Dallas Drake: In June of 2007, just days before the NHL free agency period began, Dallas Drake was waived and bought out by the St. Louis Blues, a team he had captained and been an integral part of for many years. One year later, he admits he was pondering retirement if no seemingly playoff-bound team had interest in him. Fortunately for him, the team that drafted him did have interest, as well as a storied history, a great recent playoff performance, and one of the most talented organizations from the front office down to the ice. He was signed by the Red Wings, much to the chagrin of many Red Wings fans, who mostly only tolerated him because of his minimum-wage salary. Of course, that was before he stepped into the lineup and immediately gave them a chippy, pseudo-enforcer who was willing to drop the gloves for his teammates. Since then, he’s become a fan favorite, and was key in helping the Wings to close out a surging Dallas Stars team in the Western Conference Finals. He enjoyed his first Stanley Cup Finals appearance, in the twilight of his career, and after Nicklas Lidstrom’s initial skate with the Stanley Cup, got his turn to hoist the 35-pound trophy high above his balding head.

Darren McCarty: Bought out by the Red Wings in 2005 and performing an injury-riddled stint with the Calgary Flames, it appeared Darren McCarty’s NHL career had come to an end. Ex-wife woes, substance abuse, gambling problems, and bankruptcy finally appeared to snuff out any hope of a return to hockey for the former Detroit Red Wing celebrity. But after spending some time rectifying his off-ice problems, Darren McCarty was able to get his career back on track (and no, I’m not talking about his band, ‘Grinder’). He took his lumps first in the IHL and then later in the AHL before earning a roster spot with the Detroit Red Wings, a few short weeks before the Red Wings were to make their 2008 playoff debut. He’ll now see his name etched onto the Stanley Cup as a Red Wing for the 4^th time in just 11 years.

Chris Osgood: Despite having the better regular season, Chris Osgood was playing backup to sure-fire Hall of Famer Dominik Hasek when the playoffs started. But two games against a fiery Nashville team changed all that and Osgood quickly found himself thrust into the starting position midway through the first round. He filled in admirably and earned himself a healthy amount of Conn Smythe consideration with his league-leading goals against average and back-to-back shutouts to start out the Finals against one of the most dominant offensive teams in the NHL. He hoisted his third Stanley Cup tonight, and his 2^nd as starting goaltender – sort of – with his 1^st coming a decade ago.

Chris Chelios: Will piss and vinegar be in the Stanley Cup when this old goat gets his chance with the trophy? I personally hope not. That’s gross. But you can be sure to associate piss and vinegar with Cheli at every other turn. Despite being injured and later scratched in the Stanley Cup Finals, Father Time still became the oldest player to get his name on the Stanley Cup, at 46.

Henrik Zetterberg: Is there a more complete forward in the NHL right now than Hank Zetterberg? Proving critics of his Selke nomination wrong, Zetterberg dominated at both ends of the ice, all playoffs long, where he shutdown the likes of Sidney Crosby, Marian Hossa, Mike Ribeiro, Paul Stastny, and Evgeni Malkin. Okay, so maybe Malkin didn’t really need to be shutdown, but Zetterberg still proved he could cut it against the league’s best offensive stars. His performance on two extended 5-on-3 disadvantages in the Finals proved to be crucial in the Red Wings last two victories, and he got the game-winning goal to boot in the Red Wings’ 16^th playoff victory, albeit an ugly one. He finished the playoffs T-1^st in points, goals, and +/-, solidifying his place in history as a Conn Smythe winner, and as the first European forward (only the 2^nd European ever) to do so.

Daniel Cleary: This former 1^st round pick was considered a bust for most of his career. Until he put on that Red Wings jersey. In his 2^nd season as a Wing, just last year, he became a 20-goal scorer and posted career highs in all offensive categories, only to best his career high in points this season, despite missing some 20 games with a broken jaw. But what’s even more interesting about Cleary’s story is that he became the first Newfoundlander ever to win the Stanley Cup. At least Don Cherry had something to cheer about as the Stanley Cup was being skated around.

