Stealing Hockeytown: Why Detroit Red Wing Pavel Datsyuk Should Be NHL MVP

The NHL season is young, the story lines are beginning to unfold. The hype machines are just beginning to spin their many cogs and gears as the Cinderellas begin to lace up their skates and take the ice in hopes of thwarting another powerhouse team's run to the Cup.

Young stars are emerging, older ones are fading, some are clinging on for another semi-productive season with hopes of one last taste from Lord Stanley.

In a season of new tales, there remain the many constants the NHL has come to display year in and year out. The Penguins and Capitals still hold their grip on the top seats in the East. The Blackhawks continue to impress despite cleaning house in the locker room this offseason.

Despite these constants, however, this season presents something the NHL has not seen in a long time, possibly ever—parity. For the first time in as many seasons as I can remember, this year's Stanley Cup race is wide open.

Which brings me to Hockeytown, home of the 11-time Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings.

In a season where the Red Wings have jumped out very quickly to a 6-2-1 record, it would seem as if they are in the hunt yet again for the chance to lift the Cup above their heads. They did it in 1997, they did it in 1998, they did it in 2002 and they did it in 2008. Why, then, can't the Red Wings do it again in 2011?

The answer is simple—they can. But only if the newest superstar in the rich lineage of Red Wings hockey takes them there.

So far it seems as if Pavel Datsyuk is primed to do just that. With 11 points in nine games, Datsyuk is already on his way to another stellar campaign. He also boasts a +5 rating in the early going.

But wait, you say, this is the MVP race. 11 points in nine games is good, but it isn't MVP good.

Well, certainly, naysayers would be quick to point out Steven Stamkos's 19 points to lead the league in scoring, Tim Thomas's amazing return to Vezina Trophy form or even Datsyuk's teammate Nicklas Lidstrom, who is off to one of the best starts of his illustrious career, all at the age of 40.

All good points, but let's take a look at what makes a player the most valuable in the league. Certainly the stats need to be there. The more scoring, the better chance of winning—just ask Gretzky. However, isn't there more to it than that?

What makes a player truly valuable to his team? Isn't it the simple presence of that player in the lineup? Stats are an easy way to measure a player's direct impact on the outcome of a game or season, but shouldn't an MVP also possess a game full of unmeasurable qualities as well?

Qualities such as making your teammates better, diving to block shots, fighting in the corners to hold possession in the offensive zone and even simply pickpocketing your opponent. This is where MVPs are truly made.

Check the history of 50-goal scorers or even 100-point season players in the NHL. The lists are long, long enough to argue that point production is not the only thing that should go into determining an MVP.

Let's take a look again at the list of MVP candidates listed above. Stamkos is 20 years old; he has a long career ahead of him. He is certainly going to get better. Giving him the MVP now would mean giving it to him every single year he equaled his season output or bested it. Not to mention the Lightning are just now starting to come into their own and were absolutely dreadful last season despite a 51-goal season from Stamkos.

Tim Thomas certainly has been a stud, but let's be honest. There is absolutely no way he can maintain gaudy numbers like a .50 goals against average or a godly .984 save percentage, and he definitely won't finish the season undefeated, which he currently is at 6-0-0. So let's rule him out too.

Lidstrom has all the essentials down: an impeccable Hall of Fame career, six Norris Trophies, a Conn Smythe Trophy and 11 All-Star appearances (with a likely 12th bid to the game this season). So why would he get passed up for the coveted MVP award this season?

Simply because he is not the most valuable player on his team.

Lidstrom is a staple in hockey's long history and is potentially the greatest defenseman of all time. Would he be the most valuable player on 98 percent of NHL teams? Absolutely. But the truth is, on the Red Wings he is not.

Last season, Lidstrom appeared in all 82 regular season games for the Wings. Turning in another stellar 49-point season. However, the team sputtered for the first time in years and only reached the second round of the playoffs. For many teams, that would be considered a pretty good, if not great, season.

But not for the Red Wings. Not for Hockeytown. Just a year removed from back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals appearances, this was a letdown of a season.

The reason why? Datsyuk turned in his worst statistical season since 2003-2004.

Now don't jump all over me for that statement, I understand the Wings also faced a myriad of injuries, forcing them to plug in new lineups all season that were never able to "gel".

But doesn't that make Datsyuk's 70-point season all the more impressive? Despite playing with multiple different lines and missing key goal scorers Johan Franzen and Henrik Zetterberg for much of the season, Datsyuk still found ways to keep the Wings in the race.

Now the stats have been covered, let's get to those intangibles that an MVP must possess in order to be truly worthy of the award.

It is here that Datsyuk truly pulls away from the pack. Everyone in the league is fully aware of those darn "Datsyukian" dekes that cause headaches for defenders and goalies alike every single night on the ice. But how about his three straight Selke Trophies as the league's top defensive forward? This certainly covers the hustle required to block shots and fight for loose pucks I talked about earlier.

Still not enough for you? How about winning four consecutive Lady Byng Trophies from 2006-2009 as the league's most professional player, who night in and night out displays the best sportsmanship the NHL has to offer. Datsyuk doesn't just get the job done statistically, he gets the job done with class and dignity. He exhibits not only the talents of the NHL's elite, but the character and class of a true gentleman.

He has earned the respect of the entire league and will always be considered one of the greatest players to play for one of the NHL's most storied franchises. All this and he is only 32 years young.

Subtract Datsyuk from the Red Wings lineup and they are not the same team. They not only lose out on their set-up man who wows players and fans alike with incredible passes and dekes, but also on the premier defensive prowess he provides.

With No. 13 in the lineup, the Wings are well on their way to hanging yet another banner from their already cluttered rafters. Without him, it will be just another second round exit and disappointing season in a crowded Western Conference.

That is what makes Datsyuk so truly valuable. The most valuable in fact.

Isn't it only appropriate the MVP reside in Hockeytown?