As the start of the NHL's 2009-10 season fast approaches several teams have made some late pre-season additions. 

-The most significant is the Atlanta Thrashers signing former Buffalo Sabres winger Maxim Afinogenov to a one-year, $800K contract. 

Afinogenov, 30, made the Thrashers after receiving a tryout offer from the club earlier in September. 

Not a bad move by the Thrashers to take a chance on Afinogenov, who was former 73 point performer in 2005-06 with the Buffalo Sabres and had 61 points in 56 games in 2006-07. 

Afinogenov however was hampered by injuries and was never really the same following a season-shortening wrist injury in 2007. His point production fell dramatically over the past two seasons with the Sabres as did his ice time. 

If Afinogenov

- The St. Louis Blues this past week signed former Dallas Stars defenseman Darryl Sydor to a one-year, $1 million contract. 

Sydor, 37, attended Blues training camp on a tryout basis and is seen as an affordable replacement for Jay McKee, whom the Blues bought out of his contract this summer. 

His considerable playoff experience (he played in five Stanley Cup finals, winning the Cup with Dallas and Tampa Bay) and leadership should make him a good addition to this young Blues team.

- The New Jersey Devils brought in some much-needed veteran depth at center last week, signing former Anaheim Duck Rob Niedermayer to a one-year contract worth $1 million. 

Niedermayer, 34, has considerable NHL experience especially in the post-season (playing on Cup finalists in Florida and

The battle between the NHL and Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie over the ownership of the Phoenix Coyotes has garnered considerable headlines over the past several months and is expected to be resolved by a bankruptcy court judge within the next two weeks.

If the judge rules in favor of Balsillie, who last week increased his bid to an eye-popping $242.5 million – far more than the franchise is worth –it could set in motion a legal challenge by the NHL to prevent him from moving the Coyotes to Hamilton, Ontario either this season or next.

If however the ruling goes in favor of the NHL, the league might be stuck with a money-losing franchise it might be unable to find a new owner for which it might have to eventually consider relocating anyway.

All of this is because the

Former Toronto Maple Leaf and New York Rangers center Nik Antropov is on the move again this year as he joins the Atlanta Thrashers as an unrestricted free agent.

The 29-year-old today signed a four year, $16 million contract with the Thrashers which will count as $4 million per season against their salary cap.

Antropov is coming off the best performance of his nine-year NHL career, scoring 28 goals and 59 points in 81 games split between the Maple Leafs and Rangers. He also had a 56 point performance in 2007-08 as he finally had two of the healthiest seasons of his career.

It’s believed the Rangers were interested in re-signing Antropov after last season but it was rumored his agent was requesting $5.5 million per season. If this signing is anything to go by they didn’t