Well, unlike that laudatory feature, Rosey suggests that this is definitely Steve Yzerman's last sason. Seems to me that competitiveness is probably getting the best of The Captain, but that shouldn't surprise anyone.

As Rosey runs it down:

He has earned the right to keep playing, and he still has value to the Red Wings.

But that value is (at best) a 12-minute-a-night, third-line forward -- the kind of guy who often goes several games without having a major impact.

That's fine with the Wings, who don't need Yzerman to play like a star anymore. It's fine with most fans, who don't need Yzerman to prove his worth anymore. But is it fine with Yzerman?

Which is a reasonable point. Yzerman probably could have retired after the 2002 season. Thing is, after you win one Cup, you want to see if you can win another one. After all, repeating is fun.

And he might have retired after one more go at it. But 2003 ended abruptly to those blasted Ducks and 2004 ended with a wicked injury. If they'd played last year, that would have given him time to not end his career not sprawled on the ice. I think that's all he's really interested in. Going off a hockey player. Hopefully he gets that chance.

In today's world of hockey, he doesn't need to play 15 minutes a night in December. If he can play 15 minutes a night during the playoffs, that's where the benefit will be.

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