DETROIT -- Detroit Red Wings goaltender Chris Osgood isn't sure if he'll play again this season, but he doesn't believe he's played the final game of his career.

Osgood said today that he hopes to play next season.

“I'm coming back next year,'' Osgood said. "But I'm not thinking about that. I'm thinking about getting ready to play if they need me to play (this season).''

Osgood, who is in the final year of his contract, hasn't played since Jan. 4, a week before having surgery for a sports hernia and groin issues. He said his desire to play next season doesn't stem from having missed the second half of the season and, potentially, the playoffs.

“That's overrated, I don't think of it like that,'' Osgood said. "I just want to keep playing because I have fun playing. That would be the main reason. And I still know I can. That would be the main reason I would come back.''

Osgood was eligible to come off long-term injured reserve today, but general manager Ken Holland said he is not ready. Joey MacDonald will back-up Jimmy Howard tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks at Joe Louis Arena (7:30, FSD).

Osgood said that he could play right now if the team needed him. Holland didn't rule out having Osgood play in the season finale Sunday at Chicago.

“We're going to reassess tomorrow morning what we're doing on Sunday,'' Holland said. "I would say now, my take would be he won't play on Sunday, but it'll be based on what he tells us (about) how he feels. But even if he played a game, he's been out three months, this is the Stanley Cup playoffs.''

So MacDonald will start the playoffs as Howard's back-up.

“I would assume right now ... Joey MacDonald is the backup,'' Holland said. "If we have injuries along the way and Chris Osgood did feel better, then we'll have to make a decision between Chris Osgood and Joey MacDonald.''

Holland said of Osgood, “I'm comfortable if he can practice every day, he tells me he feels great, if he's going full-out every day in practice.''

But, he added, "You can't be out three months and have two practices and come in and be Chris Osgood, it's impossible. It says Osgood on the back of his jersey, but it's not Osgood. That's why Jimmy Howard is No. 1, Joey Mac's No. 2. The longer we can play, if we get to a point where somebody gets injured, then obviously we'll make a decision, do we dress Osgood as the backup?''

Kronwall confident he'll be ready for playoffs

Defenseman Niklas Kronwall skated briefly today, the second time he's been on the ice since suffering an upper-body injury March 30 vs. St. Louis. Kronwall won't play in the final two games but is confident he'll be ready for the playoff opener.

“It's been bugging me for a bit but it feels better and better every day,'' Kronwall said.

He hasn't had a full contact practice for a week.

“I'm just going day by day right now and seeing how it feels in the morning after the day before,'' Kronwall said. “I've been doing a little bit more on the ice. It's definitely going in the right direction.''

Coach Mike Babcock said the time off won't hurt Kronwall's playoff preparation.

“The big thing with Kronner is keeping Kronner out. You got to have a leash on him to make him not do the things that could hurt him,'' Babcock said. "So he'll be ready to go Game 1. He'll have had a chunk of time off, but he'll have skated good.''