Red Wings of the Decade

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

Everyone else is making their "best of the decade" list, so it's time we got in on this. I figure there will be a lot of the same names popping up on most of them, but maybe we'll get a few interesting additions/omissions and radically different opinions. And remember, though many of these Wings have done great things in other decades, this last decade is the only one eligible for your consideration. Here is my Top 10, in rough order:

1. Lidstrom

2. Zetterberg

3. Osgood

4. Datsyuk

5. Yzerman

6. Hasek

7. Fedorov

8. Shanahan

9. Holmstrom

10. Draper

The list is biased to the more recent Cup winners than the '02 ones, perhaps because the latter were on their last legs and didn't have their best years in the aughts whereas the stars of today did. Plus, returning to the Finals after a Cup win gets you bonus points as opposed to being swept out of the first round.

Lidstrom is obviously a lock for number one. Hank, along with being one of the Wings' top players since '04, has been the best playoff performer of anyone in the league since the lockout, so he gets the number two slot. Osgood, having won far and away the most games of any Wings netminder in this decade and being the catalyst for two great playoff runs gets the next spot. And then Datsyuk, who's led the Wings in scoring every season since '04, and is the winner of multiple Selkes, Byngs, and a Hart nomination, but loses points for playoff struggles.

The rest fills out the old-folks home, which I weighed and ordered via tenure, regular season and playoff performance.

[Wings_Dynasty 267]

1. Lidstrom- with the team for the entire decade, 2 Cups, several Norris', 1 Conn Smythe, nuff said

2. Yzerman- 1 Cup, great performance in 02, set the pace for the team even though injuries were a big problem

3. Osgood- 2 straight Cup finals

4. Datsyuk- 2 Cups, works great under pressure and can control a game by himself

5. Hasek- he was a monster in 02 and was reliable up until the 08 run

6. Fedorov- dominant in 02 and the best all around player until Dats and Z developed

7. Shanahan- consistent and a physical presence with a scoring touch, hopefully Bert continues into the playoffs and plays like Shanny

8. Zetterberg- 08 playoffs dominance and a Conn Smythe as well as being the shut-down go to guy and PK machine

9. Holmstrom- he is the best at what he does

10. Hull- great scoring ability in 02, helped us beat the Nucks more than is mentioned

Honorable Mention- Franzen- the series against the Avs is legendary, and he may even crack the top 10 if he gets a few goals with a deep playoff run this season.

Edited December 27, 2009 by Wings_Dynasty

[Guest ZetterbergFourty]

Sorry to burst your bubble here, but when did Lidstrom ever win a Conn Smythe?

Edit: Nevermind.

2001-02 NHL - Conn Smythe Trophy (Playoffs MVP)

It seemed to me right off the bat there that he was one of the Red Wing greats that had never won a Conn Smythe, just all those Norris Trophies.

Edited December 27, 2009 by ZetterbergFourty

[rage 24]

Lidstrom

The rest is up for debate to me since the time-frame is so weird.

1999-2009 is hard since Feds, Yzerman and Shanny were at the taillend of their career in Detroit and guys like Z and Dats didn't play for the first 3-4 years of this time frame.

Then you have Ozzie who was here and not here during that time-frame.

So yeah, Lidstrom!! LOL

Edited December 27, 2009 by rage

[rage 24]

Sorry to burst your bubble here, but when did Lidstrom ever win a Conn Smythe?

LOL!!

Sorry to burst your bubble, but he was the first ever European to ever win the Conn Smythe. It was in 2002.

Also, the first European Captain to win a Stanely Cup. That was in 2008.

Edited December 27, 2009 by rage

[Guest ZetterbergFourty]

LOL!!

Sorry to burst your bubble, but he was the first ever European to ever win the Conn Smythe. It was in 2002.

Also, the first European Captain to win a Stanely Cup. That was in 2008.

Yes, I quickly realized this and edited that post.

[rage 24]

Yes, I quickly realized this and edited that post.

I see that now.

[rage 24]

I just edited my post as well after thinking about how weird of a question this really is. lol

[Guest ZetterbergFourty]

I'm still contemplating my entire list, but it will include Darren McCarty.

[Shady Ultima 40]

I actually put quite a bit of work into mine. Players who were great but here for only a short time were not included.

1. Lidstrom - How can you not put this man here? Unquestionably the best defense man of all time to play for the Wings, the best D man in the past decade, arguably the best D man of all time as well as arguably the best player of the decade on ANY team. His multitude of Norris trophy wins, his Conn Smythe, 2 Stanley cups, and probably even more hardware to come as well give him EASILY the number one spot.

2. Yzerman - Although Yzerman was past his prime, and only played for about half the decade, it's pretty hard not put the put the captain here. He was no longer the player he was a few years earlier, but his run in the 2002 playoffs on one leg was simply inspirational, putting him above many players who may have played better over the course of the decade

T3. Datsyuk - Currently the fifth* longest player on our team (he joined Detroit in the 01-02 season) and one of our greats up front, there really isn't any way to not put him in the top 5 at LEAST. Considered one of the top 5 in the NHL, he absolutely has been everything we needed, especially after the loss of many of our previous greats. Seeing this guy play is amazing. He has led the team in points for the past three years, and has been one of our best defensive forwards at the same time. With several Lady Byng and Selke trophies, he has controlled the ice on both sides.

