Sounds like Osgood is going to be the guy if you read between the lines. He'll be back if the Wings want him, and it sounds like the Wings will take him if he feels he can play. And we saw this last season: Ozzie will say he can play even if he only had one leg.
And who could blame him? If I was a professional athlete I'd certainly want to go as long as my body can take it and I have a desire to play, win and do something that's fun and get paid to do it. Is it selfish? Yeah, but that's not necessarily a bad thing in this case. If management thinks that he is being too "selfish" to where it is a detriment to the team, they'll tell him it is time to finally move on. When Osgood was in last season, he did fine (not really the case the season before).
It is risky in one way if Osgood comes back with the healthy angle, but low-risk to me in another way. I think MacDonald is more than capable of being backup (EDIT: if the need arises where he has to be called up for more than just a game or two). Minus one game against St. Louis where pretty much everybody there s**t a brick, he played very well last season for the most part, had good numbers, etc.
You could certainly make the case that goaltending depth is thin or worrysome, but I'm looking at it from the half-glass full view. Howard has proved he can play when it counts in the postseason. We all know Osgood has been loyal to the Wings/vice versa and can still play in a reduced role. MacDonald and the organization are familiar with each other. Heck, if they go the Conklin route, that worked out well the season he was here, so I'd be all for that.
I don't think the situation is as dire as could be perceived (though I certainly get the worrysome angle, it is legitmate).
EDIT: A part of me though wants Osgood to retire, for the only reason because of fans in here and in general acting like moronic lunatics towards him so they'd just shut the hell up about him finally.
Edited by SouthernWingsFan, 13 July 2011 - 09:27 AM.
