Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Dennis Seidenberg had the best season in his NHL career last year.  Not only did the German native finish fourth in scoring on the Carolina blueline with 30 points, he was first on the team and 17th in the NHL with 160 blocked shots.  He can also play a gritty, physical game when necessary and was second on the defense with 146 hits. 

Seidenberg was originally drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 6th round of the 2001 entry draft but was traded to Phoenix during the 2005-06 season.  The Hurricanes acquired him the following year in exchange for fan favorite, Kevyn Adams.  In the 2007-08 season, the defenseman only played in 47 games.  He spent much of the year recovering from an ankle injury and also had a right knee strain.

Dennis had a decent playoffs and chipped in with a goal and five assists. 

Dennis Seidenberg

#4 / Defenseman / Carolina Hurricanes

Height: 6-1

Weight: 210

Born: Jul 18, 1981

The Good-  Seidenberg brings a nice offensive touch and is a very good option at the point on the powerplay.  He has an above average shot.  As mentioned above, he's an excellent shot blocker and can play a physical game.

The Bad-  He can find himself out of position at times and has usually been a minus player throughout his career.  (This season he was -9 in 70 games and was -5 in the playoffs)  He might also be a health concern, perhaps because of the way he plays the game.  (This season's 70 games are the most he has played in one season since his AHL days)

The Money-  The Hurricanes signed the defenseman to a one year, 1.2 million dollar contract last year,  He is an unrestricted free agent this offseason and will be free to sign with any team on or after July 1st.  He has certainly played well enough to deserve a raise, but that might very well mean Carolina will have to pass on him.  The Canes are high on prospects Bryan Rodney, Casey Borer, and Brett Carson.  With Gleason, Pitkanen, Wallin, Corvo, and Kaberle already under contract, that doesn't leave much room for the prospects unless the team can get creative with how to deal with Kaberle. 

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The majority have given the following grades for the previously reviewed players:

Eric Staal - B

Rod Brind'Amour - C

Ryan Bayda - B

Niclas Wallin - C