Niklas Kronwall: His story is impressive enough when you consider that he was able to stay healthy for the entire playoffs. Add that to the fact that he managed more points than both Brian Rafalski and Niklas Lidstrom as a defenseman, and finished T-1^st in +/- with Zetterberg at +16 and some buzz surrounding his name for the Conn Smythe makes sense. But it’s a good thing it went to Zetterberg, since the NHL likely would’ve engraved the Smythe with Kronvall, as they still haven’t managed to figure out he spells his name with a ‘w’ and not a ‘v’.  Even still, it’s fairly safe to say his presence in last years Western Finals against Anaheim may have changed the outcome. For those who don’t remember, Kronwall missed all of last year’s playoffs, with a broken sacrum. Yes, he was out with a broken bum.

Johan Franzen: Had ‘the Mule’ not been suffering from a little case of post-concussion syndrome, he may have been the Conn Smythe winner himself. Despite missing the entire third round against Dallas, Franzen still finished tied for 1^st in goals with 13 playoff goals in just 16 games. Those numbers are phenomenal regular season numbers, let alone playoff numbers, where scoring goals becomes a bit tougher for everyone. If his torrid scoring pace at the end of the regular season didn’t garner him notice, he surely earned a name for himself in the 2008 playoffs, where he became the target of top-defensive pairings.

Pavel Datsyuk: An internet genius once commented that the Detroit Red Wings would never win the Stanley Cup with Pavel Datsyuk on their roster. It was a stupid comment at the time, considering Pavel Datsyuk had already won a Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings as a rookie in 2002, but I understood the point, despite the incoherence. Pavel Datsyuk was a playoff ghost, a bona-fide choker. First folks said he couldn’t put up any points in the playoffs, then when he did that, people said he couldn’t score playoff goals. Even after his strong performance in the 2007 playoffs, people said he couldn’t produce on the road. Well it’s safe to say that Pavel Datsyuk put all those kiddies to bed with his performance this season. He finished with 23 points in 22 games, managed a +13 rating, and had 10 goals. However, what’s most astounding is that 17 of his points came on the road. Not only is that a testament to his ability to fight through tighter road checking, but it’s also a credit to his complete game. Mike Babcock chose to use him in a varying defensive role with the last change at home, and Datsyuk responded with great defense, and a team high 55 hits. He, too, earned Conn Smythe consideration. If I knew how to say “F you, naysayers” in Russian, it would be appropriate here.

Dominik Hasek: Not much to say about the not-so-dominant dominator, other than perhaps a nod towards his class. Although its not the sort of thing you usually associate with Dominik Hasek, from the outside, it seemed Dom took his position as backup goaltender well, and didn’t create distraction nor drama in the dressing room. Props to him. But promise us this, Dom: if you plan to retire this time, make it for good.

Valterri Filppula: With the Red Wings heavy European flavor, you may be surprised that they featured a Finn on their roster for the first time just a few years ago. Valterri Filppula became the first Finnish player ever to don the Winged Wheel in 2006. Even though most people still can’t pronounce his name, he’s been a young highlight on the Wings roster for two playoff seasons running now. He scored a key goal in the Cup-winning game, and a few highlight reel goals to boot through this years playoffs, all the while playing stellar defense despite his young age.

Jiri Hudler: He was mentored by Robert Lang in his first season with the Red Wings last year, so it’s no surprise Mike Babcock wasn’t a huge fan of Hudler’s work ethic initially. But a lot has changed since then. Despite taking two ill-timed penalties in the last two games of the Stanley Cup Finals, Hudler did his best to shine on a team full of All-Stars, which is tough when you’re the size of a penguin - the ones from the South Pole, not Pittsburgh. Although Hudler only saw 2^nd unit powerplay time and pulled regular duty as a 4^th liner, he still managed 14 points, including the game winner of the Red Wings 15^th playoff victory.

Darren Helm: Luckily for Helm, his birthday comes early in the year. Otherwise he may have had to shy away from drinking out of Lord Stanley’s Cup on national television. The youngster who turned 21 in January wasn’t even a regular on the Red Wings roster pre-playoffs, but his performance in the playoffs was veteran-like. He was the fastest player on the ice most nights and scored a couple crucial goals in the playoffs to make his presence felt. He never shied away from physical contact and likely earned himself a regular spot on next year’s roster. There’s at least one guy hoping Dallas Drake retires.

Brad Stuart: Brad Stuart’s story might’ve been all about luck, if it wasn’t for his amazing chemistry with Niklas Kronwall. At first it seemed the addition of Brad Stuart to the Red Wings was going to be a story all about Stuart’s trade from a bottom-feeding NHL team to the league’s best, and riding their coattails to ultimate victory. But instead Stuart became a huge presence on the Red Wings blueline, and the other half of a feared hitting defensive unit for the Red Wings. He managed 6 points in the last 8 games of the playoffs, and was 2^nd in the league with +15.  I heard May wasn’t a great month for golfing in California anyways.

