2010-2011 NHL Season: New Faces in the Atlantic Division
The summer is dragging on, but the NHL's regular season opening day on October 5 is quickly approaching.
Here on Bleacher Report, we are getting ramped up for the upcoming season both as fans and as writers. I'm no exception; the hockey withdrawal is making me crazy.
But enough of my complaining.
This slideshow will introduce you to the newest players in the NHL's Atlantic Division.
So if you are a fan of the Devils, the Islanders, the Rangers, the Flyers, or the Penguins, here is where you can find out about the new additions to your teams.
This article will not include players who re-signed with the team they were on last year. We will only cover players who came over via free agency or a trade.
New Jersey Devils
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New Jersey gains three new players for the 2010-2011 campaign.
Anton Volchenkov, Defenseman
Volchenkov was one of the prime free agents on this year's market. He will wear red and black just as he did with the Ottawa Senators, but for 2010-2011, it is the red and black of the New Jersey Devils.
Volchenkov was on the Senators for seven seasons. In 2009-2010, he had 14 points and a plus-two rating in 64 games. During Ottawa's playoff run, he had two points in six games.
One possible drawback to Volchenkov is his injury problems. This season, he missed 16 games due to elbow and upper body injuries. He also missed time in the 2007-2008 season with a shoulder injury.
Johan Hedberg, Goaltender
Hedberg was a member of the Atlanta Thrashers for the last four seasons. His 2009-2010 record was 21-16-6 with three shutouts as he posted a .915 save percentage and a 2.62 GAA.
He should be a solid, veteran backup to Martin Brodeur, and can play at least 20 games a year.
Henrik Tallinder, Defenseman
Tallinder spent seven seasons with the Buffalo Sabres. The 2009-2010 season was the second best of his career, as he posted 20 points and a plus-13 in 82 games. During the playoffs, he had two points and a plus-two rating in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against Boston.
Tallinder's best season came in 2005-2006 when he had 21 points.
New York Islanders
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The Islanders continue their rebuild by picking up five new players.
Jeremy Yablonski, Right Wing
This is probably one signing Islanders fans should not get too excited for.
Yablonski played the 2009-2010 season with the Binghamton Senators of the AHL where he had one point and 128 penalty minutes in 27 games.
He has played in one NHL game in his career. That came in the 2003-2004 with the St. Louis Blues. He had no points and five penalty minutes.
Zenon Konopka, Center
Konopka played his first full NHL season in 2009-2010 as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning. He had five points and a minus-11 in 74 games. His 265 penalty minutes were ranked first in the NHL.
Konopka has also played parts of his career with the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Anaheim Ducks.
P.A. Parenteau, Right Wing
Parentau played the majority of the past season with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL. In 35 games, he posted 45 points.
He has played in 22 NHL games with the Rangers. His NHL totals are eight points and four penalty minutes.
Milan Jurcina, Defenseman
Jurcina initially came to the Capitals in a trade during the 2006-2007 season. He played two full seasons and part of 2009-2010 with Washington, where he had 18 points and a plus-one rating.
He split the 2009-2010 season between the Blue Jackets and the Capitals. He finished with seven points and a plus-two rating in 44 games.
Mark Eaton, Defenseman
Eaton was a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the last four seasons and won his first career Stanley Cup in 2009. His totals for the 2009-2010 season were 16 points and a plus-five in 79 games for the best regular season of his career.
He also had three points and a minus-four rating in 13 playoff games.
New York Rangers
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The Rangers add four new players to their roster as they look to get back to the playoffs in 2010-2011.
Alexander Frolov, Left Wing
Frolov played seven seasons with the Los Angeles Kings. Ever since he posted 71 points in the 2006-2007 season, his statistics have been going downhill. He finished 2009-2010 with 51 points a minus-one in 81 games. He had four points and a minus-five rating in six playoff games.
Jeremy Williams, Right Wing
Williams spent the past season with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL, where he had 63 points in 77 games. He did not get any time with Detroit, but he has 11 points in 31 NHL games with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Derek Boogaard, Left Wing
Boogaard was a member of the Minnesota Wild for five years. He has never had 10 points in a season and can also be a liability on defense. For example, in 2009-2010, he had four points and a minus-12 rating in 57 games. He also had 105 penalty minutes.