T3. Zetterberg - Where Datsyuk has dominated the regular season, Zetterberg has been our best player in the playoffs for the past 2/3 seasons. He is currently the Detroit playoff points leader of all time, and he is tied with Franzen for most playoff goals of all time. His defensive play managed to shut down some of the greatest offensive players in the game, including Crosby two years in a row. Conn Smythe in 2008 and his first Stanley cup, he's a workhorse we can put a lot of faith on, and in years to come will be one of the blocks we build the next-generation team around.

5. Shannahan - I am sure that several people will debate this, or be confused. During the 6 years he was here with us he was the leader in points in the 2000-01 and 01-02 seasons and won the King Clancy Award in 2002-03. His glory years were behind him, but he was still a force to be reckoned with here. I was disappointed when he left after the lockout, but he was right, he couldn't hang onto the past here any longer. In 2002 he was one of the several players to win both a Stanley cup AND a gold medal in the same year, after being selected to play for the Canadian Olympic team.

6. Hasek - Many people forget just how good Hasek had been with us. Even if he was not the goalie he was on Buffalo, he still had the gas in the tank to take us to a Cup his first year here. After the retirement and comeback fiasco between him, Joseph and Legace, he was again a solid goalie in the 07 and 08 seasons, bringing us back to the WCF for the first time since he left, and sitting when we won a second cup. Interestingly enough, he was the FIRST European goaltender to lead a team to a Stanley cup. His 6 shutouts en route to our 2002 Cup victory is the current record for a Detroit goaltender.

7. Federov - One of the most talented players to ever wear the Winged Wheel for quite some time, this guy had it all. He led the team in 02-03 in points, and was sound defensively. While he only played for the first 3 years of the decade before chasing after some Russian skirt out in Anaheim, he was one of the main pieces of our 2002 cup win. Despite leaving after being swept by Anaheim, he passed on much of his play to Datsyuk, who has taken all of his lessons and clearly improved upon them.

8. Osgood - We've been blessed to have two of the best goalies of the era play for our team. Osgood is almost as good as Hasek, but almost all his stats are slightly lower. He has been fantastic since returning after the lockout, but he had lost his focus by the time we let him go to acquire Hasek before the 01-02 season. He is still vastly underrated among the league, and a part of that is that he has never been the best regular season goalie. His strength is absolutely playoffs, where he goes from Osgood to Osgod.

9. Draper - I believe Draper's acquisition from the Jets one of the greatest moves of all time. We got one of the best defensive forwards of all time for a single dollar! Draper is the 5th player to ever play 1,000 games as a Red Wing, and he consistently shows he can still play. The ultimate face-off man, he has been a player for every modern Stanley cup victory. After winning the Selke in 2004, he was selected for Canada's Olympic team in the 2006 Turin games.

10. Franzen - I had not originally planned to put Franzen in the top 10, in fact, I had chosen Chelios instead. But after looking at what he has done in the 4 seasons he has been here, this man has deserved top 10. He currently holds 4 Detroit records, as well as one NHL record(see below). It was Yzerman who gave Franzen his famous nickname, and it has stuck ever since.

Detroit Red Wings record for most game winning goals in one month, March 2008 (6).

Detroit Red Wings record for most goals in a single playoff series (9).

Detroit Red Wings record for consecutive playoff games with a goal (5, shared with Howe and Lindsay).

Detroit Red Wings record for most goals in a single playoff year (13 - tied with Zetterberg). NHL record for most goals in a 4 game playoff series (9).

Special mentions:

Hull - One of the best goal scorers in history, he was great when he was here, helping us to the 2002 Cup.

Legace - The best backup goalie of all time perhaps, he saved us for quite a few seasons, taking the reins as starter away from Osgood, Hasek AND Joseph at some time. During the regular season, he was absolutely fantastic, but he never could hold up during the post season.

Holmstrom - What can you say? For a guy who's a poor skater, not very big, and has no real hands, he's scored a hell of a lot of goals for us. Over the course of his career he has racked up 424 points (as of last season), with all the skills of a goaltender...

Chelios - The oldest player in skates was long past his prime by the time he arrived in Detroit, but he was here for long enough to ALMOST earn a spot in the top 10, considering that in 01-02 he had the best Plus/Minus in the league, considering he was already getting old by hockey standards. His conditioning routine has kept him playing far longer than the average player, and despite the drop off due to his loss of speed, he deserves the respect he has gained.

Edited December 27, 2009 by Shady Ultima

[NGKEIB 32]

I actually put quite a bit of work into mine. Players who were great but here for only a short time were not included.

T3. Datsyuk - Currently the second longest player on our team (he joined Detroit in the 01-02 season) and one of our greats up front, there really isn't any way to not put him in the top 5 at LEAST. Considered one of the top 5 in the NHL, he absolutely has been everything we needed, especially after the loss of many of our previous greats. Seeing this guy play is amazing. He has led the team in points for the past three years, and has been one of our best defensive forwards at the same time. With several Lady Byng and Selke trophies, he has controlled the ice on both sides.

