What Kind of 2014-15 Season Will Henrik Zetterberg Have for the Red Wings?

The captain is back and is healthy, so there is a reason to cheer in Detroit for the start of the 2014-15 season. The injury bug bit Henrik Zetterberg hard last season, and the skilled forward was limited to only 45 games.

It was the least amount of games played in a regular season for the Wings captain, and it was the first time since 2006-07 that Zetterberg failed to appear in at least 60 games. Zetterberg has been in the NHL for 10 full seasons, and during that span he's played in an average of 71.3 games a season.

It may seem like a superfluous use of numbers, but the moral of the story is that Zetterberg is known for missing a few games each season. With that in mind—what kind of season can be expected from the soon-to-be 34-year-old?

At this stage of his career, Zetterberg is a savvy veteran scorer. The question with Zetterberg is not if he will contribute enough offensively, but will he appear in enough games for his production to mean something?

Despite the injuries that have ailed him, he has maintained good pace, and he's been at a point-per-game or just under it in all but one of his last four seasons. This shows that Zetterberg's overall game isn't declining, but the structure of his body is.

To illustrate this, take a look at these two charts. The first is Zetterberg's production, and the other is the injuries that ailed him last season. He's missed games in other seasons as well, but this will only look at the previous year.

Season	Age	GP	G	A	PTS	S%
P/GP Rating	N/A	N/A	0.288	0.679	0.968	N/A
2010-11	30	80	24	56	80	7.8
2011-12	31	82	22	47	69	8.2
2012-13(Lockout)	32	46	11	37	48	6.4
2013-14	33	45	16	32	48	10.6
2010-2014	NA	253	73	172	245	8.25

Date	Injury Description
4/24/2014	Missed the last 24 regular season and first 3 playoff games (back surgery).
2/26/2014	Back surgery, injured reserve.
1/30/2014	Missed 2 games (back injury).
1/26/2014	Back injury, day-to-day.
12/27/2013	Missed 11 games (herniated disc).

At first glance the numbers are good and suggest that Zetterberg can be a top performer this season. The worrisome part is the lagging injuries that can flare up again. In 2013 Zetterberg missed 11 games because of a herniated disk in his back. He returned to the lineup and went on to miss two more games with a back injury before undergoing back surgery.

This resulted in Zetterberg missing the next 27 games, 24 in the regular season and three playoff games, and the Red Wings were even at a disadvantage when he returned. The Wings' captain was still in some pain, and his game struggled.

There isn't much a player can do about a bad back; just ask Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux. Super Mario's career was cut short by a bad back among other things, and Zetterberg could face a similar fate if he takes a few bad bumps this year.

Lemieux appeared in 915 regular season games in 17 seasons, and Zetterberg is currently at 759 games through 11 seasons. Lemieux, however, had to step away from the game after the 1996-97 season at 31 because of his injuries and a battle with cancer.

He returned at 35, extended his career by 170 games and added 229 points to further pad a career worthy of enshrinement in Toronto. The time away certainly helped Lemieux, and getting healthy and refreshed could have a similar impact on Zetterberg going forward.

It isn't going to enable him to put up the sensational numbers Lemieux did, but it will be enough for Zetterberg to at least shoot par for the course.

This summer Zetterberg focused on getting healthy, and thus far in the preseason he has looked better, but he hasn't been able to get it going offensively. Mike Babcock wants his top line to start producing, and he called out his veteran players when meeting with the media.

Via Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press:

"

They've got to get going, just like everybody in exhibition. A lot of your veteran players, it takes them awhile to get going; the urgency isn't quite there, even though they know they've got to be ready to go. Our kids have won three, our big dogs 0-1. That's all part of whether you're engaged or not.

"

The words seem grim, but it hasn't been a lack of effort on the part of Zetterberg. From what I have watched so far in the preseason, the Njurunda, Sweden, native is working hard. He has skated well and made some nice passes, but the chances just haven't been buried.

It happens. There is a reason why the NHL has a training camp and a preseason. The same goes for real life when you think about it. If you own a (insert name of 2014's hottest sports car) it is going to be nice to drive, and it will whip up and down the parkway.

However, if you take that prized possession that you are now working your tail off to pay for each month and keep it in the driveway for a while, it may take some time to get going again. The battery could die, the transmission may need some warming up and there could be a litany of other things that need refreshing.

That is pretty much what is going on with Zetterberg right now. He has a proven track record. He's shown he can be an elite player, but he's easing back into a very tough situation. NHL hockey is very taxing, and even the greatest of players need to get back into game shape. 

Zetterberg has been focusing on making sure his body can handle the rigors of the NHL schedule first and foremost. Once he's 100 percent comfortable, you can be rest assured that he'll reclaim the status as one of the NHL's elite and most versatile two-way forwards.

The Red Wings captain told reporters, including the The Detroit News, that he's feeling fine, and the struggles of past years were microcosms of an underlying issue that he's taken care of once and for all.

"

I’m real excited to get back at it, I feel good. It’s been a good summer of rehabbing and off-ice workouts. Last year wasn’t my first year I had issues with my back. It came to the point I had to have surgery. It’s been on and off for the last few years. It’s good to come in and not think about (my back) and just play hockey.

"

So now we arrive at the question that was asked at the beginning: What kind of 2014-15 season can we expect from Henrik Zetterberg? I will go on record and say that Zetterberg has a season similar to 2009-10. 

In 2014-15 Zetterberg will score between 20 and 25 goals, and he will record between 40 and 45 assists. On the low end that is 60 points, and on the high end that is 70 points. Look for Zetterberg to play in 65 to 70 games, and don't be surprised if he is rested in some back-to-back games.

Continuous travel and hotel beds are not forgiving on the lumbar regions, and expect the Red Wings to be cognizant of that when managing the deployment and well-being of Zetterberg in 2014-15.

If Zetterberg can stay healthy this year, he can turn a corner; if not, this may be the start of the decline for a player who has been a Red Wings staple since entering the league in 2002.