Niklas Kronwall will have some huge shoes to fill as the new No.1 defenseman for the Detroit Red Wings - replacing “The Perfect Human”: Nicklas Lidstrom.

Kronwall has been known for bone-shattering hits that have come on a consistent basis, and he is easily one of the most physically feared players in the NHL. He can also put up some decent points, as shown in the past. It helps that he has been on one of the better teams in the NHL every year with the Red Wings, but his stats are always impressive for a defenseman despite often being on the second pairing. He has a decent slapshot that can score him some goals, and he is surrounded by great players that he can pass to and get assists.

Kronwall is obviously sure to get you a ton of hits if your league counts them, and he is valuable to pick up solely for that reason. However, unlike some other physical players, Kronwall is one of the better offensive defensemen in the game. It was be a good prediction to say that this will be his best season ever offensively, as he is the new No.1 for Detroit and will definitely see more ice time as well as some more powerplay time.

Kronwall, along with most other Red Wings, usually logs a good plus/minus rating as well. His normal defense partner the last few years, Brad Stuart, will not be at his side after leaving for San Jose, but Kronwall should still see a positive plus/minus and a decent amount of offensive stats alongside Ian White, Brendan Smith, or whomever else Mike Babcock desires to pair him up with.