The Detroit Red Wings general Steve Yzerman announced that Nicklas Lidstrom has been hired as Vice President of Hockey Operations. Lidstrom played over 1,500 games, being highly regarded as the best defenceman to ever play for Detroit.
The Perfect Hire. pic.twitter.com/LwvEoXILUA
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) January 11, 2022
Nicklas Lidstrom Named Vice President of Hockey Operations
Steve Yzerman and Nicklas Lidstrom have a history together, having won three Stanley-Cups together. Lidstrom won his fourth Stanley Cup in 2008. Furthermore, he was awarded the Conn Smythe trophy in 2002, as the most valuable player of the playoffs. Lidstrom won six Norris Trophies, which is awarded to top defenceman of the season.
The former defenceman was selected in the third round, 53rd overall in the 1989 draft. He scored 264 goals and 878 assists for 1,142 points in his career. Moreover, Lidstrom added 132 power-play goals and 514 penalty minutes. Following his retirement from the NHL, Lidstrom and his family returned to Sweden. Since then, Lidstrom has entered the Hockey Hall of Fame and IIHF Hall of Fame. His famous No. 5 was retired by the Red Wings in 2014.
Additionally, Lidstrom has been a part of the Red Wings Scouting Department since 2012. He’ll now be involved in all aspects of Detroit’s hockey operations, per ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski.
What This Means For The Future
The Red Wings have missed the playoffs in each of the past five seasons. Yzerman decided to rebuild following the 27-year playoff streak. In order to do that, they’ve drafted key pieces, including Lucas Raymond, Sebastian Cossa, Simon Edvinsson, and Moritz Seider. The team sits only four points away from the playoffs. The emergence of Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond has helped them greatly. And, acquisition of Alex Nedeljkovic has solved the Red Wings goaltending issues. Now, Lidstrom will surely have a positive impact on the Red Wings organization. The Red Wings will continue to emerge from the NHL’s basement, with one of the league’s best front offices.
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