Detroit Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg put on an absolute clinic in the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs, leading Detroit to their 11th Stanley Cup championship in franchise history and being awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Stanley Cup Playoffs most valuable player in the process.
But when you break down his performance in terms of player value, one can only appreciate the future captain’s play that much more.
Take a look at a recent compilation of playoff statistics base on GSVA (Game Score Value Added) – a metric similar to that of WAR in baseball that communicates player value in terms of wins, as opposed to points or any other production metric.
Zetterberg’s 2008 performance is ranked 1st on the list, while his fellow “Euro-Twins” forward and teammate Pavel Datsyuk’s 2008 performance clocks in at No. 4:
Zetterberg, who would later be named Red Wings captain following the retirement of the legendary Nicklas Lidstrom, called it a career in 2018.
