Lehtonen update
Injured goalie Kari Lehtonen will skate Tuesday with goalie coach Steve Weeks, Thrashers coach John Anderson said Monday. Lehtonen will be evaluated again after that. He has been out since leaving Thursday night’s game against the Rangers after the first period. Lehtonen hit his head after the Rangers Sean Avery crashed the net with five minutes left in the period.
Earlier, I wrote:
At this stage of the season, when you’ve got two practices to prepare for an opponent the best thing might be another day of rest. That seems to be the theory for today, with practice being optional. Only eight of the forwards are on the ice: Bryan Little and Todd White; Colby Armstrong and Rich Peverley; Colin Stuart; Eric Boulton, Jim Slater and Chris Thorburn.
The defensemen: Zach Bogosian, Toby Enstrom, Garnet Exelby, Nathan Oystrick, Anssi Salmela and Boris Valabik. Colin Stuart threw me a curve by being grouped with and dressed in the uniform sweater of the defensemen; it’s just balancing the numbers, seven vs. seven. (Actually, when I spoke with Colin after practice, he laughed and told me he arrived at practice early and didn’t realize they were going with one color for the forwards and the other for the defense.)
They’re playing three on three with the goals lined up side by side on the same end of the ice.
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93 comments Add your comment
GaVaHokie
March 30th, 2009
11:14 am
First…
Is Turple still “up” or is he back with Gwinnett? Why wouldn’t he be practicing?
sisu
March 30th, 2009
11:28 am
Any word on Kari? Was it a concussion?
Tony C.
March 30th, 2009
11:47 am
I think it may have been his eyeshadow sisu! or maybe just sandy panties. There’s a rumor out there that he just blew everybody off during 1st intermission and then took off. No idea if it’s true or not, but it’s troubling to see such a young guy out for so many different injuries.
However, if it is/was a concussion-no reason to rush the guy. Although next season if somebody runs our goalie, I’d like to see said offender get lit up instead of tapped on his shinguards on his way back to the bench!
Brendan
March 30th, 2009
12:02 pm
Glovesave29 once told me, “All goalies are crazy.” If Kari had a meltdown … I guess these things happen. Especially if he felt he was run, without the requisite retribution being immediately executed against the perpetrator. But truth is … shrugging … “I have no idea.” I didn’t even see the play. I tuned in at the tail end of the 2nd period, when Kovalchuk made it 4-2. And thaaaat, was a awe-inspiring goal, with that wrap-around.
If anyone cares about the NCAA Men’s Division I tournament, Bemidji State (They’re from Minnesota!) is having a DREAM Tournament. Coming in at a less than inspirational 18-15-1, they knocked off the tournament’s #2 seed, Notre Dame, 5-1, then gave the bum’s rush to Darren Eliot’s alma mater, Cornell, 4-1. Up next? It’s the Frozen Four! April 9th, at the Verizon Center, in Washington, DC. Bemidji State’s opposition is a very defeatable opponent named Miami University. (Not in Coral Gables, FL. They’re located in Oxford, OH.) The Miami/Bemidji State winner will get to be throttled by the Vermont/Boston University winner. Vermont defeated Yale and Air Force to be a “surprise” entrant in the Frozen Four. It is to absolutely no one’s surprise that Top Seeded Boston University is there. And with #2 Notre Dame, #3 Denver U., and #4 Michigan, all at home, licking their wounds, BU is probably thinking they’ve got the national title in the bag.
Michigan was upset by Air Force. Denver U. Pioneers were eliminated by Miami of Ohio. New Hampshire eliminated North Dakota, but couldn’t get past Boston U. Wouldn’t it be something if Bemidji State won this tournament?? The Bemidji State Beavers?? National Champions?? I was surprised they got the invitation to be in the tournament.
Last year, Boston College won the National Title, their 3rd in school history. This year, BC didn’t make it in. I’m sure BU would just love to rub their noses in it. BU won the “Beanpot” this year.
Nikita
March 30th, 2009
12:16 pm
So, since we’ve only got 6 games remaining, that means we’re almost to trading and resigning and releasing season.
Here are the changes I’d like to see happen.
1. I’m assuming Eric Perrin is leaving.
2. Resign Reasoner now! Well, 10 seconds after the final game.
3. Release/trade/rid Atlanta of Slater and Exelby.
Glovesave29
March 30th, 2009
12:46 pm
Yeah, it’s true Brendan. Anyone who willing lets someone fire a rock hard piece of vulcanized, frozen rubber at them is missing a few marbles (present company included).
