Red Wings Defenseman Brian Rafalski to Retire

According to tsn.ca, sources confirm that 37-year-old Detroit Red Wings defenseman Brian Rafalski is retiring from the NHL with one more year left on his current contract at $6 million. He officially announced his retirement on May 25, 2011. Since Rafalski was not yet 35 when he signed a five-year contract with the Red Wings in 2007, his salary for next season will not count against the team's salary cap. The news comes weeks after 41-year-old Nicklas Lidstrom announced that he will make his decision on retirement by July 1. In 63 games this past season with the Red Wings, Rafalski had four goals and 44 assists for 48 points. In 833 career NHL games with the New Jersey Devils and Detroit Red Wings, he has 79 goals and 436 assists for 515 points. He won the Stanley Cup in 2000 and 2003 as a member of the Devils and in 2008 with the Red Wings. He also won Olympic Silver Medals in 2002 and 2010. This is a huge loss for the Red Wings on the blueline, as Rafalski has lots of offensive skill and has been an excellent power play quarterback for the team. Also, with the possibility of Nicklas Lidstrom retiring this off-season, the Red Wings could have two large holes to fill on defense prior to the start of the 2011-12 season. With the loss of Rafalski, the Red Wings will likely be aggressive in the off-season to acquire a top-pairing defenseman who has some skill on the power play. Also with Rafalski's retirement, I think there is a strong likelihood that Lidstrom will postpone retirement for one more year to help the Red Wings remain competitive on the blueline.