Brian Rafalski: Brought in almost immediately after Mathieu Schneider signed with the Anaheim Axis of Evil, Brian Rafalski helped resurrect a woeful Red Wings powerplay that was rather powerless for much of the 2006-2007 season. He signed with his hometown team in the ‘07 off-season and became a perfect fit for Nick Lidstrom on the top line. He finished off his hockey season by scoring the opener in tonight’s Cup-winning game. Welcome home, Raffi.

Mike Samuelsson: Poor Mikael was a throwaway on this Red Wings roster when the playoffs started. Constantly ridiculed by Red Wings fans for ill-placed shots into the logos of goaltenders league-wide, he managed to redeem himself in the playoffs by opening Stanley Cup Finals scoring and pushing the Wings to their first Finals victory in 6 years. He scored 3 goals in the first 3 games of the finals – besting Malkin, Zetterberg and Crosby in that category for the Finals. True story.

Andreas Lilja, Brett Lebda: Perhaps the story here is what Lilja and Lebda – Detroit’s bottom pairing for the Finals – didn’t do, rather than what they did do. Lebda didn’t throw an iffy hip-check that would sprain his ankle and render him useless for most of the playoffs, and Lilja didn’t single handedly destroy the Red Wings playoff hopes with a direct giveaway to the Pens best scorer in the offensive zone that would cost the Red Wings a game. Instead, both defenseman kept their game simple and contributed when they could, even if it was as a healthy scratch. But inevitably both players earned their keep over Chris Chelios, and did their part in holding off the surging Penguins in the Finals.

Chuck Norris, Tomas Holmstrom, Kirk Maltby: Business as usual for these three. Checking, defense, and butts in faces are what these guys do best. They’re the type of guys you can’t win Stanley Cups without, as the Red Wings know. These three performed crucial roles in all four of the Red Wings most recent Stanley Cups. In Holmstrom’s words, “that’s ridiculous.”

Ken Holland: The man with the skilled plan. After all, isn’t everything about the Red Wings skilled? Ken Holland proves over and over why he’s the best General Manager in the NHL. Especially now that all his critics no longer have any excuses to dole out. No, he didn’t inherit a stacked team. No, he didn’t go out and lure in all the future Hall of Famers in the free agent pool. Instead, he built a Cup-winning team with leftovers like Sammuelsson, Cleary, Drake, Downey, Osgood, McCarty, and Lilja. Instead, he had the final say in the drafting of late round gems and picked-over goods like Datsyuk, Franzen, rookie Darren Helm, and Zetterberg, and he certainly didn’t empty his pockets – or the farm – to add Brian Rafalski and Brad Stuart. Nope. This years compilation of the 2008 version of the Detroit Red Wings is definitely Holland’s doing….Or was it Yzerman’s?

Mike Babcock: Can enough be said about this guy’s coaching abilities? The Wings did well to nab him back in 2005, but he wasn’t been able to put his stamp on this team until some of the louder veteran voices had left his locker-room for good at the end of the 2006 season, however emotional their departures were. Since then, Mike Babcock has coached his team to six playoff series victories in 2 years. And in just his second time coaching a team in the Finals he was able to taste victory - which I hear tastes a lot like champagne and beer with a hint of iron. And he was able to do all of this without a soapbox to stand on. But between Trotz and Therien, I heard there weren’t any left anyways.

Steve Yzerman: No Stanley Cup role call would be complete without Yzerman. Although guys like Downey and Hartigan may be worthy of closing the list, it’s important to acknowledge the seamless transition Steve Yzerman has made from ice to office. He played his part in piquing the entire front staff’s interest in Drake and Stuart and in just his second year as Vice President of the Detroit Red Wings, Yzerman will get his name on the cup, albeit by taking a slightly different route. Fortunately, he didn’t have to do it on one leg this time.

After struggling to eliminate the Dallas Stars through games 4 and 5 of the Western Conference Finals, it was third-line grinder Kris Draper and the hard-hitting veteran Dallas Drake who started the victory rush with the opening two goals of a game 6 victory that would rocket the Wings to the Stanley Cup Finals. Mikael Samuelsson has had his own say in this years Cup finals as well.

In fact, let’s be honest here.

