Detroit Red Wings Dilemma : Should this be Nicklas Lidstrom’s Last Season?

Nov. 12, 2000. Anaheim, CA.

On our way to a (then, Mighty) Ducks-Red Wings game, my friend and I engage in a discussion about who the best players on either team are.

Halfway into the conversation, he mentions “Lidstrom” and “overrated” in the same sentence.

After threatening him with physical violence should he ever string these two words together again, we move on to other subjects.

We had good seats that day.

Just this side of home ice, about six rows back from the glass.

During the second period, Paul Kariya builds up a head of steam in his own end and starts busting down the right side with the puck.

He ditches a poke check from Sergei Fedorov at the red line.

He makes a move to the middle in the neutral zone.

He’s now flying towards Detroit’s zone.

Lidstrom skates laterally across the blue-line.

In one motion, he bends his knees, moves his hips slightly, extends his stick, and sweeps the puck away from Paul Kariya, who’s going about 25 MPH.

Kariya puts on the breaks and tries to recover.

Lidstrom is already out of the zone.

He passes the puck through Ruslan Salei’s legs, up to Fedorov
goal.

We saw this happen from about 30 feet away.  I asked my friend, “Is he overrated now ?”

He threatened to beat himself up should he ever suggest this again.

The point to telling this story is simply to emphasize how much I have appreciated and enjoyed the play of Nicklas Lidstrom over the past 17 years.

In terms of Red Wing greatness, I believe only Gordie Howe and Steve Yzerman surpass him.

All that being said, I’m wondering if 2009-10 should be his final season.

I’ll explain my thinking here.

Lidstrom’s contract is in its final year.

His salary and cap hit (which isn’t always one in the same nowadays) is $7.45 million.

This is a steal for someone of his calibre, but, this is primarily what I am concerned about.

Detroit currently has nine players (including Lidstrom) with expiring contracts for a total of $16.55 million.

Considering the fact that Lidstrom is in total control of his destiny in Detroit, thus the league, if he decides to re-up for say, two years at his current salary, it would happen.

But this may not exactly be a fair prediction considering Lidstrom’s history of deferring salary and taking less to stay for the benefit of the team.

So, perhaps he’d stay for $5 million for two years.  The scenario plays out a little better, but is still problematic.

Were this to happen, Detroit would have $11.55 million left to spend on free agents and for contract extensions for current players.

That’s not much, considering the fact they would either have to re-sign or replace Tomas Holmstrom, Todd Bertuzzi, Jason Williams, and Kirk Maltby, and would most likely be seeking a goalie and one more defenseman (Brett Lebda is also a UFA, but I’m making the very safe bet he’s played his last season in Detroit).

Detroit is looking forward to being back in the free agent mix next year and would like to be players for potential UFA’s like Patrick Marleau, Marc Savard, Marty Turco, Joe Corvo, and Paul Martin.

$11.55 million isn’t going to get you that far or that much if these are the types of players you’d like to bring in.

Detroit has several young players ready to become full time NHLers, but there is no way they can (or would want to) fill all of their impending holes with just kids.

The point is, they need as much cap space as they can get over the summer.

Just how much of it will go to Lidstrom, if he decides to return, remains to be seen. But suffice to say, he’s not going to be playing for the league minimum.

Understand this, I wouldn’t hang myself if Lidstrom came back.

As far as I’m concerned, he’s one of very few players you allow to write their own ticket.

Still, if Lidstrom does what he always has, and thinks about the team first, would he feel that keeping himself in Detroit outweighs the good that could come from allowing them to put his salary to other use?

Nicklas Lidstrom has lost a step or two since that November evening in 2000, but on most nights, he’s still the best player on the ice.

Although, his offense has stalled a bit this season (he’s on pace for 38 points).

This may be the halo effect from Detroit’s all around slow start, or could be a sign that, unlike previous years, he’s not quite able to contribute on both ends with the same efficacy.

It’s a tough call to make.

However, if age has caught up to him (he’ll be 40 in late April) and he’s now simply a very good defenseman and no longer simply the best, Lidstrom may indeed decide that this is his stopping point.

For no one has ever had higher expectations for excellence from Nicklas Lidstrom than Nicklas Lidstrom.

Whatever the case turns out to be, one can rest assured knowing that if Nick Lidstrom is skating in Traverse City, MI in Sept. 2010, it will be his choice and one made for the good of the team.

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