Time is merciless to a professional hockey player. We talk about a skater being on the wrong side of 30, as though 30 were the crest of the hill his career is about to tumble down. It’s cruel, but bitterly honest: the age curve presses most players out of the league long before middle age is even a glint on the horizon.



This is what makes the exceptions so extraordinary.



Henrik Zetterberg was 36 years old last season, coming off a down year, playing for a Pavel Datsyuk-less Red Wings team that missed the playoffs for the first time in more than a quarter century. The bells were tolling, surely, for the aging star, and continued decline was a plausible prediction.



So, how did he do?



He carried top-line minutes against competition comparable to his linemates with team-average offensive zone starts. He drove possession better than both his team and the league average and his goals-for percentage was as far above league average as his team without him was below average.



At a time when it looked as though his best might be behind him, Zetterberg put up a top-line worthy season. A 17-goal, 68-point player would be welcome on any team in the NHL, even if, in hockey years, he’s reached venerable status.



What elements of his game help to insulate him from the usual ravages of age? Let’s take a...