How many of you were calling for The Next Great One or even The Next Great Addition in Crosby or Hossa to be leading the finals in goals scored? Raise your hand if you picked one of the two dynamic Russian superforwards to lead the finals in putting the biscuit in the basket. Some of you may have chosen an alternate route, picking a Swede to be the dominant goal scorer, but we all know you meant Johan Franzen or Henrik Zetterberg. Whichever you chose, you were wrong. Undoubtedly next to no one chose the Forgotten Swede, Mr. High and Wide himself, the number one forward armchair GMs would boot off the Wings roster if they could - Mikael Samuelsson. He leads all forwards with 3 goals in 4 games, opened finals scoring with a pair of goals that put away the Pens for good in Game 1, and has possibly saved himself from being trade bait in the off-season (although all bets are off for next years trade deadline).

There were some who were questioning the Wings ability to compete with the Penguins, due to their supposed “lack” of scoring depth, yet through four rounds of playoff hockey, All-Stars such as Nicklas Lidstrom or Brian Rafalski, and top-liner Tomas Holmstrom can’t count themselves among the Red Wings Top 5 scorers. Through Saturday, Johan Franzen, Jiri Hudler, and Niklas Kronwall – a 2^nd liner, 4^th liner, and 2^nd pairing defenseman, respectively – were rounding out the Top 5 offensive crusade to Lord Stanley’s Cup. I’m guessing few hockey fans would be able to guess the Red Wings top five in playoff scoring if pressed to do so.

As any team will attest, team depth is crucial during the playoffs. The likes of Jordan Staal and defensive defenseman Brooks Orpik have provided strong play for the Penguins through four rounds of playoff hockey, despite what some may have called questionable regular seasons. Ryan Malone, on the other hand, has blossomed as a rough and tumble, bona fide second liner who has carried over his offensive success from the regular season into the playoffs, and has two playoff game-winning goals to his name. Hal Gill is another name, among others, who has stepped up his game considerably in the playoffs. And who could forget “backup” goaltender Chris Osgood playing hero for the Red Wings after coming in mid-first round to lead the playoffs in goals against average?

Guys like Samuelsson and Hudler, Gill and Staal, Robidas, and Umberger are a testament to how important those poor man’s second liners and pairings are. And it’s because of players like those that both the Red Wings and Penguins are still playing hockey while the rest of the NHL players are wondering when their GM or coach is going to get poached by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Look for the buzzword “depth” to be thrown around considerably by whichever NHL broadcast you watch tonight.

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. 

With all the well-known and media-blitzed names on the Red Wings roster, Franzen isn’t a particular stand-out. He was drafted by the Wings in the 3rd round of the 2004 draft at the age of 24. Not much was expected of Franzen when he made the jump to the NHL the following season, but he’s certainly outgrown his expected role as a bottom line grinder.  

For those who aren’t familiar with Franzen, he’s a hard-working forward with great defensive awareness, impressive skating ability, and is strong on the puck - nothing you wouldn’t expect from your prototypical third line center. What most wouldn’t expect from him, however, are his soft hands. Recently he’s been showcasing his smooth passing ability and his knack for scoring both pretty and ugly goals. In fact, not many would guess that he’s been the Red Wing with the most goals of late, potting 8 goals and 11 points his past 7 games, rocketing him from a mediocre 12 goals to a 20 goal season in just 7 games.   

How did that happen? Injuries to the likes of Dan Cleary and Tomas Holmstrom have meant Franzen is getting some due top 6 minutes, playing wing to either Pavel Datsyuk or Henrik Zetterberg. And he hasn’t looked out of place. But perhaps more importantly, he’s slowly gaining more and more confidence, along with his knee being 100%. In Tomas Holmstrom’s absence, Franzen is staking his claim in front of the net on the powerplay, looking for garbage goal opportunities and deflections, and he’s done a good job of it as well. 

If there’s any knock against Franzen’s game, besides his offensive inconsistency, its that he needs to be a more intimidating player. He’s far from a soft player and has shown flashes of a could-be dominating physical game, but he’s leaving something to be desired with his inconsistent hitting game. Franzen currently ranks 6th among Red Wings forwards in hits with 73. Although his physical game has picked up recently, one can only hope that he’ll come through in the post-season as he did in the 2007 playoffs and make opposing players pay for their time with the puck.  

Notes: Johan Frazen is the 5th Red Wing to reach the 20 goal mark this season….Valterri Filppula sits at 19 goals with 9 games remaining….   

