Dynamo Moscow and the New KHL (NHL 09)

[thrashman]

The KHL is becoming more "kontinental" as today it was announced the league will be venturing into Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic, and Germany. Four capital cities will be represented by Djurgarden (Stockholm), Jokerit (Helsinki), HC Slavia Praha (Prague), and Eisbaren Berlin (Berlin). Also joining the ranks of the new KHL is Swedish hockey power MODO from Ornskoldsvik. To accomodate the five new teams, Dinamo Riga, Dynamo Minsk, and Barys Astana have been relegated to Russia's lower tier Vyschaya Liga. Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg will stay in Vyschaya Liga instead of making the jump up, and Lada Togliatti has folded due to financial troubles.

With these new changes to the league, Dynamo Moscow will have a difficult time improving on their semi-final appearance in last season's KHL playoffs before they bowed out to eventual champion Ak Bars Kazan. However, the team has made many promising moves to stay highly competitive.

Dynamo landed arguably the biggest signing in the entire league when Jiri Hudler was lured to the team from the Detroit Red Wings. The budding Czech star will be given the top-6 minutes he was not able to find on one of the NHL's premier teams. NHL experience and size on the blueline was added with the signing of defenseman Alexei Semenov from the San Jose Sharks.

Other additions include former Vancouver Canuck Artem Chubarov from Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, a pair of Swedes in Edmonton Oilers prospect Linus Omark and Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Johan Harju both from Lulea, Columbus Blue Jackets draft choice Andrei Plekhanov who comes over after a stint in the AHL, Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick Dmitri Vorobiev from Salavat Yulaev Ufa, Chicago Blackhawks prospect Igor Makarov from SKA St. Petersburg, a pair of players from Lada Togliatti in veteran Konstantin Panov and Phoenix Coyotes draft choice Anton Krysanov, as well as Finnish international Leo Komarov from SM-Liiga's Pelicans.

With these additions to an already solid team as well as recent Montreal Canadiens draft pick Alexander Avtsin jumping up to the main club, Dynamo will be satisfied with nothing less than their first league title since 2005.

[thrashman]

DIVISIONAL RE-ALIGNMENT

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Bobrov Division
Dynamo Moscow
CSKA Moscow
Spartak Moscow
HK Atlant
HC MVD
Vityaz Chekhov

Tarasov Division
SKA St. Petersburg
Jokerit
MODO
Djurgarden
HC Slavia Praha
Eisbaren Berlin

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Kharlamov Division
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
Severstal Cherepovets
Ak Bars Kazan
Metallurg Magnitogorsk
Traktor Chelyabinsk
Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk

Chernyshev Division
Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod
Avangard Omsk
Salavat Yulaev Ufa
Sibir Novosibirsk
Metallurg Novokuznetsk
Amur Khabarovsk

[SENS_AK27]

Awesome work, Another KHL dynasty. I'll definitely be reading.

[thrashman]

PRELIMINARY LINE COMBOS

Mattias Weinhandl - Alexei Kalyuzhny - Jiri Hudler
Johan Harju - Artem Chubarov - Linus Omark
Leo Komarov - Ivan Nepriayev - Alexander Avtsin
Denis Tolpeko - Konstantin Panov - Vitaly Yachmenev

Daniil Markov - Denis Denisov
Karel Rachunek - Dmitri Vorobiev
Alexei Semenov - Alexei Zhitnik

Mikhail Biryukov
Vitaly Eremeev

Scratches: Anton Krysanov, Igor Makarov, Andrei Plekhanov, Pavel Valentenko, Sergei Vyshedkevich

[thrashman]

Quote: Originally Posted by SENS_AK27

Awesome work, Another KHL dynasty. I'll definitely be reading.

Thanks, these are always fun. I had been tinkering with the idea and when you said you had been reading the other one I decided to fire this up.

[GoldenJet]

Nice job man, you've got Linus Omark, do good things with that beast.

[Axeshun]

This should be interesting.

[thrashman]

Also I should mention that some of the better players from the demoted/defunct teams have been redistributed. It's only a handful of guys but for example Marcel Hossa is now on Spartak Moscow instead of Dinamo Riga.