NHL Profiles: Boston / Buffalo

PJ Axelsson (Bos) - returned home for the lockout and managed to get more going in the offensive department than in the NHL as the bigger surface gives more room for his top-notch skating while his smallish frame isn't a factor here .. skates and works hard and plays with a lot of heart .. very quick, agile skater; good top speed and virtually never stops skating .. his slapshot is rather weak though, scores most of his goals from close in .. puckhandling is very good .. not quite top notch though as he relies more on skating to get around defensemen .. an elite penalty killer, although he had more well-rounded duties in Frolunda than just killing penalties .. passing skills are above average, knows how to pass the puck - not a natural playmaker though.

Vladislav Evseev (Bos) - once again teased observers with his undeniable talent but was unable to stay healthy for the entire season, succumbing to a shoulder injury during the first regular season game .. fortunately the injury was unrelated to the one that sidelined him for most of the season prior to the 2002 NHL Draft .. received a lot of icetime to showcase his talent upon his return to the lineup in late November .. unfortunately, while he does possess impressive speed, shot, and physical ability, he still seems to lacks the hockey sense and passing ability that would greatly kickstart his game .. despite the setbacks, Evseev's upside remains immense .. still on Boston's radar but absolutely needs a consistent and injury-free `05-6 campaign.

Hal Gill (Bos) - a successful season for the hulking defenseman who was able to overcome the problems associated with bigger rinks and different interpretations of the rules .. was a key player for Lukko during the spring and in the playoffs .. added much needed toughness and kept opponents honest with his presence on the ice .. a huge defenseman with very good strength and decent skating ability .. one of the players who really uses their size as scouts always hope for .. does not provide much offense at any level of hockey, usually playing it safe with the puck.

Lars Jonsson (Bos) - many question whether Jonsson will ever live up to the hype, as he didn't make any significant strides in his development last season despite a fair amount of icetime in Timra .. very strong skater, moves so fluidly over the ice and accelerates well .. a good puckhandler who likes to join the offensive rush .. his hockey sense could be questioned however, as he sometimes struggles in his passing game and makes bad decisions defensively .. doesn't respond well to aggressive forechecking .. boasts an accurate slapshot that he should utilize more frequently .. not overly physical, but not intimidated either .. his inconsistency is getting rather tedious .. there're no reason he can't be a factor every game with his great skating ability yet is totally invisible some nights which is really unacceptable .. a longshot at making the NHL unless something clicks .. will move to HV 71 this season, where he should be a top-four defenseman .. negotiated with the Bruins for a good part of the summer without reaching agreement.

Sergei Samsonov (Bos) - a late addition to the eventual RSL Champions, signing with Dynamo in late February .. clearly just added for the playoffs, he skated in just three regular season games in early March .. didn't stand out much and was only able to score once .. however, in the first round of the playoffs, he performed well and showed flashes of his NHL ability .. unfortunately, after the third game of the first round, was sidelined by what was reported to be extreme headaches .. after several days in the hospital, the doctors determined that the medical condition was temporary, but would sideline Samsonov from hockey for at least a month .. the situation remained unclear for most of the playoff run as rumours swirled that he purposefully missed the playoffs, though these accusations had little ground .. in the end, his absence was all but forgotten during the club's run to the gold medals.

Jiri Slegr (Bos) - a stabilizing force on Litvinov's blueline paired with Martin Skoula during the early stages of the season .. blossomed in his role as the season progressed and impressed with his tenacious play mixed with strong offensive support .. was given the room to create and responded with a strong ability to distribute pucks effectively .. thrived on the powerplay .. a defensive leader heading into the playoffs .. played spirited two-way hockey but couldn't avoid Litvinov's elimination by Zlin .. took part in the World Cup of Hockey just like the World Championships where he was industrial to the first-place finish .. overall a very good season for the seasoned vet .. will make use of his experience and serve as a dependable force on the Bruins .. won't be asked to anchor the defense, but should fill his role adequately.

Maxim Afinogenov (Buf) - won the Russian Super League gold medal with Dynamo Moscow .. speedy forward was one of the club's top scoring threats .. quickly adjusted to the bigger ice and didn't lose a step .. he also managed to stay injury free all season and consistently delivered for his club .. supposedly extended his contract through the 2005-06 season in case the lockout had continued.

