Players to Watch in the Atlantic
The Atlantic Division is one of the National Hockey Leagues (NHL) top divisions, and next year it seems to have gotten even more competitive. The New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers, New York Islanders and the Pittsburgh Penguins will all battle for division honours. Below is a list of players, one from each team, to watch in next year’s campaign.
Travis Zajac – Forward – New Jersey Devils
The role of first line centreman of the Devils will likely fall to 25 year-old Travis Zajac next season. The centreman will be charged with getting either Zach Parise or Ilya Kovalchuk going on a nightly basis.
Zajac finished second in the team in scoring last season with 67 points. The closest centre after Zajac was Dainius Zubrus at ninth with 27 points. For New Jersey to have a better year then last season Zajac needs to bump his numbers. In order to develop a dangerous first unit Zajac will be counted on to contribute more then he has over the past four seasons.
Zbynek Michalek – Defenceman – Pittsburgh Penguins
The newly acquired Michalek will have to fill the role of Sergei Gonchar on the Penguins defence next season. That is going to entail the 27 year-old defender scoring more than the 17 points he recorded last season with the Phoenix Coyotes. The Penguins free flowing offence, along with the opportunity to play with Sidney Crosby, should help Michalek to break-out a bit more offensively. The native of the Czech Republic should be expected to play a major role on the Penguins blue line, and is likely to begin to make a name for himself around the National Hockey League, after being trapped in obscurity for five seasons with Phoenix.
Claude Giroux – Forward – Philadelphia Flyers
Giroux displayed why he deserved to be taken 22nd overall by the Flyers in the 2006 NHL entry draft during last year’s playoff run. Giroux notched 21 points in 23 games, and looked as though he blossomed into the star the Flyers scouts thought he would. Giroux looks poised for a break-out season, and it could not come at a better time for the right-winger. He should see time next year on the Flyers first and second lines.
Philadelphia has an incredibly skilled forward core, and Giroux could benefit a great deal on the score card from that collection of talent. The Flyers will look to have a more impressive offensive season next year, as last season their leading point-getter was Mike Richard with 62. This is a team capable of putting up four or five goals a night, expect Giroux to be a major part of that next year.
Marian Gaborik – Forward – New York Rangers
The facts are simple for the Rangers. Their offence lives and dies with right-winger Marian Gaborik. It is imperative for the 28 year-old Slovak to have an impressive season on the score sheet. Without his success, there is no one left to score goals in New York.
Last year, Gaborik notched 86 points, which was almost 30 more then the next closest player on the team. Next season will be no different, on a team with little to offer upfront, Gaborik has to be the same player that tallied 42 goals last season.
Rob Schremp – Forward – New York Islanders
Schremp joined the Islanders last season after being placed on waivers by the Edmonton Oilers and seemed to find his niche with the club. He tallied 25 points in 44 games and will be counted on to do more next season.
With a very thin line-up, Schremp is going to have to take some of the pressure off sniper John Tavares. It is no secret that Tavares is the most skilled player on this team, however, guys like Schremp are going to need to add a little bit more on the score sheet if the Islanders are to get out of the basement.
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