(MLive.com periodically will profile a potential Detroit Red Wings free-agent target until the start of free agency on July 5).

Nathan Horton

2012-13 team: Boston

Position: Right wing

Height/Weight: 6-2/229

Age: 28

Shoots: Right

2012-13 stats: (regular season) 43 games, 13 goals, 9 assists, 22 points, plus-1 rating, 22 penalty minutes, averaged 16:51 in ice time; (playoffs) 21 games, 7 goals, 12 assists, 19 points, plus-21 rating, 14 penalty minutes, averaging 18:23 in ice time.

Career stats: (regular season) 591 games, 198 goals, 204 assists, 402 points, plus-57 rating, 543 penalty minutes; (playoffs) 42 games, 15 goals, 21 assists, 36 points, plus-32 rating, 49 penalty minutes.

2012-13 salary: $5.5 million ($4 million cap hit).

Strengths: He has good size and scoring ability. He skates well and has a good shot. He has appeared in the playoffs only twice (2011 and 2013), but has come up big both times.

Weaknesses: He has been plagued by concussion issues in recent years and hasn't been particularly durable. Doesn't kill penalties. His points per game average this season (0.51) was his lowest since his rookie year (0.40).

Notable: Was the third overall pick in 2003 by the Florida Panthers. …. He went right from the OHL with Oshawa to the NHL in 2003-04 without a stint in the minors. He played 21 games in the AHL (San Antonio) during the 2004-05 NHL lockout. … He has 49 career power-play goals but scored none this season, for the first time in his career, despite averaging 2:03 per game on the power play.

Why he would interest the Red Wings: He has many qualities the team desires: size, finishing ability, a right-handed shot and a knack for stepping up at playoff time.

How he could fit in with the Red Wings: He would play on a top-two line and on the power play.

What it might take to get him: This is tricky. He had a huge salary this past season (the prorated portion of $5.5 million due to the lockout, because of a back-loaded contract that had a $4 million cap hit). He wouldn't merit a raise based on his mediocre regular season. But his huge playoff performance, coupled with his age and a thin free-agent market, could get him $6 million a season.

How much do you think Horton is worth to the Red Wings? Does his recent concussion history concern you?