Briere48

Tonight in Toronto, Nicklas Lidstrom is widely expected to collect a fifth Norris Trophy as the NHL's outstanding defenseman.

The nomination is Lidstrom's eighth during a 15-season career, a span during which he has again and again demonstrated the superiority of a brainy game. Renowned for his ability to read plays, Lidstrom is recognized as one of hockey's all-time greats on defense, a man Anaheim superstar forward Teemu Selanne once called "a computer" because of his flawless positional play.

To his Red Wings teammates, Lidstrom is the ultimate in reliability. He is on the ice in all situations and often for a half a game, playing about 30 minutes. He contains opposing superstars, makes great passes, and occasionally a spectacular save.

Lidstrom was discovered in his native Sweden by then Wings-scout Christer Rockstrom, who convinced the team Lidstrom was worth picking in the third round of the 1989 draft, much higher than he'd been rated. Since his debut season in 1991-92, Lidstrom has become the Wings' most important player, and their most durable one, missing a grand total of 22 games. His 192 playoff games -- he has never missed one with the Wings -- ranks second all-time in team history behind only Steve Yzerman, who played 196.

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