Free agency and the tendency of general managers to swap players has made the month leading up to the new NHL season an exciting one. Six players that changed addresses this summer really caught my attention, from Marian Hossa leaving Pittsburgh for Detroit to Todd Bertuzzi skipping from Anaheim to Calgary. We won?t see all these familiar faces in their new jerseys until mid-October when the regular season kicks off, but thanks to our friends at 2K Sports, who have provided RealGM with some exclusive screenshots, we now have a good idea of what Hossa will look like in red and white. 2K Sports? latest hockey offering, NHL 2K9, will hit stores on Sept. 9 across the country for all major platforms, and it promises to be one of the best puck-and-stick games in video game history. If you don?t believe me, just ask cover boy Rick Nash. ?I?ve been a longtime fan of the hockey games from 2K Sports. My idols have all been on the covers of video games as I was growing up, so to be on the cover of NHL 2K9 myself is truly incredible,? said Nash in May. ?The set of new features they?re adding is really going to make this game special for hockey fans - I?m hoping they give me a couple extra points to my player rating this year!? Nash will suit up for Columbus again this season, but several key players have new home rinks. Here?s a quick refresher course on six key offseason moves that will alter the course of the NHL this year, complete with exclusive previews of how each star will look in his new attire. Marian Hossa in Detroit Hossa arrived in Pittsburgh after a midseason trade from Atlanta last season and immediately made an impact. He had ten points in twelve regular season games with the Penguins before recording twelve goals and fourteen assists in twenty playoff games. Courtesy of NHL 2K9/2K Sports He has the potential to score forty goals ? having done so twice in his career ? and will only add to the offensive attack of the defending-champion Red Wings. His season stats (split between Detroit and Atlanta) last year, 66 total points (a seven-year low), would have made him the third-highest scorer on Mike Babcock?s offense behind Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. He also brings playoff experience to an already tested Red Wings? team, having battled his new teammates in the Stanley Cup Finals just three months ago. He couldn?t beat them, so (excuse the cheesy adage) he decided to join them. Flashback Battles Pittsburgh (?08) ? Nov. 11, Feb. 8 Atlanta (?05-?08) ? Oct. 24, Mar. 20 Ottawa (?97-?04) ? Oct. 11 Ryan Malone in Tampa Bay A Pittsburgh native, Malone appeared to be perfect for the surging Penguins. That was until, in late June, the Pens shipped him to the Lightning for a draft pick in 2009. I suppose only so many young studs can play and get paid in Pittsburgh. Courtesy of NHL 2K9/2K Sports He notched 51 points in 77 games for Pittsburgh last season but figures to get a few more opportunities in Tampa Bay. Malone joins a team that saw only two players score more than sixty points last season, when they went 31-42-9. Malone isn?t likely to make back-to-back trips to the Cup Finals, but he will get the chance to make himself into a household name in Tampa Bay. He?ll have to be pretty good, though, because Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis will be hard to upend in the star department. Flashback Battles Pittsburgh (?03-?08) ? Dec. 23, Feb. 4, Mar. 3, Apr. 7 Cristobal Huet in Chicago Huet spent last season in both Montreal and Washington, with a combined record of 32-14-6, a 2.32 goals against average and a 0.920 save percentage. 