Lidstrom Player of the Decade...

The Sporting News (via Kukla's Korner) named Nick Lidstrom the NHL player of the decade today. It’s always nice to see him get recognized like that, especially in light of all the talk about him slowing down and having an "off" season last year. In the article, they call him an anomaly because of the fact that he’s the first European to win the Conn Smythe and to captain a team to the Cup, but I’m not one to put a whole lot of stock into the whole European vs. North American argument. I’d consider him an anomaly more because nobody should be as freakishly perfect at anything as he is. There’s a reason he’s called The Perfect Human.

Most telling of all is the article’s quote from Steve Yzerman:

"Nicklas Lidstrom won the Stanley Cup in '02. He won the Cup in '08. I don't know how many Norris trophies he's won, but throughout that entire time, throughout the entire decade, where he's only missed a handful of games, he was the Red Wings' best player. He's one of the top defensemen on both ends of the rink. He's got really good instincts, and he's incredibly skilled. He's a really, really intelligent hockey player. Nick is your best player in training camp. He's your best player in preseason. He's your best player in the regular season. He's your best player in the playoffs. I'm not sure what else he could do."

When Steve Yzerman says that about you, you know you’re doing something right.