I didn’t see the replay, but I got hurt once being shoved into the crossbar and the bottom lip of my mask caught my clavical where the throat protector has a seam where it meets the breast plate. The back plate of the mask is also realtively flat and does not disperse the impact like the front. A concussion is not unlikely if he hit the crossbar. He could have fallen funny and strained a rib muscle…its all purely speculative.
Russian
March 30th, 2009
12:48 pm
**To Nikita**
What do You think about Kari? Contract or way to go? Also Armi is RFA.
GaVaHokie
March 30th, 2009
1:07 pm
Brendan… I watched two of the games on Saturday… that heartbreaker between New Hampshire and North Dakota. Then I watched a good bit of the Ohio State and Boston U. game.
Vinny Saponari looked really good for a freshman… he’s getting a lot of playing time with Boston U. On the other side, I hardly noticed John Albert for Ohio State.
Nikita
March 30th, 2009
1:13 pm
re: Kari, I think if we can’t get a better goalie off the market, then he needs to stay as the #1. He’s a tough player to manage, because unlike Moose he suffers if he doesn’t play and he often doesn’t play because he’s injured. But Moose isn’t #1 goalie material and Pavelec needs at least one more year of development. I say unless a clear #1 can be signed relatively quickly, then we should resign Kari for a year and waive or trade him if the situation changes.
Army I am kind of unimpressed with. Good guy in the locker room, nice personality, etc. — but his play for most of the season has been fairly lackluster and he’s one of our less well-rounded players (his defensive capability is pretty poor). I think, again, it’s about the market. He’s probably worth resigning as a stopgap, but I’d prefer to see a better player on the 1 or 2 lines, and Army on the 3rd.
Oh, also, forgot to mention. I’d also like to see a few acquisitions. Specifically, a top-6 forward and a mid-level defenseman.
ranallo10 (in AT)
March 30th, 2009
1:19 pm
“Release/trade/rid Atlanta of Slater and Exelby”
I don’t utterly disagree with Exelby, but I find no reason to rid this team of a functional fourth line center. Honestly, how much better do you expect out of someone playing ~10 minutes per game? Are there better candidates in the AHL that should only be playing 10 minutes of defensive/grinding hockey? Should the team go out and sign a free agent to play those minutes? Or even, is Slater’s presence really making the team worse?
If this team were one or two games away from a playoff berth I could understand the complaint, but they’re at least 1 top forward, 1 top defender, and some much better special teams away from being a playoff contender.
That’s just my opinion though, I’m never really sure why people rag on a 26 year old minimum salary grinder who isn’t obviously blocking better AHL talent. Like I’ve said before, I equate it to complaining about the hubcaps on a Pinto…it doesn’t matter how bumpin’ the spinners are, it’s still a fricking Pinto.
Alan
March 30th, 2009
1:23 pm
For those who didn’t see the play, watch it here. It appears that Avery pushed White into Lehtonen. At the 0:08 mark is where you can see the collision at the point of impact.
Brendan
March 30th, 2009
1:30 pm
I’m encouraged by Saponari. And it’ll look good on his resume to have that National Championship this year. New Hampshire lost on that late goal. Their program looks pretty solid. Vermont needed double overtime to dispatch Air Force. What a year Air Force had! 27-10-2 coming into the tournament.
I’m rooting for Miami of Ohio. But I don’t think they have a very strong shot at it. I think, but don’t quote me, that this is as far as Miami University has ever come in ANY NCAA tournament, including Basketball. Accoring to reports, Miami’s opponent, Bemidji State, has also NEVER made it to a Frozen Four. So, this is one of those IDEALLY COMPELLING situations where SOMEONE has to win and advance to their 1st ever National Title game. Per the NCAA site, Bemidji State is the #16 seed. But, how is that possible if they didn’t face the #1 seed, Boston Univ? They faced #2 Notre Dame, which ought to make them a #15 seed. No?
In any case, good luck to the Bemidjians! Maybe Bemidji Mania will start ‘runnin’ wild! As for the Vermont Catamounts, it’s their 2nd-ever trip to the Frozen Four. They have my sympathy, facing Boston Univesity in their next match.
I love it when schools who have NEVER WON BEFORE get their shot. I don’t know. I guess I love an underdog!
