Value can extend far beyond statistics in sports, and Nielsen is a prime example.

On July 1, 2016, after 10 seasons and 606 games with the New York Islanders, Nielsen signed a six-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings.

With three-time Selke Trophy winner Pavel Datsyuk leaving for Russia with a year left on his contract, Detroit's search for a top-notch, all-zones center intensified, and Nielsen checked off all the boxes.

At 17 he joined Malmo of the Swedish Elite League. A season into a three-year stay, the Islanders selected him in the third round (No. 87) of the 2002 NHL Draft.

After one season with Sweden club Timra, Nielsen began his NHL career, and when he made his NHL debut Jan. 6, 2007, he became the first Denmark-born player to play in the League.

In his first two seasons he alternated between the Islanders and Bridgeport of the American Hockey League. After securing a full-time role out of training camp in 2008, Nielsen became one of the organization's most valued, if under-the-radar, assets.

Defensively sound, good on face-offs, and opportunistic on the penalty kill, Nielsen led the NHL with seven shorthanded goals in 2010-11. He scored at least 40 points five times and 50-plus points twice for the Islanders.

Nielsen was rewarded by the Islanders with a four-year contract Feb. 7, 2012. He helped them reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs three times before joining the Red Wings.

NOTES & TRANSACTIONS

• Played in NHL All-Star Game (2017)
• Signed as a free agent by Rauma (Finland), September 26, 2012.
• Signed as a free agent by Detroit, July 1, 2016.