Detroit Red Wings General Manager Ken Holland said Henrik Zetterberg is "a real unknown" for the team this upcoming season.
Speaking with reporters on a conference call, Holland said that he is anxious to know where Zetterberg is at when it comes to his health.
"He has had a tough summer," Holland said.
Here’s the audio of Ken Holland talking about Zetterberg being “a real unknown” for the team next season. pic.twitter.com/4cuGe94mvC
— Maxwell White (@MaxWhiteWXYZ) August 10, 2018
According to Holland, the team is just a little bit over the cap after signing Tyler Bertuzzi, Andreas Athanasiou, Anthony Mantha and just recently Dylan Larkin.
Zetterberg, 37, has been battling back issues for the past few seasons. According to Holland, he didn't practice for the last couple of months and just played games.
Holland said he has spoken with Zetterberg's agent, and said that Zetterberg hasn't been able to train like he has in the past summers.
In July, his agent, Gunnar Svennson, told a Swedish hockey magazine that Zetterberg hasn't decided whether he will continue playing or not.
"There have been some injury problems with his back," Svennson told the magazine. "He simply has not decided."
At the end of the season last year, Zetterberg said he planned to return to Detroit for the 2018-19 season and hoped he can help usher in a new era of winning at Little Caesars Arena.
He signed a 12-year contract that lasts through the 2020-2021 season.
