Detroit Red Wings: Nicklas Lidstrom and 4 Players to Watch This Season

The Detroit Red Wings start their season this Friday. This upcoming year, it is evident that the Red Wings are playoff contender once again, but it is not a lock yet.

The Red Wings have got their eyes on the Cup as the ultimate goal, but they strive to be number one in the NHL.

There are five memorable Red Wings players whom one should watch during this upcoming season; five players who will dazzle Hockeytown in their white and red.

Dan Cleary

Mike Babcock announced that he was going to have Dan Cleary replace Holmstrom on the line with Pavel Datsyuk.

Last year was one of his best seasons offensively. He scored 26 goals and 46 points in 68 games.

He is fast on the ice and there is no doubting his strong skating abilities.

With his bigger role, Dan Cleary might prove to be an influential player on the ice for the Wings.

Henrik Zetterberg

Last season, Zetterberg's combined goals and assists equaled 80 points, slightly higher than his usual average.

This proves that Zetterberg shows no sign of slowing down. He had an 11-game stretch last season of game points and was fifth in the league in assists.

This elite superstar player shows no signs of slowing down, and will likely be racking up more prolific stats this season.

Jimmy Howard

Okay, sure the Red Wings were ranked 23rd last year in goals against, but it was not all Jimmy Howard’s fault.

The Wings have worked hard to build a strong defense to aid him this year. Last season, his save percentage was .908.

He recorded two shutouts last year, and Chris Osgood has remained with the Wings organization so there is no doubt that Howard is taking lessons from him.

This may be a good season for Howard.

Pavel Datsyuk

With his jaw-dropping puck-handling ability, Datsyuk will be a thorn in every NHL team once again.

While he missed nearly a quarter of the season last year, he still pulled in good stats.

Though injuries seem to have plagued him once again, Datsyuk is not expected to miss much time. His two-way forward play will continue to dominate on the ice.

Nicklas Lidstrom

This should have been obvious. Where would the Red Wings be without Nicklas Lidstrom? He is one of the best defensemen in the league.

He is expected to win the Norris Trophy this year and tie Bobby Orr's record at eight.

One should keep an eye on him this year, as rumors state that this may be his last.

For this guy, age does not matter. Whether he retires this year or the next, Lidstrom will always be amazing to watch on the ice.