Martin Biron, Goaltender
Biron played with the New York Islanders last year and will now join their interstate rivals on Broadway.
Last year, he played 29 games and earned a record of 9-14-4 with a .896 save percentage and a 3.27 GAA. He also posted one shutout.
This coming season will mark Biron's 10th full season in the NHL. He has also spent time with the Buffalo Sabres and Philadelphia Flyers.
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Philadelphia Flyers
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After a remarkable run to the Stanley Cup Finals, the Flyers hope to go the extra mile with five new players.
Nikolai Zherdev, Right Wing
Zherdev will make his return to the NHL this upcoming season. He spent the 2009-2010 campaign with the Atlant Moscow Oblast of the KHL where he had 39 points in 52 games.
Prior to going overseas, he played 365 games with the Blue Jackets and Rangers. He has 239 NHL career points.
Dan Jancevski, Defenseman
Jancevski spent the 2009-2010 seasons with the Texas Stars of the AHL. He posted 23 points in 78 regular season games and 12 points in 24 playoff games. He has played in nine NHL games with the Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay and has no points and two penalty minutes.
Matt Walker, Defenseman
Walker was traded to Philadelphia from Tampa Bay in exchange for Flyers forward Simon Gagne. In 66 games with Tampa, he posted five points and a minus-11 rating.
Walker has also played 240 NHL games with the St. Louis Blues and the Chicago Blackhawks.
Jody Shelley, Left Wing
In 2009-2010, Shelley played a combined 57 games with the San Jose Sharks and the Rangers. He posted nine points and a plus-five rating with 115 penalty minutes.
Prior to coming to San Jose, he played six and a half seasons in Columbus. He doesn't do much offensively, but he can definitely be an enforcer and stick up for his teammates. He has posted over 100 penalty minutes in every season of his career.
Sean O'Donnell, Defenseman
O'Donnell is a veteran defenseman who has played 13 seasons in the NHL.
In his second stint with the Kings this past season, he posted 15 points and a plus-14 rating in 78 games. He also had one point and a minus-two rating in six playoff games.
Aside from playing with Los Angeles, O'Donnell has spent time with the Ducks, the Devils, the Boston Bruins, the Wild, and the Phoenix Coyotes.
Pittsburgh Penguins
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Defense was the name of the game for the Pittsburgh Penguins this offseason. Four of their six new acquisitions are defensemen.
Corey Potter, Defenseman
Potter has played eight games in two seasons with the Rangers, where he has one assist and a plus-two rating.
In 2009-2010, he had 28 points in 69 games with the Blueshirts' AHL affiliate in Hartford.
Andrew Hutchinson, Defenseman
Hutchinson has played 135 NHL games with the Nashville Predators, Carolina Hurricanes, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Dallas Stars. He has 38 points and a minus-10 rating in those games. Although he was on the Hurricanes during their 2005-2006 Stanley Cup season, he did not play in the postseason.
Hutchinson was a member of the Texas Stars for the 2009-2010 season. He had 38 points in 78 regular season games and 16 points in 21 playoff games.
Brett Sterling, Left Wing
Sterling is one of those players who can rock the AHL, but can't quite cut it in the NHL. In 19 NHL games with the Atlanta Thrashers, he has four points and a minus-five rating.
He spent the 2009-2010 season with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL and posted 56 points in 55 games.
Ryan Craig, Center
Craig has played 184 games with Tampa Bay. His NHL totals are 63 points with a minus-23 rating, which he has posted over parts of five seasons.
In 2009-2010, he played in 73 games with the AHL's Norfolk Admirals and put up 45 points.
Paul Martin, Defenseman
Before signing with the Penguins, Martin played his entire NHL career in New Jersey. He now joins one of the Devils' fiercest rivals.
Martin has played an even 400 NHL games and has career totals of 163 points and a plus-55 rating. He had 11 points in 22 games this year, the first time he has ever scored below 20 points. However, he had a broken arm which caused him to miss ample time.
He also had no points and a minus-one rating in five playoff games.
Zbynek Michalek, Defenseman
Michalek just finished his fifth season with the Phoenix Coyotes. He had 17 points and a plus-five rating in 72 games and two points and a minus-four in seven playoff games.
Michalek has played 415 NHL games and has 115 points and a minus-22 rating. Before joining the Coyotes organization, he played part of the 2003-2004 season with the Wild.
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