DETROIT -- By electing to have surgery, Kirk Maltby would have his chronically ailing shoulder repaired while also fixing the Detroit Red Wings' salary cap dilemma.



The Red Wings waived forward Brad May on Friday but still need to clear $700,000 under the salary cap before activating defenseman Andreas Lilja. That can be accomplished by placing Maltby on long-term injured reserve.



"Kirk Maltby has been playing with a chronic shoulder since last June and it's been progressively getting worse,'' Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said. "We'll have doctors, in the next couple of days, look at his shoulder and see if surgery is something we should look at it.



"The doctors have told him he definitely needs surgery in the off-season at the latest, if not before. He's been playing through pain.''



Maltby is talking to doctors and his agent, trying to determine what to do. Surgery would sideline the 37-year-old forward for at least a couple of months, possibly ending his season, if not his career as a Red Wing.



"If Maltby wants to play hockey beyond this year he needs shoulder surgery,'' Holland said. "It's got arthritis. They need to go in and clean up the shoulder. He can't do normal training.''



Holland said he did not attempt to trade a player prior to Friday's 3 p.m. trading freeze, which expires after the Olympic break on Feb. 28. If Maltby opts not to have surgery and isn't placed on long-term IR, Holland said he must waive a player during the Olympic break, assuming Lilja is cleared to play by team doctors.



Holland said Lilja will have a physical, which must be done in a timely fashion, in the next couple of days. He has been out for nearly 12 months with a concussion but has not experienced any issues during a four-game conditioning stint with Grand Rapids (AHL), which the Red Wings cut one game short, telling Lilja to return home from Houston Friday night.



If Lilja fails the physical, he can get a second opinion. If that diagnosis differs from the opinion of Detroit's doctors, Lilja would see a third doctor, whose ruling would be binding.



The Red Wings are preparing as if Lilja will return soon, though Holland said he doesn't anticipate he will play Saturday against Ottawa at Joe Louis Arena, the final game before the Olympic break.



"He's a big body on the back end, he's a great penalty-killer, good shot-blocker, he's just going to be steady,'' coach Mike Babcock said. "Because of his size he'll make a huge difference to our team. He's a real positive guy, a real good teammate, good energy guy.''



May, 38, has until noon Saturday to clear waivers. Holland told him to take 10 days during the Olympic break to decide on his future.



"We're hoping he goes to Grand Rapids, but, if he clears, he has to make a decision whether he wants to go to Grand Rapids or call it a day (retire),'' Holland said.



May was signed shortly after the start of the season to fill the role of enforcer. He had no goals, one assist and 66 penalty minutes in 40 games.



"He did a real good job for us,'' Babcock said. "Real good teammate, real good competitor, good man. The reality is we're still in a business and the dollars didn't add up, so decisions had to be made.''



Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom spoke briefly with May and said, "He was down, it's understandable. He wasn't feeling all that great.''



Kronwall says he's ready

Defenseman Niklas Kronwall said he felt good after Friday's practice and expects to play Saturday. He has missed the last four games after tweaking a knee injury that idled him for 10 weeks.



"The way it feels right now I don't see a reason why I wouldn't (play),'' Kronwall said.



Babcock, however, was taking a wait-and-see approach.



"I'm not sure he's back, because I haven't talked to the trainers,'' Babcock said. "The last time he skated, the next day he couldn't move. So we'll see what happens and then we'll decide.



"Practicing one day and then saying you're going to play tomorrow, we've never done that before.''



Kronwall said as long as he doesn't experience a setback he should be able to play for Sweden in the Olympics.



Odds & ends

-- Forwards Pavel Datsyuk and Valtteri Filppula didn't practice Friday due to "maintenance,'' according to Babcock, who said both are expected to play Saturday.



-- Johan Franzen sent Swedish Olympic coach Bengt-Ake Gustafsson a text message letting him know he's ready to play in the Olympics if called upon. He can only be added if there is an injury prior to Monday, the day rosters are finalized.



-- The Senators are one of the hottest teams in the NHL, having won 13 of their last 14 games. Goaltender Brian Elliott has started the last 12 games.