In the NHL playoffs, I keep rooting for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Chicago Blackhawks to meet in the 1st round, for it surely means one of those long starved markets will be in the Conference Semi-Finals this year. But Vancouver keeps mucking it all up. I want the Canucks and Flames to meet as the #3 vs. #6 seeds. That series is always good. And it’ll ensure a Canadian team survives to the 2nd round this year.
I am also rooting for a Nashville-Detroit series, whether as a 8 vs. 1 or a 7 vs. 2. Nashville owns four (4) lifetime playoff victories over the Red Wings. Whereas, the Predators record against San Jose is a 2-8 mark, as far as playoffs are concerned.
Nikita
March 30th, 2009
1:44 pm
what do you think, Russian?
Brendan
March 30th, 2009
1:49 pm
I agree with Ranallo here, on Jim Slater. Unless a better player expresses an interest in coming to Atlanta to play these 4th line minutes, why not keep Slater? Now, I’ll admit something here. Philosophically, I preach drafting our own players and re-signing them. And keeping Slater follows in that mold.
What I hope this won’t “devolve” into … is a “But retaining Slater just bolsters the PR0-Waddell crowd.” Well, God love ‘em. Those Waddell-backers need all the ammunition they can get. But is pointing to Jim Slater, a 30th overall pick, being a career 4th line center, really winning that argument? I’d say, no.
I don’t see Jim Slater as any kind of “root cause” of the Thrashers problems. He makes $750,000. That’s almost the league minimum. Whether DWad makes him a qualifying offer or just re-signs him as a free agent, I think Slater will remain a Thrasher next year.
Again, if Slater wants to be part of the Thrashers, I’d say we keep ‘im. We need all the players we can find who WANT to be part of the team. This roster simply cannot compare to that of Detroit’s, where a 4th line Center might actually need to matter. This “evolution” is only in Year Two of the re-build. 2009-10 will be Year Three of the building project, that the GM and ownership still seem reluctant to readily admit, in newsprint, is going on.
Exelby will also probably return. He is under contract. Whether he stays past the trade deadline will be the issue next season. Exelby is another orginal Thrashers draft pick, so I’m sure Don feels a responsibility there, towards Exelby.
As far as offseason projects go, I’m not really looking at Free Agency. And I hope the organization isn’t, either. I think it’d be far, far, FAR more important to lock up Kovalchuk, Little, Lehtonen, Valabik, Oystrick, Armstrong, and maybe even Pavelec … than it is to OVERPAY an outsider to come in.
Why can’t we, just once, clean our own house? Proactively, (2010 class) much can be done with RFA’s. Little, Pavelec, Sterling and Chad Denny fall into this category. Proactively, the UFA’s for 2010 are Kovalchuk, Kozlov, Peverley, C. Stuart, etc. Shouldn’t “some thought” be put into continuity of roster? I think it should.
Imagine if these guys were all signed, sealed, and delivered by training camp, for the next 3-5 years: Kovy, Little, Lehtonen, Pavelec, Armstrong, Kozlov, C. Stuart, Jordan LaVallee, Joey Crabb, Chad Denny, Grant Lewis, Boris Valabik, and Nathan Oystrick?
That’d be one hechuvan offseason.
mknobler
March 30th, 2009
2:03 pm
GaVaHokie Dan Turple and Johan Hedberg both practiced.
Smoothie
March 30th, 2009
2:05 pm
Slater is a heart and soul kind of player and if not for his shoulder dislocation this year, I feel pretty confident that he would have eclipsed his career best 10 goals. The 4th line is markedly better when he is flying around out there. Plus, the artist formerly known as “Slippin’ Slater” has improved his skating dramatically this year.
Brendan, I don’t think there is anyway Chad Denny sees any time on the big club’s roster in the next several years if we keep Oystrick and Salmela. XLB has one more year and is a long-shot to be traded. And that probably only happens if the ASG is serious about signing a bona fide UFA defensive stalwart to play with Bogo on the top pairing. Otherwise, I don’t think Denny or Lewis will crack the top 7 for quite some time. And if I’m Boris, I’m a bit nervous about how well the D has played since Anssi was paired with Ronsey and XLB was united with Rocky Mtn Oysters.
Midfield
March 30th, 2009
2:07 pm
I second Brendan here again. Also, about Army. In my opinion, he is by far the most effective Thrasher on forecheck – he practically generates offence by skating toward the crease, with quite a bit more skill than the designated checkers. This team can’t have too much of this kind of game.
