Taking a Look at the Red Wings’ Top Line

By Dave, Gorillacrouch.com, July 21, 2007

A top line of Homer, Z and Datsyuk could top the century mark in goals scored

The other day I linked to an NHL Fanhouse article from Jon “J.P.” Press that listed the Zetterberg, Datsyuk and Holmstrom line as one of the top 5 lines in the NHL. I mentioned in my comments on that article that I was going to look at the Z-D-H line’s production while they were actually playing together on one line. They were put together consistently begining on December 18th in a game against Columbus, and played together until Henrik Zetterberg was injured in a game against Calgary on February 11.

So the period of time we’re looking at is just about two months. I used Time On Ice to check the ice time to make sure each player played a significant amount of time on the ice with the other two players - typically at least 8 minutes and often more than 10 minutes.

With that out of the way, here are the point totals for each game over this time period.

Dec 18 - 0 goals, 0 assists
Dec 20 - 0 goals, 2 assists
Dec 22 - 1 goal, 1 assist
Dec 23 - 1 goal, 1 assist
Dec 27 - 1 goal, 1 assist
Dec 28 - 3 goals, 3 assists
Dec 31 - 2 goals, 2 assists
Jan 2 - 1 goal, 2 assists
Jan 4 - 1 goal, 1 assist
Jan 6 - 0 goals, 0 assists
Jan 7 - 1 goal, 1 assist
Jan 11 - 5 goals, 7 assists
Jan 13 - 1 goal, 5 assists
Jan 15 - 1 goal, 2 assists
Jan 17 - 3 goals, 6 assists
Jan 19 - 0 goals, 0 assists
Jan 20 - 0 goals, 0 assists
Jan 26 - 0 goals, 0 assists
Jan 28 - 2 goals, 3 assits
Jan 30 - 2 goals, 2 assists
Feb 2 - 3 goals, 5 assists
Feb 5 - 2 goals, 2 assists
Feb 7 - 3 goals, 3 assists
Feb 8 - 0 goals, 0 assists
Feb 11 - 4 goals, 3 assists

TOTAL: 37 goals, 52 assists, 89 points
AVG: 1.48 goals, 2.08 assists, 3.56 points

One thing to point out is over this stretch Pavel Datsyuk missed three games between January 2 and January 6. But that is still very solid production that would obviously make the line one of the most potent in the NHL but would also allow opponents to focus their top defensive pairings on that line. If they could shut that line down or keep it from being dominant they’d have a shot at winning the game.

Doing a little projection, if Mike Babcock decided to keep this line intact for the entire NHL season, here is how their production might look.

Over 75 games: 111 goals, 156 assists, 267 points
Over 80 games: 118 goals, 166 assists, 284 points

If younger players like Valtteri Filppula, Jiri Hudler or Igor Grigorenko can earn a spot on the second line it makes it very easy to keep the top line together. Also more veteran players like Dan Cleary or Johan Franzen or Mikael Samuelsson could easily make a case to play consistent minutes on the second line. Red Wings coach Mike Babcock knows exactly what he has as far as the top line goes, but the big question is probably which players will make up that second line and will they be effective enough to allow him to keep his top line together.

Zetterberg: I'd Stay with Red Wings for Entire Career

By Helene St. James, Free Press, July 15, 2007

About the only things that get Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg down are rainy days and paparazzi.

In an interview this month with Expressen, a newspaper in his native Sweden, a reporter and photographer caught up with Zetterberg, who spends the off-season at his home in Alnön, Sundsvall.

Zetterberg is a popular figure in Sweden, where he is considered to be the heir to Peter Forsberg. But it isn't just Zetterberg's hockey skills that fascinate, it's also who he's dating (Swedish TV personality Emma Andersson) and his disheveled looks (he's described in the story as a guy who "looks like he has stepped out of a beer commercial").

It turns out Zetterberg, known in Sweden as Zäta, wields quite a bit of star power in his hometown. The article tells of how Zetterberg and Andersson walked into a restaurant and immediately were seated at a coveted outdoor table (the reporter, there separately, had been told no such tables were available). On top of that, they were served their food before patrons who had been there longer.

Zetterberg deftly deflected several questions about his girlfriend of nearly a year, and he flat-out refused to let the photographer take pictures of him and Andersson. Zetterberg did reveal that Andersson will be moving in with him when he returns to his suburban Detroit home in the fall, prompting the reporter to ask whether there are any mini-Zs on the way.

The answer: no future draft picks coming just yet. But if they do arrive, he says, they'll likely be born in the States.

"As long as Detroit is willing," he says, "I'll sign for the rest of my career."

That's hardly going to be a problem: The Wings see Zetterberg as the next captain after Nicklas Lidstrom, and they'll work on signing him to an extension next summer, the earliest time permitted under the collective bargaining agreement.

However, Zetterberg, 26, explained that "I'm not thinking of becoming the new Chris Chelios," referring to his Wings teammate who will turn 46 during the upcoming season. Zetterberg estimates he'll play until he's 35 and again said "preferably in Detroit."

As for the two injuries that nagged him last season, Zetterberg said the pain that hampered his left wrist for years is gone and that his back (spasms sidelined him the last 19 games of the regular season) "feels much, much better."

Finally, Zetterberg revealed his likes and dislikes.

On what he misses while in Detroit: "Sibylla," a beloved chain of hot dog/hamburger stands in Sweden.

On what he loves: "The freedom of the sea on a summer day."

On what he hates: "Rainy summer days."

Numbers Bring Big Numbers

By Vartan Kupelian and Mike O'Hara, Detroit News, July 13, 2007

Henrik Zetterberg needs a new number.

