Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom is expected to make a decision about his hockey future at some point this month. His "deadline" has been mentioned as July 1, the day free agency opens, but a decision is expected before the NHL Entry Draft begins on June 24.

Nothing has been announced yet by the Red Wings or Lidstrom, but former University of Michigan kicker Jeff DelVerne's encounter with Detroit head coach Mike Babcock on Monday suggests Lidstrom will return for another season. DelVerne ran into Babcock in an airport in Minnesota and even took a picture with him. He also got the inside scoop on Lidstrom:

Of course, we don't know what the context was of this conversation or if Babcock said this more as a prediction than a concrete statement. Even so, it's a good sign that Babcock is expecting to get another year out of Lidstrom.

(Via RedWingsGuy)