Red Wings LW Zetterberg sidelined with back spasms

Jan 29, 2009 - 5:51 PM DETROIT (Ticker) -- The Detroit Red Wings do not want to take any chances with left wing Henrik Zetterberg - especially after he signed the longest and most lucrative contract in franchise history.

Zetterberg will sit out Thursday's game against Dallas after leaving Tuesday's 3-2 overtime loss to Columbus with back spasms and is listed as day-to-day.

Last year's Conn Smythe Trophy winner missed six weeks at the end of the 2006-07 season with a herniated disc in his back.

"We're probably overcautious but we just felt a couple of years ago when we didn't do it that way, it came back to bite us," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said.

On Wednesday, the 28-year-old Zetterberg, who has scored 288 points in 260 games since the NHL lockout, signed a 12-year contract worth a reported $72 million.

The Red Wings will have center Pavel Datsyuk and defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom back in the lineup Thursday following their one-game suspensions for skipping Sunday's All-Star Game in Montreal.