Do we have to know?
Like, it's Steve damn Yzerman who knows him best as his career buddy. And Yzerman said it was Lidström always giving him best thoughts on team meetings. It's already Lidström's reputation who Yzerman knows best. That's what he has done to earn this post. Yzerman always went to ask him on opinions. He likes to do it again, and probably has been doing all these years, Lidström without any title/job. HE likes to get opinions and ideas, and then he (Yzerman) decides what to do. More brains are always stronger than one brain.
How do we know = trusting for Yzeman, that he just knows the best people. His reputation is pretty good for that. Let him build, we'll see the results after a decade.
I don't really know Lidström, but all I know about him of his career was based on smarts and IQ and as a person was kind of a boring but really effective "office worker" on his playing years. Did eat always the same meal etc, because it's the most optimal for his body... never took a day off as working extra for the perfectly built body.
He is that damn perfect human they said. It was not a joke.
I like intelligence and smarts in our management.
he'll join the "European department" next. I'll quarantee it. 
