If Wings lose bid for Mike Modano, they still have other options

Detroit -- So on Friday, Mike Modano apparently told the Dallas Morning News he would listen to recruiting pitches from San Jose and Minnesota, and that talk that his only options were to play for the Red Wings or retire was wrong.

Well, they were his words. Still blushing from the Wings' full-court press last Tuesday, Modano told me, "There isn't any other team. It will be here (Detroit) or I'm not playing. I think it's narrowed to that."

OK, so what happened between then and now? How, all of a sudden, have the Wild and Sharks entered the picture? Has he even decided he wants to play another year yet?

Here's what I think happened. First, when news of the Wings' intense interest in Modano started spreading, it was like dropping blood into the water.

Other general managers, who might not otherwise have even considered Modano, heard Ken Holland say Modano can still skate and would be a great fit as third-line center. Well, if Holland thinks he could help the Wings, then other general managers figure Modano can surely help their teams, too.

So, the Wild and Sharks come courting.

Money talks

Second, I think the money got smaller. The Wings, after signing Drew Miller and Patrick Eaves last week, have a little more than $3 million left under the salary cap. They still have to re-sign restricted free agents Darren Helm and Justin Abdelkader, as well as possibly Derek Meech or another veteran defenseman.

It was assumed the Wings would offer Modano something at or just over $1 million. But I think now maybe it is $800,000, plus they were selling him on taking it over $1 million with incentives that wouldn't apply to the cap until the 2011-2012 season.

When I talked to Holland last Tuesday, it seemed like it was just a matter of Modano (Westland) deciding he wants to play another year. After talking to Holland again Thursday, I came away with an entirely different feeling.

Here's what Holland said: "There is no time frame. At the end of the day, for me, we're interested in Mike Modano. But if we didn't do anything, I'd be OK. We have Abby and Helm to play there (at the third and fourth line center spots).

"You know, it is Mike Modano, a local guy who we think can still play and would be a great fit. But we only have so much wriggle-room. Right now he's going through the emotion of does he want to play and the emotion of what we're offering. We only have so much space to offer."

Other options

Maybe an $800,000 offer was an insult to Modano. I don't know. But looking at the Wild and Sharks, they can't offer him too much more. The Wild have 23 players signed for $57 million and the Sharks, who just put up a three-year, $14 million offer sheet to Chicago's restricted free agent Niklas Hjalmarsson, have 18 players signed at $54 million.

The salary cap is $59.4 million.

Another issue here, too, is his wife, actress Willa Ford. We don't know what she's thinking about any of this, but presumably it would be better for her to have her husband playing in California than Detroit or Minnesota.

Who knows? It would be a coup for the Wings to have Modano centering the third line and playing point on the second power-play unit. It would be a great story, having the local kid finish his career in his hometown. It would be a boon both on the ice and at the box office.

But if it doesn't happen? Helm would take over the third line and Abdelkader the fourth. They would maybe have some money left to sign an enforcer.

It wouldn't be the end of the world.

chris.mccosky@detnews.com">chris.mccosky@detnews.com (313) 222-1489