#5 Nicklas LidstromNick Lidstrom is perhaps
the best blueliner
of the Red Wings. He is still among the top 3 or 4 in the league in
scoring, despite the loss of partner Paul Coffey. He played much of the
season with liability Mathieu Dandenault, and still put up some
respectable numbers, despite a poor start. Nick is a great checker, smooth
skater and has a powerful, accurate slapshot. Excellent all-around
defenseman. Played around 30 minutes per game in the playoffs and led the league
in shots.
#16 Vladimir KonstantinovVlad the Impaler. The
Vladiator. Whatever
you want to call him, Konstantinov is a solid, play the man, not the puck,
body pounding machine. For the second year in a row, he led the league
in +/-, (under Leclair) while the next two players on the team, Feds and Fetisov, were not
even in the top five in that category. Vladdy is excellent defensively and
is a major physical presence. His contribution to the Russian Four and American
One (Brownov) cannot be underestimated.
#55 Larry MurphyHere's another example of
how dumb Toronto fans and Cliff Fletcher are. The third highest scoring defenseman
in history is booed in Maple Leaf Gardens every time he touches the puck.
Cliff Fletcher who 'get's what he wants' trades Murphy to Detroit for the
price of his salary in the games he played for the Leafs. Murphy comes to Detroit
and plays great. Without this trade deadline acquisition, Detroit doesn't win
the Cup, plain and simple. He's no Paul Coffey, but helped fill Coffey's shoes excellently,
while at the same time, we also got Brendan Shanahan. The Shanahan and Murphy
trades were another example of Bowman's genius. (check out those wild animal
features. I LOVE this guy! He's hilarious)
#4 Jamie PushorOf Detroit's giant host of
rookie and
inexperienced defensemen, Pushor was easily been the most dependable and best
during the regular season. However, he sort of fell apart in the playoffs,
giving way to Aaron Ward. But Jamie is a virtual truck, who is good defensively and has some
offensive talent. He could easily develop into the next Chris Chelios, only
he can fight, and perhaps not score quite as often. Jamie is an exciting
young player who will be a regular wherever he plays for the rest of his
career.
#3 Bob RouseBob has been great ever since
the pathetic
Maple Leafs decided not to sign him a couple of years ago. It's beneficial
to the Red Wings and their fans, because Rouse has been a good defensive
player for the Wings. Rouse, along with guys like Errey, Brown, Ramsey and
Bergevin were the key to Detroit's record setting season in '96. He has
taken rookies Jamie Pushor and Aaron Ward under his wing and taught them the
ins and outs of the NHL.
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#2 Vyacheslav Fetisov"Fetisov is an aging
blueliner who has long
passed the prime of his hockey playing career. He was great ten years ago,
but it appears the shortened '95 season was probably the last he should have
played in the NHL. Fetisov makes errors, can't keep the puck in the
opposition's zone. He can score often enough, but his presence on the
Russian Five line makes him seem more than what he has become at the age of
39....Less than ordinary." ~ this was my original impression of Fetisov. His
performance in the '97 NHL playoffs made me bite my tongue. He played solidly,
rarely displaying any incompetence. He's still Detroit's least valuable defenseman,
but he contributed.
#11 Mathieu DandenaultDandy is an offensive
minded speedster. He
seems to have developed these attributes along with an offense-first attitude
as a result of spending last season living with Paul Coffey and his family.
Mathieu clearly does not belong on defense and should be moved back up to
right wing, where he could probably flourish. He constantly creates sticky
situations resulting in scoring opportunities for the opposing team. With the
acquistion of Murphy, Dandenault got zero ice time in the playoffs. He's only
twenty, and he has a good career ahead of him (at right wing).
#27 Aaron WardWard is a truck. He hits
harder then anyone
on the team, with the possible exception of Vladimir Konstantinov (who relies
more on positioning and opportunity than pure power). Ward is good
defensively and played well in the playoffs. He will be a regular in Detroit's
lineup in '97-'98. Wouldn't it be nice? Have your name engraved on the Cup in
your rookie season? Ward and Pushor will have that distinction.
#34 Anders EriksonErikkson has yet to emerge
as the dominant offensive checking defenseman. The feeling is that he will
yet be a good blue liner in the NHL, and perhaps needs another year to adjust to the
North American game. General lack of spirited play and poor conditioning got
him a trip back to Adirondack to cool his heels for a gap in the middle of
the season and he never returned to the roster, even as a scratch, in the playoffs.
He will play around 40 games next year.
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