NHL Profiles: Anaheim / Atlanta

Should you take a chance on drafting Jaroslav Balastik or Petr Prucha - or maybe Valtteri Filppula? What about Jussi Jokinen or Petteri Nokelainen? How did Michael Ryder and Trent Hunter perform in Sweden last season? And perhaps Denis Parshin is right for your keeper-league squad? As we count down to opening night, here are some helpful notes and insights on a wide spectrum of NHL players and prospects who toiled in Europe during the '04-5 lockout.

Jason Marshall (Ana) - followed an invitation to perform in the Extraleague from former teammate Pavel Trnka and joined Plzen in January .. paired with Trnka on the first defensive unit .. one of the most physical players in the league .. finished his checks often and cleared the crease with determination .. filled a defensive role conscientiously and was a solid boost to the team .. supported the offense on occasion, but focused on taking care of his own end .. made good use of his NHL experience but couldn't help the team sneak into the playoffs.

Samuel Pahlsson (Ana) - delivered a strong two-way performance as usual en route to winning a league championship .. did benefit in terms of offensive output playing alongside Daniel Alfredsson in the playoffs .. not the most exciting player to watch, but a strong and very useful guy nevertheless .. might be the best player in the SEL in terms of upper body strength, wins most battles along the boards and is excellent at covering the puck .. just an average skater with rather sluggish first strides, though his top speed is decent .. good hockey sense, knows his limitations and makes smart decisions .. very strong in the faceoff circle and has a pretty good wristshot, although he's no sniper .. decent playmaker and his work ethic is excellent.

Ladislav Smid (Ana) - progressed well on the Liberec senior team, provided with a chance to learn from NHL vets Jaroslav Modry and Jiri Fischer .. skated mostly on the second defensive pairing with Valdemar Jirus .. still asked to focus more on the defensive side, but is showing more confidence in his puck-moving abilities .. possesses the upside of a potential NHL offensive defenseman, but needs to be given room for his possible raids .. played himself into one of the key defensemen of his team and a regular top-four member .. the best teenaged defenseman in the Extraleague .. handled the pressure of the playoffs with poise and confidence .. took part in the 2005 U-20 WJC, winning bronze .. debuted on the senior national team in February at the Sweden Hockey Games .. signed a rookie contract in August however don't expect miracles .. should be brought along slowly.

Vitaly Vishnevski (Ana) - spent the lockout season with Khimik Voskresensk .. after joining the squad in late September, Vishnevski became a fixture on Khimik's top defensive pairing and logged the most ice time on the squad .. the club's only defenseman with an offensive pulse, he ranked sixth on his team in scoring and third in assists .. byond the statistics, he was a fixture on the top powerplay unit and his production was extremely valuable to a club that enjoyed little scoring beyond the top line.

Tobias Enstrom (Atl) - enjoyed a solid season and received a good chunk of icetime as he played on all special teams .. put up his best numbers yet in the SEL, which could hardly be considered a surprise as this is a smart and skilled player .. very mobile, one of the smoothest skaters in the league and blessed with great lateral movement .. best asset is his tremendous hockey sense, his passing game is top notch .. always makes smart decisions .. doesn't have a booming slapshot instead relying on accuracy .. despite being undersized, has no problems with the physical game, at least on European rinks, mainly due to his smarts. Should be the go-to offensive guy on MoDo's defense and probably the team's number one defenseman overall.

Tomas Kloucek (Atl) - turned into a journeyman in 2004-2005 .. held back by his average skating skills which became more evident on the larger ice surface .. sent packing after two months of regular-season play, heading on loan to his former team Slavia Praha .. filled a steady defensive role and became more comfortable with the Extraleague in Slavia .. added a physical dimension to the defense and cleared the crease adequately well .. sent on a loan to Liberec in late January .. adjusted to the new teammates quickly but didn't join the rush very often .. missed three playoff games .. played with more energy in the playoffs, taking no prisoners along the boards .. showed only limited offensive output .. didn't progress significantly during the previous season and will most likely serve as a fringe NHL defenseman.

Ilya Kovalchuk (Atl) - signed a one-year deal with Kazan reportedly worth approximately 3 million dollars .. began '04-5 on fire with a number of goals during September and was prematurely crowned the Super League's premier sniper .. however he suddenly cooled off and failed to produce for almost 20 games, the early praises turning to some criticism .. he recovered somewhat down the stretch, spurred by the arrival of Alexei Kovalev, though overall Kovalchuk's performance fell below expectations and his loaded Kazan club embarrassingly bowed out in the opening round of the playoffs .. currently holding out for a hefty long-term deal from Atlanta, the two sides so far unable to reach agreement .. meanwhile, he has signed to play with Khimik this season should his NHL contract impasse continue.

Vyacheslav Kozlov (Atl) - started the season with Khimik Voskresensk, where he skated on the club's top line with former NHLers Valeri Kamensky and German Titov .. after it became clear that the club was heading nowhere, he forced a trade to Ak Bars Kazan, where he quickly fit in skating with Dany Heatley and Vincent Lecavalier .. once again proved his flexibility by melding well with various linemates and excelling with both clubs.

Jaroslav Modry (Atl) - spent first half of last season practicing before receiving an offer from Liberec .. paired with Detroit's Jiri Fischer for the bigger part of his games .. filled his defensive duties conscientiously but also tried to add an offensive part .. made use of his experience, but was prone to occasional mistakes when trying to do too much with the puck .. a steady factor in the opening round of the playoffs, helping Liberec upset favoured Slavia Praha .. looked a bit slow against the faster Pardubice players in the second round .. wasn't invited to join the Czech senior national team .. will perform as a conservative defensive rearguard in Atlanta .. don't expect high output from this unspectacular defenseman.

Ronald Petrovicky (Atl) - came at the same time as Marc-Andre Bergeron to Brynas, and just as Bergeron, Petrovicky hardly set the town on fire with his performance, although he did a solid albeit unspectacular job .. fairly quick winger whose best ability is to cycle the boards which is how he creates much of his offense .. boasts a pretty good wristshot and also some stickhandling moves, but is no elite offensive player .. works hard and is willing to take a hit to make the play .. a player who adds depth - not a top-end talent.

Patrick Stefan (Atl) - a revelation - turned in a great performance for Ilves Tampere of the SM-Liiga .. was the key piece on one of the league's best lines, contributing in even-strength, PP and SH situations ..used in a playmaking role with two good wingers. Took advantage of his good speed and vision to create chances every shift. A big and dynamic center .. good acceleration on first steps .. his offensive game is mostly playmaking .. isn't much of a shooter as he doesn't have a great shot .. could use his size better, isn't very physical .. plays a responsible two-way game.