GaVaHokie
March 30th, 2009
2:15 pm
Thanks Knobs…
Brendan… I think for the first time in team history, we shouldn’t see the boat “rocked” too much this summer. When the team is young and winning, you don’t disturb that. I believe we’ll lock up the core of our team we’re seeing right now… the key was getting youthful leadership in Kovalchuk. We shouldn’t have to deal with the Old Vet leadership infusion this summer… like Holik, Rucchin, Schneider, Recchi, Mellanby of years past.
The only thing that could disturb the current line-up as is would be that first draft pick this summer… that’s a good problem.
Jen
March 30th, 2009
2:16 pm
Ranallo & Brendan….Jim Slater doesn’t make the league minimum. As a first round pick he is considerably over-payed for his contribution to the team. If we could resign Slater for the minimum (and remove him from our PK unit where he is a constant disaster) then most folks would be ok with it. If we are going to pay double the minimum then we should get a better player for that money.
GaVaHokie
March 30th, 2009
2:20 pm
Yeah, there’s no way in hell Slater and Exelby are going anywhere… why would Waddell trade or release two of his earliest draft picks that panned out for him? Especially when they are cheap, want to play here, and are solid role players?
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Exelby with an “A” on his jersey next year.
Nikita
March 30th, 2009
2:53 pm
Let me explain my rationale regarding Slater and Exelby…
Actually, no, I won’t explain Exelby. He is a freakin’ disaster in virtually every combination and is by rights a 7th defenseman even in comparison with inconsistent, green, brand-new AHL call-ups. Because he simply lacks the talent to be effective in the NHL. He has gotten faster and trimmer, but he’s still fundamentally lacking the ability to read the ice and we don’t have any more seasons to waste on trying to teach him. And his work on the PK is, well, seriously. The number of times he fails to kill a penalty is truly outstanding and unacceptable and the team needs to either lose him or get a decent penalty-killing D to supplant him on special teams. I’m sure he will get an A, the media loves his hats, and apparently he’s a hit with the leadies — but he can’t anticipate the play and shouldn’t be in the league. Let him prove me wrong by putting his skills on the market, but I’d prefer that by far to being proven right with the play on our team.
As for Slater, my reasoning is different. I am happy to see him develop somewhat under a coach who actually knows how to develop younger talent. I like his grit and team spirit and eco-friendliness. However, I don’t think his progress is sufficient here, I don’t see him adjusting fully to Anderson’s system, and I don’t see him ever getting a shot at a better line again, especially as the team as a whole gets better. I think his chances at progressing are better on another team. As to the “is he blocking someone?” question, only on the PK. He’s also underperforming there, though of course not to anywhere near the underperforming of Ex, and if he can be released in favor of a grinder who can also more effectively kill penalties, then I think it’s a good trade.
But all of this depends somewhat on the market. I’d love to see Waddell and co. go out this summer, sign at least one D and F, both capable of playing on either special team, and a grinder who can kill penalties. They should also pick up AHL-level D,because we’re light there and we should be able to trade Grant Lewis for a D-man more suited to the system. I advocate shedding Eric Boulton if the staff is there, too.
MB
March 30th, 2009
2:56 pm
I’ve wanted to get rid of Slater for several years, though I have to admit I’m much happier with his play this season. Exelby? While I don’t think I yell out “da*% it, Exelby!” as much as I used to, I’d still rather see Oystrick and Valabik continue their on-ice development while X sits or moves on to other home ice.
Last March, Scott Cullen on tsn.ca used the sites player rankings to determine which players were giving the biggest bang for the buck. Slates was fifth from the bottom in the $700,000s (edging out teammate Steve McCarthy), while Garnet was 11 from the bottom in the $1 million range, right behind the Moose.
It was an interesting set of information, one that I hope he replicates this season.
BlueSpark
March 30th, 2009
3:08 pm
I agree with Brendan et al re: Slater, and GaVaHokie re: turnover. Well, I hope Hokie is right: lockup Kovy long term ASAP, re-sign Reasoner. Let the Salmela, Valabik, and Oystrick fight for the last 2 spots on D. I hope Oystrick stays as he provides some toughness. Boris could use some more development, but shouldn’t be given up on. Salmela fits JA’s system well. It’s a good problem to have.
As for goalie, somebody needs to take the #1 job. I doubt Pavs wants another year in Chicago, but Moose has one more year as backup. Don’t know what to do there.
