NHL Profiles: Toronto / Vancouver / Washington

Nikolai Antropov (Tor) - began last season skating with the wealthy Ak Bars Kazan organization which added a number of NHLers during the lockout .. being a native of Kazahkstan, Antropov was considered a foreign player subject to the league import quota and hence forced to compete against high-profile NHLers for a roster spot .. coupled with a rather average performance led to his transfer to Yaroslavl where he found a home and developed fine chemistry on the 'Tower Line' with a pair of other 6-foot-4-plus players in Artem Kryukov (Buf) and Alexei Mikhnov (Edm) .. Antropov finished the season on a strong note and played a vital role in Lokomotiv's late surge and subsequent playoff run to the RSL semifinals.

Tomas Kaberle (Tor) - returned to his hometown Kladno team to be reunited with older brother Frantisek .. adapted quickly to the Extraleague and was an outstanding contributor all season long .. skated on the top unit, effectively supporting Jaromir Jagr in September and October while also helping rookie partner Martin Sevc make huge strides in his development .. a very strong two-way force and special teams standout .. led all blueliners in scoring and took home the 'Top Defenseman' trophy at the Extraleague awards .. played the full 30-game schedule of the Czech senior national team, including a quality showing en route to winning gold at the World Championships .. arguably the best Czech offensive defenseman nowadays .. expect an active two-way role with the Leafs as his passing skills should prove very useful under the new NHL rules .. already in his prime, Kaberle could post career numbers this season.

Staffan Kronwall (Tor) - struggled initially last season and was loaned for three games to Brynas, where he regained confidence and managed to hold a top-six spot in Djurgarden through the postseason .. his renewed performances in the playoffs suggested that his development is back on track again .. defense-minded player with good hockey sense .. sees the ice well and generally makes smart decisions .. still experiences some problems with his skating though .. decent top speed but a lack of quickness when accelerating hurts him somewhat .. used in all situations including the powerplay due to an accurate slapshot .. displays solid leadership qualities .. passing skills are a bit above average as he delivers accurate feeds most of time, albeit he can get pressured into mistakes against intense forechecking .. needs to receive a larger role in order to reach the next stage of his development which would likely be best served playing fulltime in the AHL.

Karel Pilar (Tor) - last season signed with Sparta Praha, where he grew up before leaving for Litvinov after graduating from juniors .. emerged as the club's iron man, performing in all regular season contests .. jumped into the rush often and distributed solid passes .. saw lots of time on the powerplay units .. made use of his strong shooting skills and emerged as Sparta's top pointman .. missed the playoffs with an injury .. played at two international tournaments for the Czech senior national team including the Karjala Cup and the Sweden Hockey Games .. filled more of a defensive role on the national team than in the Extraleague .. experience further heart problems this summer which unfortunately has put his career on hold for the time being .. if he can find a way to stay healthy, expect him to grab a spot on the Leafs' defense .. won't be a defensive anchor but will prove quite useful on the power play.

Alexander Steen (Tor) - moved from Frolunda to MoDo in order to get more icetime .. ironically, he actually ended up with just the opposite as the influx of NHLers stuck him in a limited checking role for most of the season .. excellent two-way center who can score highlight-reel goals as well as be the team's best penalty-killer .. very responsible in everything he does and backed by a terrific work ethic and highly-developed hockey sense .. top notch stickhandler with a hard and accurate wristshot, which makes up for a subpar slapper .. his physical game steadily improves as he gets older and adds muscle .. quick skater though might lack top notch explosiveness .. just never had the chance to showcase his impressive offensive gifts last season and may face the same quandary this time if the Maple Leafs rush him into an NHL checking-line role .. in the long run, it may be in his best interests to develop as a leader in the AHL for a year.

Dmitri Vorobiev (Tor) - stepped up impressively during '04-5, establishing himself as a top-four rearguard with Lada .. even helped fulfill the club's under-20 requirement, though his icetime certainly did not reflect his age .. stood out for his mobility and aggressiveness as he clearly enjoyed the physical aspect of the game .. played primarily a defensive role with Lada though showed a nice offensive upside at the U20 World Juniors, where he frequently jumped into the offensive zone with the puck .. should adjust easily to North American hockey given his physical element and quick-thinking, up-tempo style .. already has two complete RSL seasons under his belt and will likely skate on Lada's top pairing this season .. however the Maple Leafs may want to take charge of his development for '06-7 instead of letting him continue under the tutelage of Lada's defense-minded head coach Petr Vorobiev (no relation).

Tyler Bouck (Van) - didn't exactly put up great numbers last season in Finland, certainly not what was expected from a locked-out NHLer .. played his normal physical two-way game however and was used on a line with Saku Koivu, assigned the task of making space for and even protecting Turku's biggest asset .. Bouck did what the coaches asked of him and never complained though his offensive contributions were minimal .. an aggressive two-way winger who isn't that big but has good strength .. adequate skating ability and always gives a great effort on the ice .. excellent attitude off the ice as well .. very limited offensive potential however.

