Henrik Zetterberg has told a Swedish radio station that he is unlikely to finish out the rest of his contract with the Detroit Red Wings. Speaking to Sweden’s Radiosportens, Zetterberg has said he will likely play just two more years on his contract that expires after the 2020-21 season.
Red Wings’ Henrik Zetterberg may not play to the end of his contract, per report
Zetterberg has plans to quit the NHL in two seasons, forgoing the final two years of his contract.
Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
In a transcription provided by The Detroit News and transcribed by Swedish newspaper, Aftonbladet, Zetterberg discussed signing his 12-year, $73 million deal with the Red Wings:
“The only reason why we wrote such a long contact was because of the payroll. It is quite obvious that you try to fool the system. Actually, I may have two years left, but I have also learned to take one year at a time. But I will probably not play until [the 2020-21 season].”
Zetterberg has played with the Red Wings through the entirety of his 14-year NHL career. In 2009, Zetterberg signed a 12-year deal to stay in Detroit in a deal that would have had him under contract until he was 40 years old. Zetterberg will turn 37 just days into the start of the 2017-18 NHL season and has a cap hit of $6.083 million.
It’s not a surprise that Zetterberg will likely forgo his final two seasons given his age, but what is interesting is how the Red Wings structured the deal. Like many contracts, Zetterberg’s is front-loaded in base salary. Within his final three years, he’ll drop to $3.35 million then to $1 million to finish out his contract that started with a $7.4 million base salary.
The Detroit News also discussed the idea of a recapture penalty that would likely be “$5.5 million per the final two seasons” if Zetterberg had his way. If recent trends continue, however, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Zetterberg on long-term injured reserve before his retirement, giving the Red Wings an out on the recapture penalty.
Last season, Zetterberg put up 68 points in 82 games. Though he can still produce at a high-level for the Red Wings, it’s quite likely the aging curve catches up to him in some way this upcoming season.
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