Bill Clement

Once again this season Nicklas Lidstrom of the Red Wings proved the top all-around defenseman in the NHL so it will come as no surprise when he wins his sixth Norris Trophy.

What is surprising is how his greatness reveals itself. He doesn’t do anything in an overpowering or flashy sense that jumps out for all to see. If after 16 seasons in the NHL his reputation didn’t precede him, those new to watching him might not know of his greatness since spotting it isn’t an immediate thing. It takes a close look at all that Lidstrom does to truly appreciate and understand his genius.

But once one discovers how exceptionally special Lidstrom is and how the sum of the components of his game is far greater than any one component standing alone, his greatness is always on display for the trained eye to see.

Lidstrom is in a class by himself: the best defensive defenseman of all-time, the best first passer among blue liners and the best at his position at getting shots through from the point.

Coming close to perfection
I’ve always felt that Lidstrom is an acquired taste because nothing he does really stands out unless you spend the time to closely observe him. He rarely delivers a hit, doesn’t lead the rush, isn’t the fastest skater, doesn’t have the hardest shot and rarely just picks up the puck and wheels with it — a quality seen in other great defensemen in NHL history such as Bobby Orr, Ray Bourque, Denis Potvin and Brad Park.

It’s the subtle qualities of the Swede’s game which make him great. When he is closely observed it can be seen how he almost never makes a mistake. He makes the right play with and without the puck. I’ve spent time watching him in practices just waiting for one bad pass from him and I can never remember seeing one. His execution is as close to perfect as it gets.

Lidstrom does great things on the power play and on the opposing blue line but those elements of his game should not overshadow how a great part of his offensive contributions come in his half of the ice and those go virtually unnoticed. He’s able to separate pucks from opposing players and then make the right decision and execute perfect passes. His passing is unbelievable and it translates into his not spending much time in his end.

Super stick, super smarts
Lidstrom has the best “stick” of any defenseman who has ever played in the NHL – and that’s a really high compliment. For a defenseman having a great “stick” means when an opponent has possession of the puck and the defenseman isolated on him always keeps the blade of his stick between the puck and the attacker’s intended target for the puck – whether that target is a teammate through a pass or the net through a shot on goal.

What gives Lidstrom the nod as having the best stick in the history of the game is that he is completely aware of the attacker’s options and intentions at all times. Lidstrom’s hockey IQ is off the charts. It seems Lidstrom often knows what an opponent’s options are even before the opponent knows. That’s uncanny and unheard of — unless you are Nicklas Lidstrom.

Like all truly great players the Swede has unbelievable stamina. Also while he doesn’t play a power game, he’s far stronger than he looks. See him in street clothes and you would never guess he possesses such impressive strength. His strength is deceiving and vastly underrated. The overall strength of his legs and his leg drive are parts of his game that don’t get mentioned near enough.

Benefits of a good “walk”
Another of the things that make Lidstrom great defensively — and which also helps him offensively — is his mobility. When opponents are coming down the ice 1-on-1 with him and they attempt to make a S-turn — trying to take him inside-outside or outside-inside — his lateral movement and mobility are second to none.

He also uses that mobility to “walk” the puck across the blue line. “Walking the puck” is a term used to describe a player who can secure the puck and then take it back across the blue line while remaining in possession of it. Lidstrom is a master of this skill. He’s a left defenseman so he is usually over by the left boards so just watch him when he gets the puck back there and you will see him skate backwards with puck across the blue line. He’s walking it backwards and he’s doing so with such a smooth backwards skating motion that he appears like he’s not even moving. But he is moving and opponents must watch out because he can suddenly accelerate across the blue line.

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