2010-11 Detroit Red Wings Preview: First Line and First Defensive Pairing

So as the NHL season nears its beginning, the fire and passion that unites us all starts to grow within us and gets our motors jumping.

Being a Red Wings fan sometimes can be easy. Heck, it can be VERY easy. Every year we don't have to worry about if our team is going to be making the playoffs or just missing out. It's a known fact that they will be playing hockey come mid-April.

Yesterday, I was having a coffee with my buddies and talking about the upcoming season. Two of my buddies are Leafs fans, one of them a Canadiens fan, and lastly me, a Red Wings fan.

As our talks got heated, my one Leafs buddy turned to me and said that "Detroit is in the same position as the Leafs right now."

Me and my other buddies just cracked up laughing, thinking he was joking around, but he wasn't.

That comment right there proved to me that he knows nothing about hockey (typical, he is a Leafs fan), and that thinking about the lineup that the Detroit Red Wings will have on the ice this year gets me going every time I think about it.

So, without further wait, here it is ladies and gentlemen, your 2010-2011 Detroit Red Wings roster preview:

Line One—Zetterberg/Datsyuk/Holmstrom

No. 40—Henrik Zetterberg

Another diamond in the rough found by the Red Wings' brilliant scouts.

Drafted 210th overall in the 1999 draft, Zetterberg spent four years with Timra IK of the Swedish Elite league before wearing the red and white at the start of the 2002-2003 NHL season.

He went on to post 44 points in 79 games in his first year with the Wings.

Arguably one of the best two-way players in the game, Zetterberg is often scheduled to play up against the opposing teams elite players such as Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, and Jonathan Toews.

The 2008 Conn Smythe Trophy winner posted 27 points in 22 games that playoff year.

Zetterberg is an integral member of the Detroit Red Wings and usually bounces between the first and second scoring lines and top Power Play and Penalty Kill units.

Missed some time last year due to an injured shoulder sustained in a hard hit from Mattias Ohlund of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

At the end of the 2008-2009 season, Zetterberg signed a 12-year, $73 million contract that will most likely see him end his career with the Red Wings.

Last year, Zetterberg ended the year tied with Datsyuk for the team lead in points (70).

No. 13—Pavel Datsyuk

Many things come to mind when Pavel Datsyuk is mentioned.

Four Lady Byng Trophies.

Three Selke Trophies.

Three NHL All-Star Games.

Thief.

No no, I am in no way saying that he is a looter, or is a bank robber on the side. But he is a thief.

Every time the Wings play, it's like an episode of America’s Most Wanted. Someone is going to be on camera getting robbed. The NHL’s leader in takeaways last season, Pavel Datsyuk (132) makes it look like an art. An art that only Ryan Kesler of the Vancouver Canucks tries to emulate, but fails miserably at doing so (Kesler was second to Datsyuk with takeaways last year, 83).

The only thing down about Datsyuk’s season last year were his offensive numbers. After Datsyuk finished 2008-2009 with 97 points, Datsyuk scored 27 points fewer this past year. Mind you, all of the Detroit Red Wings either struggled the majority of the season or were injured, so it all makes sense. But Datsyuk still finished the year tied with the team lead in points (shared with Zetterberg) with 70.

But Datsyuk still showed glimpses of greatness when he was on top of his game. He is still arguably the best two-way forward in the game, and can never be taken for granted. Oh, and you should never have the puck when you are around him.

This upcoming year, Detroit coach Mike Babcock said he wants to see Pavel Datsyuk and fellow superstar Henrik Zetterberg on one line. Wouldn’t that be a treat for opposing teams.

Datsyuk can get hot at anytime, it's known.

If his offensive stats don’t increase this year, you know that he is still ready to have you make the first move on him going back down the ice.

If you think Datsyuk’s number’s last year will be the same again this year, you are a fool.

No. 96—Tomas Holmstrom

There are many words you can use to describe what kind of goals Tomas Holmstrom scores.

But many just come to the same conclusion and call 'em ‘garbage’.

Seriously now, can anyone remember a time that Tomas Holmstrom scored on a slap or wrist shot? From the top of the right or left faceoff circles? How about in the slot? Ya, thought so.

No one scores as many ugly, dirty, garbage goals as Holmstrom. But when you think of it, those are probably the best. Not to look at, but when you need that grungy goal, they can’t come at a better time.

he amount of goals scored by Holmstrom over the last five years, you could easily mistake the man for a sniper. Since the NHL lockout, Holmstrom has scored 118 goals in 338 games. Considering the amount of goals he has scored in the previous five (99 in 355), that's not a bad stat at all.

Drafted 257th overall in the 1994 draft, no one expected him to become the player he has become. He stubborn, and 99% of NHL goalies hate him—the other one percent being Jimmy Howard and Chris Osgood that love him.

He has grown to be the best at what he does, screening the goalie and creating havoc in front of the net. No one in the league comes close to doing what he does.

As a reward for what he has meant to the Red Wings, Holmstrom re-upped this past offseason signing a two year contract. Holmstrom could’ve asked for more money but he decided to take a lower salary so the Wings could have money to play with. The contract is still worth $3,750,000.

I think it’s safe to say you can add Holmstrom’s name to the list of players that have come into the league wearing a Wing on his chest, and will leave with the Wings in his heart.

First Defensive Pairing—Nicklas Lidstrom/Brian Rafalski

No. 5—Nicklas Lidstrom

How many players that have played into their 40′s can you say are still the best at what they do? Not many, but Nicklas Lidstrom certainly comes to mind.

Drafted 53rd overall in the 1989 Entry Draft, Nicklas Lidstrom has accomplished so much in the NHL as a defenseman that it’s hard to put into words the exact skill that he possesses.

The four-time Stanley Cup winner, six-time Norris Trophy winner, 11-time All Star and Conn Smythe winner has seen and done it all when it comes to NHL defensemen.

In 2008, he captained the Detroit Red Wings to a Stanley Cup victory that made him the first European-born captain to win a Stanley Cup.

Last October 15, against the LA Kings, Lidstrom became the first European-born defensemen to reach 1000 points. He also became only the fourth Red Wing to reach that mark, trailing Steve Yzerman, Gordie Howe, and Alex Delvecchio. Lidstrom is only the 8th defensemen in NHL history to reach 1000 points.

During the 2009-2010 season, Lidstrom set the record by playing in his 1,395th (finished with 1,412) game by a European-born player.

By the end of the 2009-2010 season, Lidstrom had only missed 28 out of a possible 1,440 team games for the Red Wings.

On June 1, 2010, Lidstrom agreed to a one-year deal worth just over $6 million.

Not bad for a 40 year old.

No. 28—Brian Rafalski

Nick Lidstrom’s defense partner since coming over in 2008, Rafalski has been the No. 2 d-man for a while, as he was in his time with New Jersey.

Coming into the NHL undrafted, Rafalski has always been a solid 30-50 points defenseman and has occasionally reached 55+ points in a season.

The 36-year old defenseman was a standout for the US Olympic hockey team in the 2010 Vancouver games as well, being selected to the Olympic All-Star team and being named the tournament's top defenseman.

Scoring 467 points in 770 career games, Rafalski has been known as more of a playoff performer having totaled 97 points in 154 career playoff games.

Rafalski is also apart of a little Detroit history. Rafalski scored the game winning goal in the first ever out door hockey game in Red Wings history when Detroit played Chicago in the 2009 edition of the Winter Classic. Detroit won the game 6-4.

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