with Detroit for the past ten seasons and his ice-time and production have diminished with it. In 2009, Chelios only played in 28 games, not registering a point in the regular season. He did manage to play in six games during the playoffs, still not registering a point. His fantasy value has been diminished severely.

I have been reading some interesting tidbits here and there. One of the rumours that has been circulating around is that the Blackhawks may be interested in bringing him back for some veteran leadership. I couldn't see Chelios getting much ice-time with the Hawks, as they have a great core of players who already man the blueline, but a cheap Chelios could be a good seventh or eighth man for a season. The Blackhawks have a lot of money tied up already, so he could be a reasonable solution.

He is a marvel of physical fitness, but I'm sure there are a number of people who wouldn't mind seeing Chelios hang 'em up this summer. It is time for a younger direction.