Babcock declares the return of the Wings' talented forward makes him a better coach.

By Ted Kulfan 

Pavel Datsyuk file
Position: Center
Age: 27
Ht. / Wt.: 5-11, 181
Birthplace: Svedlovsk, Russia.
Season statistics: Three games, two goals, one assist, plus-1, no penalty minutes.
Career statistics: 209 games, 55 goals, 102 assists, plus-23, 55 penalty minutes.
Career playoff statistics: 37 games, three goals, nine assists, minus-1, four penalty minutes.
Notable: Was a rookie on the Wings' 2002 Stanley Cup championship team.

DETROIT -- Pavel Datsyuk was a late arrival at the Red Wings' training camp. But it took only one practice for Mike Babcock to realize he was a smarter coach with Datsyuk on his roster.

"I've observed him from afar and then watching him on the highlight tape," Babcock said. "Once you're around him you understand what makes him go.

"I'm obviously a better coach because we have him."

And the Wings are a better team.

But it looked for a little while that it wasn't going to be the case.

There were serious questions about whether Datsyuk would be playing for the Wings this year because he had signed with a team in Russia after negotiations for a new contract stalled with the Wings.

"For a few days, I wasn't sure Pavel would return," general manager Ken Holland said. "But I held out hope because I really believed Pavel did want to play here.

"He's a big part of what we're trying to build here."

Datsyuk, 27, has made his intentions clear since coming back: He wants to play in Detroit for the rest of his career.

"I want to retire here," Datsyuk said after signing a two-year deal worth $7.8 million.

What the Wings, and their fans, want to see next from Datsyuk is improvement in the playoffs.

Datsyuk doesn't necessarily have to be a player who carries a team throughout the postseason, just a significant asset on the drive for a Stanley Cup.

For all of his spectacular play during the regular season, Datsyuk has struggled in the playoffs.

In the 2003-04 playoffs, Datsyuk was held without a goal and had just six assists in 12 games against Nashville and Calgary.

In the 2002-03 season against Babcock's Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Datsyuk was held without a point and the Wings were swept.

Datsyuk had six points (three goals, three assists) in 21 postseason games, as a rookie during the Wings' 2002 Stanley Cup run.

Of course, many players in the NHL take a similar path before becoming elite players. They usually have to have some failures in the postseason before realizing success.

"For many players, they've had to go through a process," Holland said. "There's a learning curve. For Pavel, in '03-04, that was the first time in his career he was the focus of the opposition. It was a new experience."

The experience wasn't helped by Nashville or Calgary tugging, dragging and pulling Datsyuk all over the ice.

With the new rules in the league that are designed to benefit players such as Datsyuk, his performance in the playoffs could change dramatically.

"Under the old rules, when people were allowed to clutch and grab, get a stick in there and hold guys up, Pavel was tough to deal with," forward Kirk Maltby said. "He can do a lot of things at high speed with the puck. These new rules will benefit him and our team."

"I don't know how you get the puck off this guy," Babcock said. "I really don't."