T3. Zetterberg - Where Datsyuk has dominated the regular season, Zetterberg has been our best player in the playoffs for the past 2/3 seasons. He is currently the Detroit playoff points leader of all time, and he is tied with Franzen for most playoff goals of all time. His defensive play managed to shut down some of the greatest offensive players in the game, including Crosby two years in a row. Conn Smythe in 2008 and his first Stanley cup, he's a workhorse we can put a lot of faith on, and in years to come will be one of the blocks we build the next-generation team around.

Holmstrom - What can you say? For a guy who's a poor skater, not very big, and has no real hands, he's scored a hell of a lot of goals for us. Over the course of his career he has racked up 424 points (as of last season), with all the skills of a goaltender...

Where to begin? How can Datsyuk be the 'second longest' player on our team, when Lidström, Draper, Maltby and Holmström have all been here longer?

You may want to rephrase the bolded part about Franzén and Zetterberg...

Holmström is talented. Fact.

Edited December 27, 2009 by NGKEIB

[Shady Ultima 40]

Where to begin? How can Datsyuk be the 'second longest' player on our team, when Lidstr�m, Draper, Maltby and Holmstr�m have all been here longer?

You may want to rephrase the bolded part about Franz�n and Zetterberg...

Holmstr�m is talented. Fact.

Regarding Datsyuk, you are correct entirely. I was simply not counting them, because in the last decade (starting with 00), Lidstrom, Draper, Maltby and Holmstrom are tied for first. I suppose that actually makes him 5th, but he is the longest player on our team who did not play for the 97/98 teams.

Regarding the bolded part, could you explain why? It is true that Franzen and Zetterberg are currently tied with 13 goals each in the 08 playoffs, which is the current Detroit record for playoff goals.

I see Holmstrom as being the least talented goal scorer on the team. For years people said he had brick hands, and he managed to rack up all those points mainly from standing in front of the net.

[Marty Barry 230]

Larionov!

[Rivalred 630]

Nick, hands down.

The rest of names on that list either (1) were top in the 90's or (2) are still writing their own history

[Datsyerberger 279]

1. Lidstrom

2. Lidstrom

3. Lidstrom

4. Lidstrom

etc...

Seriously though.. hmm.

First two are easy:

1. Lidstrom - Ridiculously obvious

2. Yzerman - Same

Gets harder from here:

3. Datsyuk - Leading scorer for several years, btb selke winner, 4x byng, highlight reels, fan favorite

4. Zetterberg - Smythe, scoring, defense, leader, Datsyuk's translator

5. Osgood - Amazing, clutch playoff performances

Even more difficult...

6. Draper - Has been a huge part of this team all decade.. faceoffs, Selke defense, leadership, he even scored a few goals once upon a time.

7. Holmstrom - A huge part of this team's offense has been based around this guy's antics for the majority of this decade, and particularly post-lockout.

8. Hasek - Let's not forget he gave us several years of good goaltending.

9. Shanahan - While not as big as he was in the 90s, was still a very important part of this team for the first chunk of the decade.

10. Chelios - The leadership, mentoring, and so on he brought to the team over most of the 2000s was pretty awesome. Also, 01-02

Yea, no Feds. Now, if this were a 90s thread...

[Wings_Dynasty 267]

7. Federov

Stopped reading right there.

[SweWings 45]

Sorry to burst your bubble here, but when did Lidstrom ever win a Conn Smythe?

Edit: Nevermind.

2001-02 NHL - Conn Smythe Trophy (Playoffs MVP)

It seemed to me right off the bat there that he was one of the Red Wing greats that had never won a Conn Smythe, just all those Norris Trophies.

Sorry to burst your bubble here, but you are retarded.

[Carman 387]

Yzerman, if it wasn't for him we wouldn't have any Stanley Cups. On the ice and off the ice he is the example of what it is to be a Red Wing, and that's not even taking into account the actual service he does for the team with scouting and advice.

[Guest Lidstromboli]

1. Lebda

who cares about the rest

[Shady Ultima 40]

Stopped reading right there.

Any reason why?

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

Any reason why?

Probably either because he only played 4 years out of the decade for Detroit, or the messy divorce in 2003.

[Rivalred 630]

Any reason why?

You spelled it wrong...

[swedishconnection 36]

Any reason why?

Fed O rov.

It has become a common theme over the years on LGW that the people who don't even know how to spell the great's names or choose not to care are usually people that we would choose NOT to read.

Don't worry, (and I'm not being sarcastic) you are not the first and will not be the last. It sort of lowers the level your words carry.

[SweWings 45]

Fed O rov.

It has become a common theme over the years on LGW that the people who don't even know how to spell the great's names or choose not to care are usually people that we would choose NOT to read.

Don't worry, (and I'm not being sarcastic) you are not the first and will not be the last. It sort of lowers the level your words carry.

Usually you also suffer quite a bit of flaming which this guy seems to have avoided.

[Guest Lidstromboli]

uh oh, an easily misspelled name being misspelled! KILL HIM!