Detroit Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom announced his retirement on Thursday, closing the book on a 20-year NHL career that has seen four Stanley Cups, seven Norris Trophies as the league's top defenseman, and the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the 2002 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The move was expected after the Red Wings scheduled a Thursday morning press conference in Detroit, but it still leaves the question of what's next for Detroit, particularly on the blueline.
Even with the lowest scoring output of his career - 34 points on 11 goals and 23 assists in 70 games - Lidstrom was second among Detroit defensemen in scoring, and averaged more points per game than any Red Wings blueliner (Niklas Kronwall had 36 points in 82 games). His retirement definitely leaves a need on Detroit roster, and it remains to be seen just how general manager Ken Holland will fill that need.
At any rate, it certainly added a new angle to the Wings' possible pursuit of University of Wisconsin defenseman Justin Schultz, who filed papers to leave school last week.
Schultz, of course, is not yet free to talk with the Wings, or any other team that has interest, unless that team is the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks, who drafted Schultz in the second round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, still have exclusive negotiating rights until late June. However, given that players like Blake Wheeler and Jason Gregoire have used the process Schultz is using to sign with teams other than the ones that drafted them (the Coyotes and Islanders, respectively), Schultz is already being considered a free agent, with the Red Wings and New York Rangers both thought to be among the top suitors, according to comments made by Chris Botta of the New York Times.
Both the Red Wings and the Rangers have one of Schultz's former Badger blueline teammates on the roster. Ryan McDonagh, captain of the Wisconsin team that went to the 2010 NCAA Championship game, just completed his second season with the Rangers, and was a go-to defenseman for head coach John Tortorella during the team's run to the Eastern Conference finals. He's one of two former Badgers on the Rangers roster along with center Derek Stepan, while Brendan Smith - like Schultz, a former finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, presented to college hockey's top player - made his Red Wings debut in 2011-12, scoring a goal and assisting on six more in 14 games.
Of course, no one would expect Schultz to be any kind of replacement for Lidstrom early in his career, and the Wings' primary target for Lidstrom's spot on the blueline is thought to be Predators defenseman Ryan Suter...who, as it happens, played college hockey at Wisconsin, albeit long before McDonagh, Stepan or Schultz. Still, given that Lidstrom has been a fixture in Detroit for 20 years, team management has a long future to plan for with his decision to ride off into the sunset.
