Daniel Alfredsson, who has been out since Feb. 7 with a back injury, won't return in Ottawa's final three games. He was hoping to return before season's end, but decided not to play after a few recent practice sessions. "The progress [in the rehabilitation] has been going pretty good," Alfredsson said. "But skating has been the one thing that has troubled me the most. I felt OK on the ice, but not good enough to justify playing in a game." Alfredsson hopes the extra rest will help him avoid surgery, which could add 4-6 weeks of extra rehabilitation. "Any time you go in and have surgery on your back, you always worry about scar tissue and if that's going to stay with you," he said. "That's probably the biggest reason [not to do it]."