Considering what Cleary has brought to the Wings the past two seasons, the numbers seem on the mark. Cleary would’ve likely potted 25 goals on the season - if not more - before going down with a broken jaw and for the past two seasons he’s come to the table bringing everything he’s got - playoffs included. For a guy that plays in all situations, likes to use the body, is a heart and soul player who stands up for his teammates and can score the pretty goals, the garbage goals, and the big goals, this is a worthy contract. Wings fans across the world are undoubtedly finding this contract satisfactory at the least.

With Cleary now tied up, the Wings have few key signings to make before knowing what they can spend on this years open market. Hasek will likely give way to rookie Jim Howard, Valterri Filppula will look for a raise (possibly on a long-term contract), and Red Wings management have already suggested they are looking to re-sign Andreas Lilja to a modest raise, although the addition of Brad Stuart and his recent admission that he might like to stay in Detroit past the current season will likely make management hold off negotiations with Lilja for the time being. Other question marks are Aaron Downey, Dallas Drake and Darren McCarty, as well as Chris Chelios who up to this point has given no indication this is his last season. Regardless, none of the latter four possible contracts would exceed a million dollar cap hit.

With the Cleary signing, the Red Wings now have 10 forwards, 5 defenseman, and 1 goaltender locked up for a total of roughly 39 million for the 2008-2009 season. Reports suggest that the cap could go up as high as 54 million next year, leaving the Red Wings with a possible 15 million in cap space with only depth players to re-sign. As it stands, the Red Wings most pressing needs for next season are a physical second pairing defenseman and a top six forward with size. Brad Stuart will likely be a target prior to July 1st while Mike Commodore would also be an admirable acquisition should he test the market in July. Should the Wings fail to add a bona fide physical defenseman, they will look to re-sign Lilja, or possibly integrate any of Johnathan Ericsson, Derek Meech, or Kyle Quincey into the top seven.

Where forwards are concerned, a name that would fit the Red Wings like a glove (as well as Babcock’s unspoken requirements) is Brian Rolston. His speed and defensive awareness would likely get high marks from Babcock and his size and sniper-like shot would give the Red Wings right side a much needed offensive boost. The fact that he’s a Michigan native is simply an added bonus. Now that Cleary is locked up and the Wings have a better idea of what sort of money they’ll have to work with, the Wings will likely be players for Rolston in the off-season should he choose not to re-up with Minnesota. Although signing Henrik Zetterberg to a long-term contract remains their top priority come July 1st, recent comments from Ken Holland suggest contract negotiations between the two camps will move swiftly and smoothly once Zetterberg is eligible to be re-signed, which likely won’t impede the hunt for new blood during free agency.

Kronwall, 27, entered the 2006-2007 season christened by Mike Babcock as the Red Wings number three defenseman, behind only Niklas Lidstrom and Mathieu Schneider. But his position was due more to a lack of depth on the Wings’ defense than it was due to his play, and injuries hampered any progress he made. He missed 14 games last season and didn’t make a single playoff appearance after being sidelined with a broken sacrum. This season, however, things have began to turn for the still young defenseman.

Kronwall has made an impact this season, turning up the heat both defensively and offensively. In his fourth NHL season - only his second with more than 27 games played - he has a career high 31 points and is plus 22 over 52 games this season despite only seeing second unit powerplay time, and his presence has been invaluable. His elite puck moving ability and strong skating have made him a perfect fit for the puck possession oriented Red Wings, and his physical game gives the Wings a much needed edge on the back end. Things have finally begun to click for Kronwall. Even though he’s already missed 17 games this season in typical Kronwall injury fashion, he’s managed to still keep the 40 point mark within range. A new pairing buddy of Brad Stuart has helped.

Needless to say, Kronwall has finally earned his title as the Wings third defenseman, behind only the All Star pairing of five time Norris winner Niklas Lidstrom and Michigan native Brian Rafalski. On any other team, he’d likely be a top pairing defenseman and with first pairing powerplay icetime, would likely already have broken the 40 point barrier. With any luck, he’ll be ready for the playoffs where the Red Wings can debut a second powerplay pairing of Kronwall and Stuart on the points, instead of the questionable unit of Chelios and Lebda that injuries forced the Wings to go with in the 2007 playoffs.

Kronwall has 6 points in his first 4 games after coming back from a shoulder injury.