Kozlov will retire after next year, so a top-six LW will be needed for 2010-11.
UpperDeck4Life
March 30th, 2009
3:12 pm
Ranallo and Brendan, like Jen said, Slater makes over 900K a year, twice the minimum I believe. He is blocking the way of an AHL that can take over his position and help out the PK. Rylan Kaip, is an NHL 4th line center. Here is the thing, he is not a point guy and will never be. He is a checking line center who hits, is very defensively responsible, a great PK specialist, leadership qualities, and high energy kind of guy. He never made it off a checking line in any of his 4 yrs. at North Dakota, but was their captain his senior year. I believe he is a guy who could really help the team as a 4th line center next season. Slater does score more, but I believe that Kaip has more intangibles that will help this team.
Smoothie
March 30th, 2009
3:22 pm
XLB has looked much better of late and I think he’s much more comfortable playing with Oystrick. I think Rawhide said he was a +3 for the month of March. Not bad for a 3rd pairing guy and much better compared to Valabik. Not sure why he is the target of so many derisive comments today, but I think he has proven he is in the process of reinventing himself and expanding his skill-set. He certainly makes better outlet passes than Valabik and his cap hit still seems like better value than Big Boris at $850 K or so. Big Bo was a FIRST ROUND pick! While I don’t think XLB has a future as a Thrasher beyond his current contract, let’s keep in mind he was a 7th or 8th rounder. We need his toughness and anyone who doesn’t think so is delusional.
Smoothie
March 30th, 2009
3:29 pm
Slater makes $800 K per nhlnumbers.com and his cap hit is $775,000. As a RFA, I see no reason why the Thrashers won’t re-sign him as long as another team doesn’t try to poach him for more than $1 M + per year.
GaVaHokie
March 30th, 2009
3:41 pm
Upper Deck… I like Kaip as well, and if he can come in here and take a spot away from Slater in training camp, my hats off to him. Only good could come out of such a circumstance, IMO. Slater does have better hands and speed, and when he’s causing turnovers, he’s dangerous… his big problem with me is the “finishing skills”.
Don’t get me wrong… If anyone can come into training camp for that matter and steal a position away from ANYONE, I’ll be happier for it. I like what’s best for the team more than any individual player.
For the meantime, I’ll have to respectfully disagree on the Slater and Exelby detractors… Exelby is far more fluid of a skater and hitter than Valabik and Oystrick are at this point in time.
Sam
March 30th, 2009
4:01 pm
Exelby and Slater are both important contibutors on this team. If there’s a weak link on defense, people, its the $4.5 mil/yr, -16 Ron Hainsey. Exelby is a reasonable -4. The Thrash are seriously in need of muscle around our crease and along the boards in our end. Exelby provides that and stands guys up on the blue line. OK, sometimes he misses, but if the team’s playing team-defense, somebody will have his back.
Jim Slater has consistently given 110% every season with this team and IMO, is playing some of his best hockey. In 54 games this season his 7G, 10A is only 2 points shy of his season best of 19 points in 74 games as a rookie. The guy brings focus and effectiveness to the energy of Boulton and Thorburn. The 4th line does its best work when its the three of them working together.
And both of these guys are character guys. That can’t be minimized in value. Garnet was honest and openly critical of the team’s lack of effort earlier in the season. And he’s one player that backed up his words with effort. Jim Slater’s work ethic has never been questioned. And as one of the league’s smaller teams, the impressive physical game these 2 players bring is a needed contribution. Both of these guys do good work off the ice, too.
Nikita
March 30th, 2009
4:04 pm
Yes, but Exelby’s also not a rookie. He has been in the NHL for SIX seasons, and his play has not measurably improved — he remains negatively comparable to kids we pull up from Chicago. And as I mentioned, he is hideous on the PK — his performance is dead last among people we still have on the roster. He needs to go.
Nikita
March 30th, 2009
4:10 pm
P.S., from the Falconer’s blog:
At the bottom we find Havelid (gone) and Exelby who was unbelievably bad out there. So far this year Exelby has been out on the ice for 25 PPGA in just 52 games. Think about that for a second–that means Exelby has been on the ice for an opposition PP Goal EVERY OTHER GAME. That’s simply astonishing when you consider that Exelby averages a little over 2 minutes of PK ice time per game. When the X man is on the ice his super power is to make the opposition PP click!
