OTTAWA -- Daniel Alfredsson is confident he still has what it takes to compete in the NHL, but the Ottawa Senators captain doesnt want to rush into a decision about his future. Alfredsson says he wont even begin contemplating whether hell play next season for at least a week as he recovers from an exhausting season that ended Friday with a playoff loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. "I feel my game is good enough and I can keep up and I dont feel like I dont have it anymore," he told reporters Monday at the Senators season-ending media availability. "If I felt that it would make my decision pretty easy I think. I still feel I can play all situations and I enjoy playing all situations." The 40-year-old Swede, who becomes an unrestricted free agent this year, led the Senators in scoring through the playoffs with four goals and 10 points and was third during the regular season with 10 goals and 16 assists. "Ill probably take at least a week before I allow myself to even think about it and go from there," said Alfredsson. "Its been a mentally draining season with the schedule and everything and I just feel like I need to give it a bit of time and freshen up and take it from there." When asked if he has anything else to prove Alfredsson had just one answer. "Win a Stanley Cup." As the father of four young children, Alfredsson says the decision will ultimately come down to whether or not he has it in him to go through a full summer of training and the energy to prepared for a long season. In addition, he says it has to be a family decision. While his four boys love coming to the rink and watching the games it does place a burden on his wife. Many speculated that next years Sochi Olympics could have an impact on Alfredssons decision, but when asked if that were the case, he replied, "Not really." Theres no question his teammates want him back. "Were definitely going to pressure (Alfredsson) to help his decision along," said star forward Jason Spezza. "Hes going to need a bit of time, but were hoping hes going to come back for sure." "The way he plays hes one of our best players," winger Chris Neil said of Alfredsson. "Hes still got it in him. As far as Im concerned he still has a couple of years left not just one." Meanwhile, Spezza admitted that he suffered a setback during his rehabilitation from back surgery this season. About three weeks after surgery and returning to the ice, he experienced a bit of a flare up which set him back slightly. But more significant was the fact he tore the meniscus in his knee late in his rehab process. "Its nothing serious and something I will get fixed, but it set me back and was more of a pain than anything," said Spezza, who missed most of the regular season following the back surgery. Spezza, who expects to have his knee scoped in the next week and hopes to have it fully healed in two to three weeks, was only able to play in the Senators last three games against the Penguins. Like Spezza, star defenceman Erik Karlsson was also recovering from injury when he rejoined the team and was far from 100 per cent. Karlsson missed 29 games with a partially torn Achilles tendon. "It doesnt feel very good and Im just going to go home and rehab it and give it some more time and hopefully by the start of next year it will be back to where we were," said Karlsson. "I just need time to heal. Its not comfortable and I cant really do anything that I normally can so Im just going to give it some more time." While most of the Senators remain under contract, management will need to make some personnel decisions. Sergei Gonchar becomes an unrestricted free agent and said his preference is to stay in Ottawa. The 39-year-old defenceman had three goals and 27 points through the regular season and picked up six assists in the teams 10 playoff games. Gonchar says money isnt the biggest factor, but he would be seeking the right fit and a two-year deal. "I would like to stay here," said Gonchar. "I like this group of guys. I like the direction the club is going so definitely it would be a pleasure for me to stay hereabut as we know its a business and well see whats going to happen the next couple of weeks." In addition to Gonchar, forwards Guillaume Latendresse and Peter Regin and defencemen Mike Lundin and Andre Benoit are all set to become unrestricted free agents. Other than potentially Benoit, its unlikely the Senators will attempt to re-sign any of them. Benoit was on a two-way contract, but spent the season with the Senators and played in 33 games, recording three goals and seven assists. "I think Ive proven to myself that I can play in this league and now its left to be seen if Ive proved it to other people," said Benoit. Forwards Mike Hoffman and Erik Condra are the only two restricted free agents and its likely they will be re-signed. Notes: Milan Michalek will be seeing a specialist in Germany to consider what options he might have for his chronic knee problem. Marcus Foligno Wild Jersey . Francis told several hundred members of the European Olympic Committees that when sport "is considered only in economic terms and consequently for victory at every cost . Alex Stalock Jersey .com) - The Pittsburgh Penguins placed forward James Neal on injured reserve Tuesday. http://www.authenticwildpro.com/Jonas-brodin-wild-jersey/ . -- In one brief spurt, Brazil turned a close game into a rout and proved again it will be a strong World Cup favourite. Jason Zucker Wild Jersey . The Browns coaching search remains incomplete. Jordan Greenway Jersey . By having more great seasons. Manning was the only unanimous choice for the 2013 Associated Press NFL All-Pro team Friday.Dallas Eakins says it in a commanding but calm tone. "We dont coach teams, we coach individuals." They are words to live by for Eakins and the philosophy has earned him his first NHL head-coaching job with the Edmonton Oilers. Eakins isnt alone in the individual approach. The 46-year-old, who got to this level thanks to his success with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Marlies, is part of a new breed of coaches who believe communication with players is key to getting the most out of them. Call them players coaches -- like Dan Bylsma in Pittsburgh or Adam Oates in Washington. Along with Eakins and many others, theyre setting a new trend, taking a different approach than coaches did even 10 years ago. "I think a lot of times it has to do with almost job survival," Montreal Canadiens forward Jeff Halpern said. "Most coaches arent going to change their personalities for anything. But at the same time, you have such different