Is Nicklas Lidstrom the hockey player of the decade?

Guess what, kids? Only 98 shopping days left until the end of the decade, which means it's time for subjective lists and honors to be given to the best of the last 10 years. (Our best and worst lists will begin next month, and if they're half as good as what Skeets is doing on Ball Don't Lie, we'll be happy clams.)The Sporting News is one of the first major publications we've seen to bestow "player of the decade" honors for the NHL, and their choice is Nicklas Lidstrom(notes) of the Detroit Red Wings. Maybe you've heard of him. But there's a strong case for the runner-up, too. The argument is framed as one between Lidstrom and Martin Brodeur(notes) of the New Jersey Devils, and this is the case Craig Custance and Steve Greenberg of SN made for Lids:Lidstrom is an anomaly -- the first European-born player to win a Conn Smythe ( 2002) and the only one to captain a Stanley Cup champion ('08). But the Swedish defenseman's accomplishments can...