Smoothie
March 30th, 2009
4:21 pm
I don’t think anyone here who supports XLB thinks that he is a top 4 defenseman who should be playing on the PK. Right now, he just has more of JA’s trust than Oystrick & Salmela for the role. Without Boris, who probably IS better suited (although I don’t know if Falconer’s numbers support this) to special teams defense, we don’t really have any other choice right now. IMO, XLB will be # 6 or # 7 on the depth chart next year. If we sign a stud top 2 D-man, then our pairings will likely look like this:
STUD / Bogey
Salmela / Toby
Hainsey / XLB / Oystie
I’m not sold on Valabik yet, but only time will tell. I like what I see from Nathan, but wonder if he is solid enough defensively to stick long-term. He may be the casualty in a numbers game.
And oh BTW, if we do sign a FA D-man, he better have a RIGHT HANDED shot! We have only one out of 7 right now and I think it hurts our forechecking to have so many lefties.
Sam
March 30th, 2009
4:37 pm
Everybody’s got an opinion. *shrug*
Obviously, if X only plays 2 min of PK per game, he’s being used when another D-man has been called for a penalty. Its not his strong suit or his role. Two minutes of PK time really makes for a pretty bogus stat, IMO.
And PK work is not the BIG PICTURE of Exelby’s contribution. The fact that he’s been consistent for 6 NHL seasons is a credit to him, not a detraction. He’s a stay-at-home defenseman who also can surprise with an effective pinch now and then. He’s a clear-the-crease guy…something we don’t have enough of, IMO. He’s a defender of linemates (something else we’ve been in need of), with a shove or a facewash or a fight, when needed. he’s the guy who calls out his teammates when the effort’s not there. Then, he goes out and makes a big hit and puts his “money where his mouth is”.
And as far as comparing D-men…I’m more concerned with Hainsey’s abysmal -16. Why don’t you focus on that??? Oystrick’s only played 49 games this season…that’s almost half a season in healthy scratches…so the coaching staff obviously doesn’t think Oyster is playing better than X. Boris is a PIM machine at 112 and don’t tell me all of those are fights. Boris has been in the sin bin for bad penalties too often, as he learns how to balance the physicality of the game with prudence and wisdom…something he could learn from X.
You certainly don’t have to agree with me. But I think I present a pretty solid argument.
Alan
March 30th, 2009
4:45 pm
People, face it. We have Hainsey for the foreseeable future. Exelby is a guy who can be readily shipped off.
If you’re managing a team, you don’t send away the guy you just locked up for five years at 4.5m/per. Then again, you also probably don’t make that deal to begin with.
Hasinsey is obviously more of the offensive type. He’s a far more seasoned Salmela who can “kinda” play defense. But Hainsey is also starting to learn that he has to be more of a defender. He doesn’t have an exceptional goalie behind him to block his mistakes. He’s on a young team struggling to find an identity, and that won’t happen if he’s skating aimlessly, taking bad penalties (whoops, puck over the glass again?), and getting scored on.
Exelby, on the other hand, has been here a while. He’s had time to discover his role, and to perform his role. He likes to go for the highlight reel hits, but doesn’t seem willing or able to get back into position to stop a scoring chance he probably just opened up by making the big hit to begin with.
Rawhide believes one of the things we need this off-season is a defensive defender. Not just any defensive defender, either, but a number one guy. Where do we put him? We have Enstrom (three more years), Bogosian (no way is he leaving this club), Hainsey (we have him for four more years), Exelby (One year, then UFA), Oystrick (group IV UFA), Salmela (RFA), and Valabik (RFA).
We’re not pulling a NY Islanders with Valabik. The Islanders made the mistake of sending Chara away to the Sens because they thought he wasn’t developing fast enough. Turns out he came into his own there, and Ottawa screwed the pooch by not re-signing him.
Thusly, you must consider the options. It comes down to two men: Exelby and Oystrick. Really, if we’re going to go after a #1 defensive defender for free agency, pick one. I say we keep Oystrick.
Nikita
March 30th, 2009
4:49 pm
*I don’t know if Falconer’s numbers support this.*
FYI, Falconer’s numbers suggest that both Oystrick and Valabik do relatively well on the PK, certainly well enough for the 2nd unit if the first unit is solid. I suspect Bogo, Oystrick and Val do well in that role primarily because it doesn’t heavily rely on their relatively weak skating ability. Their skating abilities should improve with more NHL time.
