NHL Season Preview : 5 Superstars with New Contracts Expected to Dazzle

Merry Christmas! No, I am not crazy. Today is the start of a new NHL season. Players, coaches and fans are all ready and excited for the action to get started. After a busy offseason, many players changed teams and signed new contracts. 

However, there are five players in particular who are under the spotlight this year. One player was the cream of the crop of the offseason free-agent market. Another player was signed to a generous contract, and one player held out to the very end and got their cash.

Will some of these players exceed expectations in their new home? Will the lone returning free agent live up to the contract he held out for? Will the aging veteran live up to all the hype and hoopla?

Here are the five players who will be under a lot of pressure after signing new contracts.

Ilya Bryzgalov

Team: Philadelphia Flyers (from Phoenix Coyotes rights traded)

Cap Hit: $5,666,667

Length: Nine Years

Anytime a player signs a nine-year multi-million dollar contract, they are bound to receive a lot of attention.

On June 23, 2011, the Flyers signed Bryzgalov to be their new starter and signed him to a nine-year, $51 million contract. In order to fit his contract under the salary cap, the Flyers made two high-profile trades an hour before the Bryzgalov signing was official.

Bryzgalov was brought in to slam shut the Philadelphia Flyers' revolving door of goaltending. The Flyers needed some stability in net and they have that in Ilya Bryzgalov. He is a Stanley Cup-winning goaltender and brings success and experience with him.

It may take some time for Bryzgalov to assimilate into a new lineup, but once he is well adjusted the Flyers are in good hands.

Ilya Bryzgalov may have the biggest contract to live up to in Philadelphia Flyers and goaltending history.

Christian Ehrhoff

Team: Buffalo Sabres (from New York Islanders; rights traded from Vancouver Canucks)

Cap Hit: $4 Million

Length: 10 Years 

The Buffalo Sabres lived up to the reputation of their new billionaire owner, Terry Pegula. The Sabres showed no hesitation whatsoever when it came to signing free agents.

After acquiring his contract negotiating rights from the New York Islanders, the Sabres inked Ehrhoff to a $40 million contract to be paid out over 10 years.

Ehrhoff has proven that he is worth the annual $4 million cap hit, but to invest 10 years in him puts some pressure on him to perform. 

Ehrhoff is coming off three consecutive seasons where he has scored 42 points or more. He was the Vancouver Canucks' top offensive producing defenseman, and the Sabres will look to utilize his skills on their top power-play unit.

The pressure on Ehrhoff will be significant because he doesn't want to make a bad impression on the fans now that he is signed up for the next decade. If Ehrhoff can put up at least 50 points, he can be very helpful on the Sabres blue line.

Jaromír Jágr

Team: Philadelphia Flyers (from KHL and New York Rangers)

Cap Hit: $3.3 Million

Length: One Year

Jaromír Jágr  is one of the greatest right wings in the history of the NHL. His 646 goals and 953 assists for 1,599 total points reinforces that statement.

Jágr may have impressed many of his critics in the preseason with his superb play, but the fact of the matter is this: Can the 39-year-old Czech winger still keep up with an 82-game schedule and potential playoff matches?

Jágr shocked the hockey world when it was announced that the Flyers had signed him to a one-year $3.3 million contract. The Flyers were very generous to a player two years removed from playing an NHL contest.

Will Jágr score at least 20 goals? Can Jágr put up at least 60 points? Will his body remain strong and healthy for the entire 82-game schedule? Only time will tell, but Jágr is expected by many to live up to his generous contract.

Brad Richards

Team: New York Rangers (from Dallas)

Cap Hit: $6,666,667

Length: Nine Years

The Rangers made a splash in free agency when they got their man in Brad Richards. He is an elite center with great hands, and is a catalyst and legitimate threat on the power play.

With great promotion and fanfare comes great expectations. Many critics question his abilities and wonder if Richards will be blinded by the bright lights that accompany the Broadway stage of Madison Square Garden.

The Rangers acquired Brad Richards in an attempt to mend two key holes in their lineups. The key word is "attempt" in this scenario.

Adding Brad Richards to the equation is no guarantee for sure-fire success, but he is a good solution for the Rangers' problem.

Marián Gáborík is a talented goal scorer who really has never played with a true No. 1 center before. 

There is no doubt that Richards will be under a lot of pressure to help Gáborík get back to his usual self.

Drew Doughty

Team: Los Angeles Kings (re-signed)

Cap Hit: $7 Million

Length: Eight Years

Drew Doughty arguably was the biggest winner of free agency. Even though Doughty was a restricted free agent, he held out throughout the whole summer before finally signing a new contract.

Doughty signed an eight-year deal worth $56 million, which averages out to $7 million per year. He joins the upper echelon pay grade of proven defensemen like Zdeno Chara, Nicklas Lidstrom and Shea Weber.

Doughty will have to prove his critics, including myself, that he deserved his new contract. He is coming off a down season production-wise. Doughty only scored 40 points last year which is significantly lower than his career-high 59 points in 2009-10.

Will Doughty prove his naysayers wrong? Will he get back into the 50-60 point range? 

The Kings are in a win-now state of mind after the additions of Mike Richards and Simone Gagne. The Kings have a star-studded lineup, and with Doughty on defense they are a credible Stanley Cup contender.

Comments, Questions, Concerns?

What did you think? Do you feel that these players will live up to their contract? Is there someone I missed? 

Leave a comment in the section below to get the conversation going. 

Tom Urtz is an NHL Featured Columnist and New York Rangers Featured Columnist.

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