The 2009-10 NHL season saw a lot of otherwise unknown goaltenders establish themselves as the go-to netminders for their respective teams. Jonathan Quick in Los Angeles, Michael Leighton in Philadelphia and Jimmy Howard in Detroit all had excellent seasons, followed by more than respectable playoff runs. With the 2010-11 season just a few months away, many NHL netminders will be looking to duplicate or surpass their 2009 success, with others trying to re-establish themselves as the number one crease beast. With that in mind, let’s take a look at 12 NHL goalies that must step up their play in order to have a successful 2010-11 season. Michael Leighton: Philadelphia Flyers Picked up on waivers by the Philadelphia Flyers late in the 2009-10 season; Michael Leighton had a very successful run with the Flyers, including a run to the Stanley Cup

Despite all the whining coming from New Jersey Devils fans, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and the NHL were completely within their rights to deem Ilya Kovalchuk’s 17-year, $102 million contract null and void. While on the surface Kovalchuk’s deal is not much different than the likes of Rick Dipietro, Roberto Luongo or Alex Ovechkin’s contract, the fact remains that given how little Kovalchuk was meant to earn over the final years of his contract made the contract a joke, which is why the NHL gave it the boot. Lost in all the Kovalchuk chatter is the fact that if Kovalchuk was to retire before his 17-year deal expired (which many suggest he would) whatever amount remained on his contract would NOT count against the salary cap. The NHLPA and the players themselves are sure to get their collars up about

Just when you thought the Ilya Kovalchuk saga was over… here we go again! With the 17-year, $102 million deal between the New Jersey Devils and unrestricted free agent super star Ilya Kovalchuk being thrown in the toilet, many Devils fans are wondering what Kovalchuk’s future will be with the club? It appears as if the NHL rejected the contract on the premise that the contract itself circumvents the NHL’s salary cap. The NHL wasn’t buying that Kovalchuk had any intention of fulfilling the final years of his contract. Rather, the NHL felt that either the New Jersey Devils would buyout the highly talented Russian or Kovalchuk would opt to retire. The NHL believes that the Devils and Kovalchuk had some sort of agreement in place. If not, that the optics of the deal were so poor that it would be impossible

In a move that can only be called shocking, numerous reports are circulating online that suggest that the NHL appears to be set to reject Ilya Kovalchuk’s 17-year, $102 million deal he signed with the New Jersey Devils earlier this week on the grounds that it is in violation of the NHL’s salary cap. In simple terms, the NHL is rejecting the Kovalchuk deal on the basis that the deal itself makes a mockery of the NHL’s salary cap—a move the NHL should have done much earlier and more often. I for one, am happy that Gary Bettman and Company have stepped in and rejected the Kovalchuk deal. Signing any player to a 17-year deal is ridiculous, especially when we all darn well know that said player is likely to retire, never honoring the entire 17-years. Details are sketchy at

With all the rumors pointed to Ilya Kovalchuk joining the Los Angeles Kings, the New Jersey Devils have emerged as the winner in the Kovalchuk sweepstakes. The Devils are announcing that Kovalchuk has agreed to sign a long-term deal that will keep Kovalchuk in New Jersey. While terms and monies are yet to be announced, Kovalchuk is expected to sign a deal that will pay him between eight and nine million per season. Clearly, the Kovalchuk signing, which is expected to be officially announced Tuesday via press conference, has every team in the East sweating right now. While no guarantee to make the Stanley Cup Finals, the addition of Kovalchuk makes the New Jersey Devils one of the favorites to win it all in the Eastern Conference. Let’s take a look at ten reasons Kovalchuk makes the Devils one of

Every year NHL fans wait with great anticipation to watch the newest crop of NHL rookies arrive on the scene. Last season we saw several rookies post impressive seasons, including Colorado Avalanche forward Matt Duchene Buffalo Sabres defenseman Tyler Myers and Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask. With their rookie seasons behind them, the 2009-10 rookie crop will now be counted on to exceed their totals as sophomores, something many struggle with. Let’s take a look at the 12 sophomores you should be looking out for during the 2010-11 season. Tuukka Rask: Boston Bruins, Goaltender Tuukka Rask put up some of the most impressive numbers for a rookie goaltender in recent memory. Rask ranked first overall in Save percentage (.931) and goals against average (1.97), while his five shut outs ranked Rask seventh overall. Rask played 45 games last season, posting