NHL Players that won't be on the cover of NHL '11

With the playoffs almost over, it's time to begin preparing for the next season, as well as the next EA Sports edition of NHL '11. This year's cover athlete was Patrick Kane, who waits for the Stanley Cup Finals to start on his home ice at the United Center.

While Kane's partner, Jonathan Toews could be considered a potential choice as the next cover athlete of the EA Sports NHL franchise, there are players in these playoffs who did not convince EA that they should be on the cover of NHL '11.

The next ten slides look at players you won't be seeing as the cover athlete on NHL '11.

1. Dan Boyle, San Jose Sharks

It's pretty bad when you score in your own net. Really bad if it's the overtime winning goal.

It's that much worse if you duplicate your success (or failure) in the next round.

If bad luck was an STD, Dan Boyle would have surely contracted it from those two games in Colorado and Detroit.

2. Shea Weber and Pekka Rinne, Nashville Predators

I don't know, something tells me that you should win when:

1. You're on the powerplay.
2. It's the third period.
3. There is less than a minute to go.
4. There is an empty net on the other side.
5. You start the overtime on the powerplay.

Somehow, someway the Predators found a way to lose though, and they didn't pay attention to the single most important variable on ice:

1. The man coming out of the penalty box.

What a crying shame.

3. Mike Green, Washington Capitals

Hey Mike, where were you these playoffs?

Oh that's right, three assists shy of being an non-existent, million-dollar factor.

4. Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins

I'm serious about this one.

Evgeni Malkin did not play like Conn Smythe Malkin, and it showed through the stats.

Played almost twice as many games as Alexander Ovechkin and he scores only a point more than he does.

Johan Franzen and Henrik Zetterberg played a game less and scored seven and four points more than Malkin.

Definitely not a good playoff year for him.

5. Ray Emery, Philadelphia Flyers

I don't think there is any goaltender who is going to have a harder time watching these Cup Finals than Ray Emery.

Brought in to start, gets injured, and his backups do something Emery would more than likely would not have done:

Get them out of the first round.

6. Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers

Sorry, I take that back. THIS GUY is going to have a harder time than Emery will.

I'm pretty sure this is what Henrik Lundqvist had in mind: Watching the Philadelphia Flyers in the Stanley Cup Finals.

This has got to be painful.

That could have been you, Henrik.

7. Rob Scuderi, Los Angeles Kings

Hey Rob, why was it that the Kings brought you in? Something about great defense during the playoffs?

Ohhhhh yeah.

I'm loving those 0 pts, 6 PIMs, and +/- -4 rating.

That's quality defense right there, Rob.

8. Jose Theodore, Washington Capitals

I actually remember reading a comment the ESPN message boards, someone said that a garbage can could make more saves than Jose.

All for a garbage can as the next cover athlete, say I!

9. Any Avalanche player that did not tally a point

Note to Kyle Quincey, Cody McLeod, Kevin Porter, you get the picture:

Your goaltender, Craig Anderson, not only did more work than you guys, he actually scored a point.

You scored none.

10. Anybody that plays for a hockey club in the Boston, MA area

The Bill Buckners of hockey.