Frans Nielsen, Mikko Koivu

New Red Wings center Frans Nielsen takes a lot of pride in his defensive game.

(The Associated Press)

DETROIT - When it comes to two-way forwards, the Detroit Red Wings had two of the best in the NHL for several seasons during their prime in Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg.

Frans Nielsen has that same mindset. He is sort of replacing Datsyuk, and he has a tremendous appreciation for Zetterberg.

"I know Henrik a little bit," Nielsen said. "He's a player I've always looked up to and try to copy a little bit. You're going to see a little bit of a similar player in me."

The Red Wings signed Nielsen, 32, to a six-year, $31.5 million contract Friday minutes after the start of free agency. They needed a second-line center after Datsyuk returned to Russia and they like what Nielsen brings.

"We feel he's a 200-foot player," Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said. "He can play both specialty team situations. He's good on the shootout (42 for 82 in his career) and just very responsible."

Nielsen (6-1, 188) had 20 goals and 52 points in 81 games for the New York Islanders, his only club during 10 NHL seasons.

"I always put a lot of pride in working hard and being responsible defensively," Nielsen said. "I want to be part of the offense, too. Even when you're not creating offense hopefully with my game I can still do something for the team defensively, whether it's killing penalties or getting matched up against other team's top lines. I feel the all-around game is my strength. You've seen a lot of that from the players in Detroit and that's why I think it's a good fit for me."

Nielsen played with fellow Red Wings newcomer Thomas Vanek for a half-season in New York. But aside from skating with Zetterberg in Sweden during the off-season many years ago, the Danish-born Nielsen doesn't know any other Red Wings. He said Gustav Nyquist's father was the team doctor for Malmo, a Swedish club Nielsen played for from 2001-05.

He explained why he left the Islanders.

"Being there for so long maybe you get a little too comfortable; I felt that I needed a new challenge," Nielsen said. "I felt Detroit was too excited to turn down. With the mix of young and old it was exciting and a place I wanted to go to. ... I was looking for a place that I knew would compete for a playoff spot. It's so hard to win, but I know this team is going to be in it."

Giving this much term to a 32-year-old is risky, but Holland believes Nielsen's skating ability will enable him to be effective during the final years of his contract.

"As you saw today the competition for the unrestricted free agents -- players that are 30 to 32 were getting five- and six-year contracts and players 28 and 29 getting six- and seven-year contracts," Holland said. "So if you wanted to land an unrestricted free agent you have to be prepared to step up or you were going to miss out.

"We felt that Frans' skating ability's is going to allow him to be competitive, to be able to contribute throughout the term of the deal. He's also smart, and I think with players that are smart, as Father Time bangs away they know how to cut corners and still be effective."

Holland hopes younger players will grow into larger roles over the next few years, which will take some of the responsibilities from the older players.

"Over the next 3-4 years we're hoping that the (Andreas) Athanasious and (Dylan) Larkins and (Anthony) Manthas and (Riley) Sheahans are going to start to play a bigger role, and it allows you to have a changing of the guard," Holland said.

"The plan isn't at the end of the contract that (Nielsen) is going to have the same impact that he does today. The plan is during the term of that contract some younger people are going to grow into bigger responsibilities, and Frans is going to continue to have as big of an impact on our team in a different sense."

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