One of the surprise stories of the 2010 playoffs was the impressive play of Miroslav Satan.
The book on Satan (aside from the fact that his name produces obvious devil puns in print, even if it’s pronounced differently than that of the dark lord/Slayer inspiration) is that he was a talented but troublesome player during his days as the Buffalo Sabres’ most potent offensive weapon. Yet he more or less flopped in the post-lockout era, as he couldn’t even make it work on Sidney Crosby’s line in Pittsburgh.
But there he was as an afterthought pickup with the Boston Bruins during the 2009-10 season, until he became a major factor in the playoffs. He scored five goals and five assists for 10 points in 13 postseason games, including an impressive three game winners.
His surprising productivity inspired many to wonder if the Bruins or some other team would consider adding him during the summer free agent frenzy, despite his one-sided game. That was not to be and Joe Haggerty reports that any hopes of that happening were dashed today as Satan signed with Moscow Dynamo of the KHL.
The world became a less friendly place for bad pun makers around the NHL on December 8th, 2011.