Rumor: Wings castoff coming back for another shot?

In her weekly mailbag column, Detroit Red Wings insider Helene St James of the Detroit Free Press shed some light on the future of Steve Ott in Detroit. While discussing free-agent options for the Wings, St James indicates that the team may have an interest in bringing back the veteran forward.

Currently on an expiring contract that pays him $800,000 annually, the 34 year-old would likely be re-signing on the cheap, a modest raise may be in order but it’s unlikely he’ll get any term beyond one or two seasons. Ott played only 42 games for the Wings this season, scoring three goals and six points before being traded to the Montreal Canadiens at the NHL Trade Deadline.

In Montreal, Ott was more or less irrelevant with regards to on-ice production, but of course Ott’s true value lies as a checking forward who leads by example. As a depth winger on a weak Wings team, Ott seemed to find a good fit. Might the Wings be interested in giving him another spin around the block?