Johnny Oduya
Johnny Oduya was drafted 221st overall in the seventh round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by the Washington Capitals. From Stockholm, Sweden, he played in the Swedish Junior League before joining the QMJHL for the 2000-01 season, where he played for both the Victoriaville Tigres and the Moncton Wildcats. He then moved back to Sweden, where he played hockey for the next five years, including the last three with the Swedish Elite League. After being dismissed by the Washington Capitals, he signed as a free agent with the New Jersey Devils and played in 76 games with his new team during the 2006-07 season. He made his NHL debut in the October 6th season-opener against the Carolina Hurricanes and scored his first goal on December 19th against the Atlanta Thrashers. He re-signed with the Devils during the off-season and finished the 2007-08 season leading his team’s defensemen with 6 goals and the whole team with a +27 rating. On February 9, 2008 during a game against the Carolina Hurricanes, Oduya scored an uncommon coast-to-coast goal on Cam Ward. Because of his outstanding offensive talent, fans often call him “Johnny Orr-duya” in reference to the great offensive defenseman, Bobby Orr. Oduya was the only New Jersey defenseman to appear in all 82 games during the 2008-09 season. He finished first among his team’s defensemen with 7 goals and established career-highs in goals, assists (22) and points (29). He then re-signed with the Devils to a three-year contract during the off-season. At 6 feet tall and 200 pounds, Oduya is an aggressive, puck-moving defenseman who displays strong offensive skills. On the other hand, he needs to avoid making defensive mistakes and make better offensive decisions if he wants to thrive as a top six defenseman.
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