After Nicklas Lidstrom announced his retirement on May 31, Tomas Holmstrom made it sound like he would announce a decision about his future sometime in June. He was still undecided at the time, but a decision was expected to come down at some point this month.
Now it looks like the plan is for Holmstrom to wait until July to figure out his future. This is because the Red Wings aren't planning on deciding on whether or not Holmstrom will be offered a contract until July.
Holmstrom told the Free Press on Monday that he spoke to general manager Ken Holland and "they're going to decide (in the) beginning of July what's going to happen."
Based on what Holmstrom said, the Red Wings' decision on his future likely won't be made until they have a better idea of what their roster will look like next season. In other words, a decision will be made on Holmstrom after free agency begins and the first wave of signings/trades happens. At that point, the Red Wings will know if they have room for Holmstrom, and they will decide if they want to re-sign him or not.
Considering Holmstrom seems content with waiting to hear the Red Wings' plans, his decision on retirement will likely come down to whether or not he receives a contract offer. If the Red Wings want to bring him back, it sounds like Holmstrom is willing to play another season. If the Red Wings decide he's not in their plans, however, then Holmstrom will likely retire.
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