types of athletes now and because the money is so great for young kids growing up, a lot of times you have to find ways to communicate with people." Thats not to say gruff coaches like Mike Keenan, John Tortorella, Lindy Ruff and Peter Laviolette cant communicate. Ruff spent 15 seasons in charge of the Buffalo Sabres and is considered a favourite to land another job soon. But coaches need to evolve along with the players, says Islanders forward Brad Boyes. "I think players are different the way you come up now," he said. "It used to be to yell and scream would get the best out of guys, thats the way it was because thats the way they had always been. Nowadays theres so much more involved. Agents are involved at young ages, parents are very involved at young ages. I think the kids are just brought up differently. You try to talk to them through adversity (rather) than trying to yell and scream to get the best out of them." Its a trend that began before most of these coaches even considered their next steps after playing. During his 19-year career that spanned from the 1980s into the 2000s, Oates didnt like being yelled at. As he and others from the same generation step into coaching, those experiences have shaped their styles. "Theres no perfect animal. I just really feel that if Im not happy with a guy, I dont have to yell at him to let him know," Oates said during the regular season. "I can talk to him. Hes still a pro. Youve got to be a pro. Thats what we are. Were pros now, and its a different game than before." Oates contemporaries include Kirk Muller of the Carolina Hurricanes, Kevin Dineen of the Florida Panthers, Peter DeBoer of the New Jersey Devils and Dave Tippett of the Phoenix Coyotes. And Eakins, who learned from the late Roger Neilson that he would have to make his mark as a coach because he "wasnt a very good player." Whether or not a coach was a good player doesnt necessarily matter, though it doesnt hurt. Islanders forward Keith Aucoin played with the Marlies during the NHL lockout and cited Eakins playing career as one reason hes able to get messages across so effectively. "He knows when to get in somebodys face and he knows when a teams going through a tough stretch or a few tough games that it happens," Aucoin said. "He was so knowledgeable of how hard the game is and he knows what to do." Aucoin said Eakins never yelled at him, but that was more because he was playing well. Players dont mind the tough love approach on occasion, he said, as long as theres some meaning behind it. "I dont think it matters what approach you take, as long as the players respect the reasoning behind it and the hockey smarts behind it," said Halpern, who most recently played for Michel Therrien in Montreal and Tortorella in New York. "If youre ranting and raving for no reason, players tend to tune you out right away. Buut if youre smart about what youre saying, theres a purpose and players are able to kind of look at it and see that theres a purpose behind it and that it works, players will respond to it.dddddddddddd" Toronto defenceman Jake Gardiner, who played for Eakins with the AHL Marlies, said Eakins strength is being approachable to his players. "If you want to talk to Dallas, hes not a very hard guy to approach and thats what makes him so good," Gardiner said Tuesday from Campbellville, Ont., where he was the drawmaster for the $1-million North America Cup harness race. "Guys are willing to go into him and hes accepting to that. "Hell tell you exactly what you need to work on or what youre doing well and to keep doing that. Most of the time hell be positive and when he has to be hell get on you for it." Halpern pointed out that even as Tortorella was combative with media members and stern with players, he wouldnt hesitate to be direct with his criticisms. Same goes for Therrien. "Sometimes its great when coaches are able to kind of express what theyre thinking because as players a lot of times youre left to make it a guessing game," Halpern said. For Eakins players, theres no guesswork. Aucoin recalled his first meeting with Eakins and the simple message that he wouldnt treat the 34-year-old veteran any differently than his younger teammates like Gardiner and centre Nazem Kadri. Getting a lot out of those young players played a role in Eakins getting his first NHL head-coaching gig, Oilers general manager Craig MacTavish said. In hours-long interviews with Eakins, it was clear he was suited to run a team, MacTavish added. Eakins makes no secret of how he views his job. "People always ask about coaching the team and I correct them very quickly: We coach 23 to 25 individuals and its an interesting job," Eakins said last week at the OHL awards ceremony in Toronto. "These individuals are delicate pieces of a machine, of a big engine, and they all need to be treated differently and handled with different care. A coachs job is to get to these individuals, find out whats happened in their past, whats going on in the present and where are we going to take these young men in the future." In the NHL, some are not young men. Some are grizzled veterans with more than Eakins 120 games of experience. But thats where Eakins approach proves valuable. Citing Eakins words, Dale Hunter of the London Knights emphasized that coaching is coaching no matter how old players are. "They all want to be on the first line, they all want to be on the first power play," Hunter said. "Its like, How are you going to get there? How are you going to stay there? Its trying to get them better to certain levels. Thats why you win." Theres nothing set in stone that only player-friendly coaches can win. Far from it. But as the league gets younger, progressive, less-aggressive coaches are enjoying more success. "I think societys changed where you talk it out," said Hunter, who coached the Capitals for the bulk of the 2011-12 season. "Youve got to talk to the players a lot more and communicate with them. a Now its more teaching, communication, fundamentals." In junior and then in the AHL, where Eakins built his reputation behind the bench, much of the job is teaching. In the NHL, thats only part of the complex list of responsibilities, which includes managing superstar egos. Of course that only accentuates the importance of individual coaching, which could be vital to Eakins success in Edmonton. "I think Dallas said it best, youre coaching individuals, its about finding how to get best out of every individual," Boyes said. "Thats what good coaches now are trying to do." -- Canadian Press sports reporter Dan Ralph in Toronto contributed to this report. ' ' '