Nicklas Danielsson (Van) - hurt by the lockout and found himself quickly relegated to Almtuna in the second league .. can't blame the lockout for all his problems though, as overall his progression last season was barely noticeable .. should have been a force with Almtuna but fell well below expectations .. quick, smooth skater .. very creative with the puck and possesses an accurate wristshot .. good stickhandler with solid vision on the ice .. needs to add upper-body strength though to avoid being outworked along the boards .. also must be more consistent as he has a tendency to disappear completely from a game after making a bad play .. slick player with Magnus Kahnberg-type upside if he gets it all together .. this coming season will be pivotal for his development - needs to step up now.

Evgeny Gladskykh (Van) - finally put together a breakout season in '04-5 thanks to a strong bond developed with Alexei Kaigorodov, his linemate off and on for more than four seasons .. Gladskykh led Metallurg in scoring during the first few months mostly on setups from Kaigorodov, who led the league in assists for most of the season .. his achievements didn't go unnoticed by the national team coach, who invited him to join the squad at the ROSNO EuroTour tournament in December .. unfortunately he was subsequently sidelined for more than a month with a leg injury and wasn't able to regain his top form in time for the playoffs and World Championships .. solid skater with strong stickhandling and shooting skills .. can be very dangerous down low near goal as he is tough to knock off the puck .. needs to continue working on his quickness and top speed however .. his development is now at the ideal point to make the transition to North America, however he'll need another impressive season to peak the Canucks' interest.

Brendan Morrison (Van) - Just like Mike Knuble, Morrison's game deteriorated significantly after Kristian Huselius was suspended from the team .. faded terribly in the playoffs as his poor performance was a big reason Linkoping got knocked out in the first round after finishing second in the regular season .. smooth skater with an extremely fluid stride .. fairly quick though lacking an elite top gear .. an excellent passer blessed with very soft hands and a natural playmaking eye as he spots openings on the ice easily .. possesses a quick and accurate wristshot, which he could still use more often .. rarely ever used his slapshot .. undersized and not particularly strong physically, and seemed to fade away when the intensity turned up a notch .. for a North American, Morrison has a distinct European style to his game, which both helped and hindered him during his stay in Sweden.

Jarkko Ruutu (Van) - experienced an eventful season back home last year in the SM-Liiga with plenty of ups and downs .. broke the league record for penalty minutes in a season yet also finished fifth in scoring for IFK .. however he struggled to contain his emotions at times and was more of a liability than asset in certain games with his constant yapping and theatrics .. rebounded to play smart hockey again at the World Championships .. a strong tenacious winger who loves to hit .. can also be used in some offensive roles at the minor league level, but doesn't have the hands or agility to perform offensively against the top players in the world.

Sami Salo (Van) - Finnish defenseman joined Frolunda and added depth and skill to an already more-than-competent defense corps .. played in a pairing with Christian Backman and rarely had a bad game .. though his skating is no more than average, he compensates by reading the game superbly - his hockey sense does much of the work instead of his legs .. strong physically and was a punishing force in his own end in the SEL .. also boasts an excellent shooting arsenal, both slapshot and wrister are hard, quick and accurate .. besides being a fine passer, can surprise at times with a nifty stickhandling move when he decides to join the attack .. always very professional in his approach; the type of player who does the little things right .. his experience consistently showed last season.

Daniel Sedin / Henrik Sedin (Van) - did what was asked of them last season, which was to be consistent scorers on the team, though the twins did nothing beyond that .. really haven't seemed to improve all that much since they left Sweden for the NHL .. the main trait that distinguishes these two is their hockey sense .. they know what to do in almost every situation and read the game quite well .. both are also top notch playmakers .. however their skating is frustrating to watch, as it seems like they never skate at full speed even under the most dire circumstances .. lacked intensity and any kind of physical presence last season, and are still very much in love with cycling along the boards until they lose the puck .. need to shoot the puck and drive to the net .. still, they are rather solid defensively and useful on the penalty-killing unit .. they rely almost exclusively on their passing game, hockey sense and playmaking abilities, and that may never change .. at least on European rinks, what you see is what you get.

Josef Boumedienne (Wsh) - arrived from Sodertalje during the season and emerged as a key player in Karpat's championship run .. provided an important physical presence to a smallish defense corps, yet was also capable of playing a dynamic offensive game at times .. possesses all the tools - adequate size, strength and enough puck skills to be an NHL player .. showed a lot of fire and passion in his game last season .. however he was also prone to taking stupid penalties or for losing his man on the ice .. needs to work on his hockey sense and consistency .. failed to get an one-way deal from the Capitals and signed to play for ZSC Lions in Switzerland for '05-6 but has an NHL out clause.

