(First in a series of player profiles prior to training camp Sept. 18-23.)

Justin Abdelkader

Position: Right wing/left wing

Age: 27

Height/Weight: 6-1/219

2013-14 stats: 70 games, 10 goals, 18 assists, 28 points, plus-2 rating, 31 penalty minutes; (playoffs) five games, no goals, two assists, two points, plus-1 rating, six penalty minutes.

Career stats: 327 games, 38 goals, 50 assists, 88 points, plus-16 rating, 225 penalty minutes. (playoffs) 54 games, five goals, five assists, 10 points, minus-1 rating, 99 penalty minutes.

Contract status: Two years remaining at a $1.8 million salary-cap hit.

2013-14 in review: Notched a career-high 28 points. ... Equaled a career-high with 10 goals. ... Averaged a career-high 52 seconds per game on the power play. ... Scored only career power-play goal on Feb. 3 vs. Vancouver. ... Career-high 147 shots on goal. ... Averaged a career-high 15:17 in ice time. ... Averaged a career-low .44 penalty minutes per game. ... Led team with 172 hits. ... Has led team's forwards in hits in each of the past four seasons. ... Missed five games (Dec. 15-23) due to a concussion on hit from Pittsburgh's Deryk Engellend on Dec. 14. ... Missed seven games (March 18-29) with a leg laceration. ... Named U.S. captain for World Championship. ...Ejected during quarterfinal loss to Czech Republic for charging Vladimir Sobotka. ... Suspended three games for 2015 World Championship, if he is named to the team.

2014-15 outlook: Abdelkader likely will start the season on the top line with Pavel Datsyuk and possibly Henrik Zetterberg. Coach Mike Babcock likes having a "heavy body" on each line, someone to provide a physical presence, go to the net and retrieve pucks. Abdelkader has filled this role for Datsyuk much of the past two seasons as the guy who "pulls the piano." It hasn't translated into an offensive boost but the club has been satisfied with the results. Abdelkader should continue playing a net-front role on the power play, especially since Todd Bertuzzi is gone. His role on the penalty kill has diminished the past two seasons (from 1:25 short-handed time per game in 2011-12 to 38 seconds last season), in part due to more power-play time, but he'll continue to see some PK duty. Abdelkader brings a different dimension for a team that has a lot of smaller forwards. He provides a much-needed abrasive element and has the ability to agitate and get under opponents' skin. This is a team that needs to be harder to play against. Abdelkader made strides in reducing bad penalties, something that plagued him earlier in his career. A good skater who plays with pace, he has settled in as a winger but can play center if needed.

Key question: Should Abdelkader continue playing on a top-two line or should he be playing on a checking line?

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