12 October: Lidström, The Underrated one

If there's one player in the NHL who I think is underrated it's Nicklas Lidstrom. Even at an age of 30, the Swedish star defender's stats shows that he still has many more years of success. Last season he scored a career best 73 points, and even though he has dominated the Red Wings' defence he has never ever won a Norris Trophy. (which goes to the best defender of the season) He's surely the by far most skilled defensive player in the NHL, and he has been so for the last three years now. While guys like Chris Pronger play very hard and Physical games, throwing their strong bodies around the ice hitting their opponents, "Lidas" gets the job done without having to do those physical stuffs. He has really showed the NHL, and hockey players all around the world that you can be one of the world's best defenders without having to push and hit your opponents roughly into the boards. Even though of his playing style there's not many who has managed to get past him one-on-one. When his teammate, friend and countryman Thomas Holmström was questioned about him in a Swedish hockey magazine called "Pro Hockey" he said that: (translated from Swedish) "I've played with him for four years now, and I've only seen one player who has managed to get past him on a one-on-one situation, and that's Jagr" Nicklas has for his whole career heard that he could play more agressive, and he recentlly said that in this season he will try to change to a more agressive, thougher and more physical style and that his time as the NHL's "Mr Nice guy" is over. There's of course those who sees the skill in him, like the famous hockey magazine "The Hockey news" who have ranked Lidstrom as the NHL's best defender three years in a row. While Alexei Yashin goes on strike because of money reasons, Lidstrom gives a lot of money to his home club in Sweden, and he was even near to say "no thanks" to a three year contract worth $21 millions so that his children could go in a Swedish school. I have a lot of respect for him, and I'm not sure I want him to end his role as the NHL's nicest player. He has been nominated for the Norris Trophy three years in a row, and with his new more agressive style he could have a great chance of winning the trophy this season instead. And I which him all luck on this planet in obtaining it.

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