Though it the NHL off-season hasn’t garnered nearly the hype of Miami’s NBA coup d’etat, a lot of high impact players switched sweaters this summer and will be skating in new cities when the regular season kicks off in October. Here’s a look at the biggest additions and losses that will alter the league’s landscape.Evgeni Nabakov, Goaltender, San Jose to KHL There was no question as to whether Nabakov would cash in this summer, however he was expected to receive a big bag of American dollars, not Russian rubles. After 12 years of NHL service in San Jose, Nabakov has decided to pull an anti-Lebron and take his talents back to his home country. The goalie has been an integral part of the Sharks success over the past decade and will be sorely missed by fans in teal.Jaroslav Halak, Goaltender, Montreal to St. Louis It was surprising to see the Canadiens part with Halak for so little, sending Halak to St. Louis in a trade that netted the Habs only two prospects. The Blues already have one of the best young cores in the league, easily affording to spare a couple of youngsters. With Halak in the crease, the Blues should improve on what was nearly a playoff season last year and look to finish much closer towards the top of their conference.Sergei Gonchar, Defenseman, Pittsburgh to Ottawa Sergei Gonchar isn’t the spry young skater he once was, but an aging Gonchar brings much more pressing need to the Sens than youthful exuberance. The Senators have been to the playoffs in 12 of the last 13 seasons, however, they have yet to hoist the Cup. Gonchar is still a valuable contributor on the ice, but his Stanley Cup experience and guidance off the ice may be even more important.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010 at 1:00 pm and is filed under Player Trades/Moves. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.