Yesterday, the Detroit Red Wings re-signed their captain and defensive stalwart Nicklas Lidstrom to a one-year, 6.2 million dollar extension ensuring he will lace up his skates for at least one more year.
A quick glance at his stats would indicate a sharp decline. Unfortunately, Lidstrom is no longer the best offensive defenseman to lace them up. However, at age 39 only seven players managed to put more points across last season.
Signing a one-year contract shows that Lidstrom certainly finds himself on the way out. He still will lead a competitive Red Wings team next season as they look to again establish themselves as Cup contenders. If the actions of Teemu Selanne or Scott Niedermayer show any indication, a one-year deal no longer means definite retirement.
In a keeper league, trade him before this coming deadline as he will likely retire sooner rather than later. As far as projections go, expect around fifty points and solid peripherals once again and feel free to use a mid-round pick on him.
With Jiri Hudler on the way back and Valtteri Filppula finding chemistry the Wings should possess one of the deadliest offenses.