That No. 40 on his back just won't get it done in the NHL's era of salary caps and creative contracts.

Zetterberg, the Wings' best young player and one of the best in the league, made $2.65 million last season. He'll earn $2.7 million in 2007-08. That makes him the fourth highest-paid player on the team.

Zetterberg's salary jumps to $2.9 million in 2008-09 -- and he'll remain No. 4 in the pecking order unless the Wings sign defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom, who will be an unrestricted free agent, in which case Zetterberg will fall to No. 5.

Zetterberg will be a UFA after the 2008-09 season and it's safe to assume general manager Ken Holland will do everything in his power to keep the talented forward wearing a winged wheel on the front of his sweater.

That's where what Zetterberg wears on the back of his sweater comes in and we're here to help with the negotiations.

How about No. 78?

It doesn't matter how you slice or dice it, Zetterberg is underpaid and, based on recent events, it might have something to do with his jersey.

We say that after learning that Sidney Crosby could have embraced the No. 99 made famous by Wayne Gretzky but chose to low-key his new contract.

Crosby, the Pittsburgh Penguins' young phenom, signed a multi-year deal earlier this week which will pay him an annual salary of $8.7 million. If it doesn't seem like a nice, round number -- it is. That's the number Crosby wears -- 87.

Crosby left some cash on the table by not pushing for the individual cap of just over $10 million so the Penguins would have enough to spend on players around their cornerstone. Crosby doesn't want to score all the goals by himself.

The only question is, how much can you buy for $1.3 million these days? A journeyman defenseman or a worn-out forward, but Dallas Drake is off the market. The Wings have signed him.

No. 78 sounds like a good and fair number for Zetterberg.

George James Malik, Mlive.com adds:

If Red Wings GM Ken Holland can get him signed to a 5-year deal at $8 million a season (8 x 5 = 40), that's a steal compared to the money "Hank" could earn as an unrestricted free agent in two years, when the salary cap should be pushing the mid-$50's.

Zetterberg Reportedly Willing to “Sign for the Rest of his Career”

By Chris Turner, Zetterbergfan.com, July 9, 2007

Great news for Detroit Red Wings fans: Henrik Zetterberg says, "As long as Detroit wants to, I'll sign for the rest of my career," according to Swedish Newspaper Expressen. (see below) 

Most followers of the team would love to have “Hank” spend the rest of his NHL career in Hockeytown. He is a classy guy who plays every shift with determination and passion. Zetterberg plays a solid two-way game, creates lots of offense, is very responsible in his own end, and doesn’t take very many penalties. He is considered by many to be one of the best all-around players in the National Hockey League. He is the type of player you build your team around.

And it seems that Red Wings management has the same feelings towards Zetterberg as the fans do, perhaps not making a huge splash this off season by not signing a big name free-agent to a high-priced long-term contract in hopes of saving salary cap space for when Henrik becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2007-08 season. And you can bet Zetterberg will probably get his wish. Detroit will undoubtedly offer him a multi-year contract similar to that given to Pavel Datsyuk this past year, (7 years for 6.7 million dollars a season). If I were the Red Wings I would consider this future team captain my franchise player, not unlike Steve Yzerman, and offer him a ten-year contract at around 7 million a season as soon as possible. Of course, I’m biased.

Some critics would point to Henrik’s back injury in the second half of this season and even his re-occurring tendonitis of the left wrist as reasons to be weary of signing the gifted forward for a decade. After suffering an inflamed/herniated disc in his lower back in practice after February 24th’s game versus the Nashville Predators, Zetterberg missed the final 19 games of the 2006-07 regular season. He had already withdrawn from his first ever NHL All-star game in February with tendonitis in his left wrist.

When asked about the injuries, Henrik says that he has received off-season help with his wrist in Sundsvall, Sweden and with some extra therapy and minerals; the problems with his wrist are gone. As for his back, he says he has rested it and it feels much better, but he won’t know for sure until this fall when they start practice. Either way, he has two full seasons to show that he is injury free prior to having to sign a new deal.

At the time of Zetterberg’s back injury he was on a hot streak, easily the NHL’s best player in the month of February with 13 goals and 12 assists for 25 points in 11 games, including 5 game-winning goals. Zetterberg had a 7 game scoring streak and was on pace for a career high 42 goals and 45 assists. Even after missing the last 19 games, Henrik finished the regular season leading the team with 33 total goals in just 63 games, just six shy of his career-high 39 from last season. Many think that baring any major injuries, Zetterberg will have a career year this year, surpassing last years totals.

If Henrik continues to improve his offensive production year after year, as he has through his first four NHL seasons, the Red Wings would be wise to offer him a big contract sooner than later. His value is only going to go up, and he expresses his desire to commit to the Red Wings already. It seems like a no-brainer…

However, nothing is in writing and the two sides won’t even begin negotiations until next season. So, despite both sides stating their intention to work out a long-term deal at a reasonable price, there is no guarantee when it comes to professional athletes contracts. It is rare in this day and age for any player to spend his entire career with one team like Steve Yzerman did. And it is hard to imagine that if Zetterberg ever decides to test his value on the free agent market that he won’t be offered a lot of money to play in other cities. So, you can only hope that Detroit makes a serious effort to lock Hank up before other franchises get an opportunity to make better offers.

On the other hand, Henrik genuinely seems sincere about being with the Wings for life. Maybe he is a rare player with loyalty to the organization that gave him his first chance in the NHL, not unlike Swedish superstar and future hall-of-famer Niklas Lidstrom. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.