NHL Offseason: Kovalchuk, Pronger, and Other Atlantic Division Concerns

Can you believe it is almost the end of August?

The opening of NHL training camps is just under a month away. The summer is flying by, but many NHL teams still have issues to solve before the puck drops on September’s preseason action.

Here is a roundup of some of the latest issues in the Atlantic Division that are hopefully going to be resolved before the puck drops on September's preseason action.

The Ilya Kovalchuk Saga: Volume 23

There hasn’t been a lot of change on this front. Kovalchuk remains an UFA and the New Jersey Devils are still hoping to work out a contract with him. He also supposedly talked to the KHL, but it doesn’t look like he is headed over there.

Devils General Manager Lou Lamoriello is not commenting on the situation until a deal is reached.

The End of Elias?

The Sporting News recently reported that Devils left winger Patrik Elias could be moved to sign fellow winger Zach Parise to a long-term deal.

Elias is under contract with New Jersey until 2013 for $5 million a year. His contract was the longest handed out in franchise history, until Kovalchuk’s now-void deal was signed.

Parise will be a RFA after this season and will make $5 million.

Pronger Bouncing Back

According to an article in the Vancouver Sun, Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger will not be able to participate in Flyers training camp, which opens on September 17.

Pronger had knee surgery in July after being injured in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Bruins. He has not started skating again, but he is trying to get back into shape by riding a stationary bike.

Pronger told the Sun that he won’t rush himself back to the ice until he is sure his leg is at full strength. He hopes to play in the Flyers’ regular season opener on October 7 in Pittsburgh, but that is not set in stone.

(Goal)Tending to the Island

As the Islanders continue rebuilding, their goaltending situation remains uncertain.

Dwayne Roloson and Rick DiPietro are both under contract for the 2010-2011 season.

Roloson, an NHL veteran who will be 41 in two months, played 50 games with New York last season. He had a 23-18-7 record with a .907 save percentage and a 3.00 GAA.

Many are wondering if DiPietro will finally be healthy enough to play a fair amount of games for the Islanders. Between the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 seasons, he only played in 13 games and posted a combined 3-8-1 record.

DiPietro played in more than 60 games each year from 2005-2008, so he is more than capable of handling the load if he has to. But will he be able to stay healthy enough to do it?

In the event that DiPietro has more injury problems, the Islanders can turn to prospect Nathan Lawson.

Although Lawson has not seen any NHL action, he has played two solid seasons with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL. His record last season was 16-16-3 with a 2.52 GAA and a .922 save percentage.

Traveling the Interstate

On Friday, Flyers forward Arron Asham signed a deal with Philadelphia’s biggest rival, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Asham spent the last two years with the Flyers, where he played in 150 games and tallied 44 points and 281 penalty minutes. In the 2010 postseason, he had seven points in 23 games.

Although Asham is a valuable player, there are some questions about his signing. The Penguins are still seeking a top-six winger, and Asham does not appear to be that player. His numbers hardly scream “power forward.”

Asham is another physical player, which the Penguins are also not in short supply of. He joins Eric Godard, Max Talbot, and Brooks Orpik as guys in black and gold who are not afraid of mixing things up.

No one will know for sure how Asham will play with the Penguins until the season is underway, but for now, this signing feels slightly unnecessary.