Brian Campbell (Buf) - fit right in to Jokerit's concept of play with his good skating and puck handling skills .. able to use the bigger rink to his advantage and emerged as a offensive threat in the Finnish league .. leading defenseman scorer on his team .. however, wasn't able to play mistake-free defense in the playoffs .. all in all though, a positive season for Campbell .. a fluid skating defenseman who keep his legs moving constantly and likes to participates in the offensive game all the time .. at a disadvantage because of his size though .. could be more suited for bigger rinks and the more skating-based European hockey, or possibly the new NHL?

Denis Denisov (Buf) - continues to emerge as one of the most talented and mature young defensemen still playing in Russia .. possesses immense offensive upside, capable at times of even filling in as a spare center .. strongest assets are his speed, hockey sense and puckhandling .. also doesn't hesitate to get physical and can be very effective against the boards .. doesn't possess imposing size though .. enjoyed a consistent, injury free season as one of the top four defenseman with the wealthy Ak Bars club, effectively competing for ice time against the likes of Salei (Ana), Kasparaitis (NYR), and Bykov (Det) .. a diamond in the rough from the 2000 draft .. while ready to make the move to North America, he gained invaluable experience from his season with Ak Bars alongside veteran NHLers and his stock was further boosted by an invitation to join the national team at the 2005 World Championships where they earned bronze.

Ales Kotalik (Buf) - hampered by health problems during the regular season but, once healthy, was a good factor on a line with Radim Vrbata and Vaclav Nedorost .. was quickly handed a big role on Liberec .. a threat in the offensive zone who can score and pass equally well .. progressed in his defensive awareness as well, though focuses more on offense .. took on a playmaking role and elevated his play in the playoffs .. performed in four exhibition games for the Czech senior national team, but didn't take part in any international tournaments .. should establish himself as a decent offensive producer team after a solid season in Europe .. reaching his prime and could take on a bigger role with the Sabres.

Artem Kryukov (Buf) - Kryukov's stock shot up last season thanks to a consistent and injury-free campaign .. sees the ice well and possesses impressive maneuverability and speed for his size .. needs to continue developing his finishing skills, as well as the physical aspect of his game, which was more apparent at Buffalo's training camp than in the Super League .. spent the latter part of the regular season on Lokomotiv's "Tower" line with Nikolai Antropov (Tor) and Alexei Mikhnov (Edm) .. the line's chemistry was apparent, especially between Kryukov and Antropov .. late bloomer will spend another season in Russia however until his contract obligations to Lokomotiv are resolved .. under contract with the Super League club through the 2005-06 season.

Toni Lydman (Buf) - missed most of the season with IFK after having a hard time getting insured after several concussions earlier in his career .. showed to be a pro-level player when he finally got underway in the Finnish league in February, taking a top pairing spot from the first game .. an all-round defenseman with adequate size .. not overly physical and doesn't have a elite shot from the point .. not strictly a defensive player nor are his skills elite .. makes some mistakes in the defensive zone as well .. still, a valuable asset if he stays healthy.

Mika Noronen (Buf) - delivered a solid season with HPK, earning plenty of wins during the regular season .. however, he wasn't able to raise his game in the most important games of the season .. has a reputation for letting in easy goals in Finland, as a result of his national team games .. a goalie with good size .. tries to stay up on his feet for as long as possible .. covers the net well and has good reflexes .. at times, he has problems with longer shots and with his legs .. needs to be more consistent and show that he can be relied on.

Henrik Tallinder (Buf) - assumed a rather defensive role on Linkoping's first defensive pairing, though he displayed some good offensive moves at times as well .. one of the top rearguards in the league until he got suspended in February .. not a blistering skater, but has long, powerful strides and never looks sluggish .. crisp passer who knows how to move the puck out of his own end .. smart and mature, makes the right decision all the time .. good puckhandler as well, can carry the puck into the offensive zone .. doesn't have the hardest shot, but his release is fairly quick and he gets it on target .. very strong physically, strong one-on-one and generally uses his body well, won most of the battles here.