2007-08 was easily his best season, especially in the second half. Courtesy of NHL 2K9/2K Sports Cristobal was 11-2 with the Capitals, allowing just 1.63 goals per game and posting a 0.936 save percentage in thirteen starts. He wasn?t as sharp in the postseason, but he faced a hot Philadelphia team and was much better than his 3-4 record (2.93 GAA and a .909 save percentage). The Blackhawks are definitely a step down from both Montreal and Washington, but combined with Nikolai Khabibulin, he?ll form one of the more talented and experienced goalie tandems in the NHL this season. Flashback Battles Los Angeles (?02-?04) ? Nov. 29, Jan. 29, Mar. 1, Mar. 22 Montreal (?05-?08) ? Mar. 31 Washington (?08) ? Oct. 11 Andrew Brunette in Minnesota Brunette will begin his second tenure with the Wild this season after the team signed him to a multi-year contract this summer. In 82 games with the Avalanche last year, he tallied 59 points (19 goals and 40 assists) and a +5 plus/minus rating. Minnesota enjoyed a successful season in 2008, and should be even better with Brunette on offense. They were 44-28-10, but Marian Gaborik was the team?s highest scorer with just 83 points (42 goals and 41 assists). Had Andrew played for the Wild last season, he would have been the team?s most productive left wing. He turned 35 on Aug. 25, but proved with Colorado that he can remain effective on his ?old? age. He should know the Wild pretty well. In addition to playing in Minnesota a few years ago, he was a big part of the Avalanche team that knocked the Wild out of the Western Conference Quarterfinals in six games this past spring. Flashback Battles Washington (?95-?98) ? Nov. 24 Nashville (?98-?99) ? Nov. 29, Dec. 6, Feb. 6, Apr. 10 Atlanta (?99-?01) ? Oct. 14 Colorado (?05-?08) ? Nov. 6, Dec. 1, Jan. 4, Feb. 11, Mar. 12 Courtesy of NHL 2K9/2K Sports R.J. Umberger in Columbus Umberger had a coming out party of sorts with the Flyers last season, his third in the NHL, with 50 points (13 goals and 37 assists) in 74 games during relatively limited ice time. However, he was even better in the postseason. In seventeen playoff games Umberger notched 15 points (10 goals and 5 assists), including an amazing eight goals against the Canadiens in their seven-game series. The Blue Jackets were just 34-36-12 last season, and Umberger could step in and become their most-productive center. He had sixteen more points than incumbent leading center, Michael Peca, who had eight goals and 24 assists last year. If he continues to improve, he could end up representing Columbus at the All-Star Game in Montreal. Flashback Battles Philadelphia (?05-?08) ? Dec. 27 Todd Bertuzzi in Calgary Bertuzzi has perhaps the biggest reputation of this offseason?s movers, but unfortunately for both Todd and the Flames, it?s not a good one. However, he quietly had a productive year with the Ducks last season (40 points in 68 games) to help dispel some of the negativity surrounding his reputation. Courtesy of NHL 2K9/2K Sports He will be splitting ice time with a number of talented wings in Calgary, but should remain productive as he enters his mid-30s. With Alex Tanguay and Kristian Huselius (last season?s top scorers at LW) out of town, Bertuzzi will have the chance to skate on one of the team?s top lines. Flashback Battles N.Y. Islanders (?95-?98) ? Jan. 8 Vancouver (?98-?06) ? Oct. 9, Oct. 11, Nov. 27, Nov. 29, Feb. 17, Apr. 7 Detroit (?06) ? Nov. 22, Dec. 10, Mar. 12, Mar. 23 Florida (?07) ? Dec. 12 Anaheim (?07-?08) ? Nov. 2, Dec. 23, Feb. 7, Feb. 11 If the release of 2K Sports? NHL 2K9 isn?t enough to get you excited for the coming season, how about a little contest to get your competitive hockey juices flowing? We?ll be giving away some 2K Sports? swag, including a few copies of NHL 2K9, to a few lucky readers this month. So what do you have to do? Simply e-mail Andrew (Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com) with the correct answer to any one of following three questions (just one, not all three) and you?ll be entered into the running for a prize! The ?Line? Of Questions 1. What was Sidney Crosby?s offensive awareness rating in NHL 2K8? 2. Who has more career goals ? Rick Nash or 2K8 cover athlete Jason Spezza? 3. What player was featured on the cover of NHL 2K3 for Xbox? Any questions about the coming NHL season, the release of NHL 2K9 or this contest? E-mail Andrew at Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com, or click over to 2k Sports? NHL 2K9 page.