Henrik Zetterberg had a good season in 2011-12, as he and his linemates Valtteri Filppula and Jiri Hudler created a dynamic line in Hockeytown. This offseason, Hudler, who was second on the team in goals, was signed by Calgary, meaning Filppula and Zetterberg will have to find a new linemate.

Whoever it is (likely Mikael Samuelsson or Danny Cleary), one thing is clear: Zetterberg and Filppula form quite the duo. Sure, Hudler netted 25 goals, but his assist total was only 25 as Zetterberg and Filppula’s totals were 47 and 43, respectively.

Also, Zetterberg could see some time with superstar Pavel Datsyuk in home games. Coach Mike Babcock practiced this strategy several times last year: they played separately in road games since he could use either line when making the first change, but he could choose to put them on the ice at the same time against whomever he wanted with the second change in home games.

Zetterberg, along with his linemate Filppula, will be counted on hugely this season as the Red Wings suffered several key losses in the offseason. Zetterberg is the kind of guy that will see a lot of ice time as well as powerplay time. A possible issue that could arise is that the Red Wings often play more of a team-style game, and none of their players, including Zetterberg, are usually among the league’s top scorers.

Zetterberg would probably be a good bet to be the Red Wings’ top scorer, as he usually finishes among the top two along with Datsyuk, and since this is also looking to be a milestone year for Valtteri Filppula, Zetterberg could put up some huge numbers and could be a very valuable pick if he is picked at the right time.