Oscar Hedman (Wsh) - progressed rather well last season, managing to hold a regular spot among MoDo's top six defensemen until the final weeks of the season when Frantisek Kaberle and Adrian Aucoin arrived to the club .. smooth skater with good balance though still lacking top speed .. his first strides can look kind of sluggish when he's having a bad day as well .. mature and calm under pressure with a solid positional game .. rarely makes any obvious mistakes due to his well-developed hockey sense .. likes to join the rush offensively and sneak into scoring positions .. owns an accurate and fairly hard slapshot .. blessed with a strong frame despite not being overly tall, however could have more impact physically by developing a larger mean streak .. should take next step up in his development and become a solid SELer this season.

Ivan Majesky (Wsh) - a mid-season addition by Sparta Praha from Slovakia .. the gigantic defenseman filled a steady defensive role and made use of his strong reach and massive wingspan .. added solid toughness and took his man out of the play with regularity .. though hampered by average mobility on the larger ice surface, he still didn't fall behind the plays .. pulled off a decent offensive showing in the playoffs although he showed holes in his overall defensive play .. fires bombs from the blueline and was the most productive Sparta defenseman .. looked fuzzy in his own end occasionally and had some problems with the faster Vitkovice forwards .. won't be happy with the new NHL rules though can still serve as an unspectacular defensive defenseman, and perhaps more of a depth role if he struggles with the pace.

Johnny Oduya (Wsh) - the closest the Swedish Elite League has to a pure goon, however Oduya certainly has the talent to take on other roles .. last season went over 100 penalty minutes again including his usual share of fights, misconducts and suspensions .. rumours always circulate that Djurgarden coach Niklas Wikegard orders Oduya to instigate certain fights with marquee players on the opposing team, such as one highly-debated incident with Mora's Shawn Horcoff, in order to get Horcoff thrown out of the game .. a tough defenseman who is not intimidated by anyone .. tried too hard to prove his toughness during his first season with Djurgarden which cost him too many penalties, and his sophomore season was no different .. needs to learn to control his temper while continuing to be aggressive .. a fairly good puckhandler and passer, but his main strength is a strong defensive game .. also possesses an accurate slapshot which could be utilized more frequently .. very good upper body strength .. type-cast as an enforcer in Djurgarden, though their new coach might have others plans for Oduya.

Alexander Ovechkin (Wsh) - delivered another terrific overall performance in '04-5 .. continued to skate on Dynamo's top two lines and improved his points-per-game average despite seeing relatively less playing time due to the arrival of NHL players .. also had to contend with a higher level of competition in the Super League while being a moving target as the opposition were constantly looking to flatten him .. showcased his energetic and at times hard-nosed play .. on one occasion he blasted Oleg Kvasha into next Tuesday as the two were fighting for a puck, and another time knocked Sergei Gonchar out for a month with a devastating, but clean, hit .. Ovechkin's overall game notably improved last season as he became more responsible defensively and learned to think quicker on his feet .. has already tapped most of the available developmental benefit from Russia, establishing himself as one of the League's top forwards among some of the world's most experienced veterans .. the NHL is where this young super star belongs as his skill, speed and passion are sure to excite on an otherwise starless Capitals squad.

Alexander Semin (Wsh) - returned to Russia during the summer of 2004 against the wishes of Capitals' management .. joined his former club Lada when, according to his contract, he was supposed to spend the season in the AHL .. though suspended by Washington, the decision did provide Semin with an opportunity to play at a better level of competition and it may have been best for his development as he became one of the Super League's top forwards .. showed off his

speed and impressive puckhandling all season long, however was knocked for his instability and inability to consistently put points on the board .. part of the problem may have related to a foot injury suffered in late December that slowed him down and left him pointless for most of January .. signed a one-year extension with Lada immediately following the season, claiming that his army obligations would prevent him from returning to North America .. despite the lockout ending and having a valid NHL contract, he curiously chose to remain in Russia and left the Caps hanging once again.

Petr Sykora (Wsh) - the Pardubice sniper finished just one goal shy of matching his personal high in 2001-2002, when he scored 26 goals .. continues to impress with his ability to reach top speed in a few strides and finish scoring chances with a cool head using either his variety of shots or nifty in-close finishing skills .. displayed a more selfish approach when in scoring ranges than he was during '03-4 .. missed ten regular-season contests due to sickness and injuries .. still isn't a physically intimidating factor .. his offensive output in the playoffs dipped as the team relied more on the performance of the high-flying young trio Prucha, Hemsky and Koukal .. won the Extraleague championship title with Pardubice .. will give the NHL a second try as he reported at the end of preseason after being held up by Pardubice who threatened to take him to court for leaving while having a valid pro contract .. should be able to stick with the Capitals all season long .. his skating and sniper instincts will be his strongest assets .. the new NHL rules should suit him well .. 15 goals and 30 points aren't out of the question in his rookie season.