Niklas Kronwall’s Extension by the Numbers

As you probably know by now, Niklas Kronwall signed a seven-year extension with the Detroit Red Wings worth $33.25 million. His cap hit sits at a modest $4.75 million which surprisingly no other defenseman exactly matches.

Thirty-eight defenders make within a million of that particular cap hit, whether higher or lower, putting him in relatively elite status. Or, not quite. If you play a solid game, or even hit free agency after a solid season, a $3.75 cap hit is relatively common. The lower tier of our comparison lists fellow Swede Tobias Enstrom and teammate Brad Stuart. While those d-men are certainly more-than-serviceable, but there are certainly some suspect defenders on this list.

Of those, Jaroslav Spacek, Mike Komisarek, Keith Ballard and Ron Hainsey all sit within a million differential, or under 2 percent of the salary cap. Who would you rather have on your team? Furthermore, how does Kronwall stack up against his competitors.

Even though he only potted a goal and an assist over his first nine games this season, he stacks up well offensively over his counterparts. Last season, only 30 other defenders produced more than his 37 points. Only 11 other d-men scored more goals than his 11. In 2008-2009, Kronwall finished 11th in the League with 51 points. Only Andrei Markov and teammate Brian Rafalski posted more assists than him that season. If you are wondering what happened to his 2009-2010 comparable stats, the Stockholm native missed 34 games, adding to a somewhat injury-prone label.

The 30-year-old defender has never played a full NHL season. Over his five full-time seasons with the team, he has missed a tremendous 72 games — only 10 games short of a full season. Still, signing a player they know opposed to a random unrestricted free agent should allow the Red Wings to maintain a similar system for the foreseeable future. In fact, they have ensured Henrik Zetterberg, Johan Franzen and Kronwall all will stay in the winged wheel until 2019.

Furthermore, Kronwall has assumed the duties of replacing the irreplaceable Nicklas Lidstrom. Last year’s Stanley Cup playoffs saw Kronwall lead the team in time on ice, playing 1:15 more per season than his role model. Thus far, Kronwall has not surpassed the team’s captain and sure-thing Hall-of-Famer but he plays in all situations, averaging slightly under 23 minutes per game.

Like all long-term contracts, this extension is risky. However, if he continues to be a punishing defenseman who eats minutes and chips in offensively, this signing should work out quite well. Likewise, the team has shown a great deal of confidence by inking him, essentially announcing he will be their top pairing, or at least top-four, defender for years to come. Feel safe owning him until his play inevitably declines.

—