Gone are the days when Detroit’s defensive play was structured around the likes of Sergei Fedorov and Kris Draper, both former Selke winners for Detroit. Although Kris Draper is still a great veteran checker, along with his decade-long linemate Kirk Maltby, the tide has turned in Detroit as what was once termed “Detroit’s future” has now become their present: Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. 

Ever since Steve Yzerman retired and Brendan Shanahan signed as a free agent with the New York Rangers, the Detroit Red Wings have truly become Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk’s team. And they’ve responded tremendously, posting strong offensive numbers in the past few seasons. Now that they’ve established themselves as a pair of arguably top 10 NHL forwards, people have also started to take note of their strong defensive presence to the point where both names are being tossed around in Selke discussions. 

But which is the better choice? 

At the beginning of the season, Zetterberg would’ve likely garnered the majority vote in this debate. And he’s still arguably the better option. He has a reputation for being a go-to penalty killer, despite the fact that Detroit is likely the deepest team in the league when it comes to  great penalty killing forwards, having seven or eight great options to choose from. He rarely makes careless plays with the puck, regardless of which zone he’s in, and his play along the boards is akin to that of a gritty third-line checker. He’s known for being incredibly strong on the puck and can strip the puck with the best of them. He’s also key in the face-off circle, taking - and winning - critical face-offs game after game, where he’s taken nearly 30% of his teams face-offs throughout the year.  

Datsyuk is also a key face-off taker, rounding out the top 3 Red Wings in face-off percentage with Draper and Zetterberg. But where Datsyuk really wows is in the takeaways department. He finished the season with 144 takeaways, almost double that of Mike Modano who finished second in the NHL this year. He started out at the beginning of the season as a defensive forward flying very much under the radar. But throughout the season, he’s picked up speed and is now likely to receive some Selke consideration himself. His defensive play has become especially apparent during long stretches where Zetterberg has been out with injury, both this season and last. He rarely gets beaten one on one and is possibly the most dedicated back-checker on the entire Wings squad. He also led the league in +/- this year at +41.

What’s going to count against Datsyuk in the league-wide Selke debate, however, is how he is (mis)perceived as a skilled, soft player, whereas Zetterberg has a reputation for being a stronger, more hard-hat type of player. What’s going to count against Zetterberg is Datsyuk’s emergence and increasing acclaim, founded in takeaway stats and plus minus ratings as well as intangibles. In terms of Selke consideration, Datsyuk and Zetterberg’s PK time will likely also count against them both - a shame, as its more a testament to smart coaching and the Red Wings penalty killing depth, than it is an indication of the “Euro Twins” defensive strength and reliability. Also, few people realize how often Babcock chooses to play Datsyuk and Zetterberg against the oppositions top line in a checking role.  

Regardless of the outcome in the highly contested Selke debate, Zetterberg and Datsyuk both deserve mention among the Maddens, Pahlssons, Alfredssons and Brind’amours of the league. And the Red Wings are more than lucky to have them both.