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Zetterberg admits he ‘ran out of gas’ the last couple of seasons

Steven Stamkos, Henrik Zetterberg

Steven Stamkos, Henrik Zetterberg

AP

Henrik Zetterberg turns 36 next month. The Red Wings’ captain has played over 1,000 games in the NHL, including the playoffs. Today in Detroit, he admitted it’s become a challenge to stay “fresh” for an entire season.

“That’s what’s gotten me the last two years, I ran out of gas,” he said, per the Free Press. “You can’t play hockey in this level when you run out of gas. So that’s one thing we’re going to play around with.”

One solution, according to Zetterberg, could be to play more wing, which takes less work than center. Another could be to play fewer minutes, or even take the odd night off and sit in the press box.

But that’s easier said than done, especially now without Pavel Datsyuk. Zetterberg led the Wings in scoring last year with 50 points in 82 games. Datysuk was second with 49 points, followed by Dylan Larkin and Tomas Tatar, each with 45.

Zetterberg, who’s sitting out the World Cup with a tweaked knee, expects to “be back 100 percent for the season starting.”

He also said he’s “thrilled” that Frans Nielsen decided to sign with the Wings, calling the 32-year-old center “one of the most underrated players in the league.”