Here's a purely hockey related question:
How many more years can Alfie cheat Father Time? He is now 40, and as we all know had a very solid, productive season and playoffs for us. He was still playing top six minutes, and delivering top six production, despite his age.
We all know, though, that the end comes eventually for every athlete, and when it comes, it comes fast and ugly. Older athletes are more prone to injury, and recover more slowly - that's just a fact. Further, this is the age when even the guys who hung around late have to walk away - Brett Hull, Doug Gilmour, Hasek, etc. In other sports, you think about Brett Favre staying one year too long in Minnesota, Michael Jordan's embarrassing comeback with the Washington Wizards, etc. Every once in a while, though, you find a Chelios or Selanne. It's rare, but it happens.
So, does Alfie have one more great season in him, or should he have walked away when he could at the end of this past season, still largely on top of his game? My fear is that it all goes sour in Detroit this year, and he ends his career as a healthy scratch or on the injury list. I have a feeling that he is really going to struggle there, and that his Detroit experience ends up being a stain on a great career.