Coming off of his sixth NHL season, Zbynek Michalek is eligible for unrestricted free agency. While there will certainly be no shortage of suitors, the Czech blueliner may have already made up his mind on where he will play next season.
Rumors have it that the Ottawa Senators are interested in acquiring Michalek to fill the void that will more than likely be left by the exit of shutdown defenseman Anton Volchenkov. It is expected that Volchenkov will demand as much as $5 million per season on a long-term contract if he pursues the open market this summer. That's a hefty price tag for a guy who has never posted more than 19 points in a single NHL campaign.
Michalek, a current member of the Phoenix Coyotes, has recently been seen as the "poor man's" Volchenkov. But if you look at their playing styles and performances, the only thing poor about Michalek, when compared to Volchenkov, is the salary he will have next year.
Over the past few seasons many people have taken notice of Volchenkov as being one of the best in the game at blocking shots. The big Russian has collected 352 blocks since the NHL starting tracking them in 2008-0 ...
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Article written by Chris Bouthillier
How Zbynek Michalek Fits With the Ottawa Senators
June 16th, 2010 by Chris Bouthillier Leave a reply »
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