It also bears noting that Army does poorly on the PK. Which, well, I’m ok with given that he’s solid enough offensively. But ideally I’d like to see him concentrated on an offensive assignment.
And Falconer wants Moose gone — which I can’t disagree with. I think Pavs and Lehts should be duking it out for the primary position unless we can buy a better and clear #1.
GaVaHokie
March 30th, 2009
4:54 pm
Regarding Falconer… Eh… so what. “We play an exciting brand of hockey.” The best scenario is to stop taking so many penalties, which is what you get with Valabik in the line-up. I’d love to see Boris’s numbers on the PK, but he’s usually the guy in the box.
Maybe that’s why Ex is getting so much PK time… Everyone else is an offensive-defensemen, Boris is in the box, and Ex is the only one who knows how to make a clean hit.
Perhaps if Perrin, Slater, Peverley, Reasoner and Stuart weren’t so aggressively trying to create turnovers on the PK, they could be of more help closing angle’s and shutting down passing lanes… Exelby’s job is to keep guys away from the front of the net… he’s also always the guy lying in lanes, sacrificing the body.
Nope… sorry… not letting him take the blame for our PK.
GaVaHokie
March 30th, 2009
5:00 pm
I wonder why we don’t see Armstrong on the PK anymore?… he’s supposed to be the big PK guy from Pittsburgh. That’s why we had to trade Dupuis with Hossa, because the Penguins were losing their best PK guy in Armstrong, so we gave them Dupuis to shore up their PK.
Brendan
March 30th, 2009
5:14 pm
Jen & UD4L, I certainly respect your arguments. If you asked me “From where in the draft should a 4th line Center come?,” my answer would be: “The 3rd or 4th or even 5th round.” Jim Slater is a 1st round pick. As best I can tell, he makes $800,000, with a cap hit less than that. In the “big scheme of things,” that’s not FANTASTICALLY overpaying him. What’s the league minimum these days? $500? What will it be next year? Is it $750,000? Can someone check that?
Can we “confirm” 750,000 as the league minimum for the 2009-10 season? If so, what’s the harm in paying Slater $800,000 to $850,000? I really don’t think Slater is about to take the Thrashers to arbitration, to collect $1.0 million. Slater has to understand his role and performance, and know that he is fortunate to be in the NHL. In the unlikeliest of events, that an RFA offersheet were presented, we may just have to wish Jim Slater the best with his new team, collecting what will probably only be a 3rd round pick.
Another thing to consider is … this team has to spend to the floor of the cap. It shouldn’t have trouble doing that, but Slater and his pittance of a salary won’t be an impediment to that. Now look. I can’t sit here, before you good people, and tell you, “Jimmy Slater is the foundation. He’s essential. He HAS TO BE re-signed.” That’d be a gross misrepresentation of reality. But for what the Thrashers are attempting to do … he’s already in the fold, knows this Coach very well, and … I suspect … is prized by this GM, who DRAFTED him. So, I don’t think he’s leaving.
We can argue, until the cows come home, if Jim Slater really is the BEST 4th line Center that the Thrashers could land in the price range of $500K to $990K. In the end, DWad does what he does. I can’t pretend to understand it. It is what it is.
Nikita
March 30th, 2009
5:18 pm
The potential offseason moves, to me, come down to a simple question: are we the old team in 2009-2010 or are we a new team? Even playing the current roster at our current rate for the entire season wouldn’t allow the team to make the playoffs. Therefore we’ve got to shed some players to make room for the new ones. And the obvious candidates are our underperforming veterans.
Exelby is a poor skater, frequently out of position, not in sync with the Anderson system, and a poor reader of the play. Everyone else is performing better, particularly relative to their size and age. He is therefore a clear candidate for release, to make room for positive change.
ranallo10 (in AT)
March 30th, 2009
5:31 pm
Hokie basically summed up my thoughts on Slater. He’s an effective role player, still young, has enough finish to be effective on a fourth line while providing energy, and he’s not an egotist expecting 1st line minutes (cough Dupuis cough). If someone like Kaip were to come into training camp and prove their readiness to log 10 minutes per game and simply bang bodies and provide energy, that’s better for the club. I’m not “attached” to Slater, nor do I care he was drafted by Waddell, I think he’s a young-enough role player who isn’t a slouch compared to his contemporaries.
Look at NHLNumbers.com, and compare him to other $775k forwards not on their rookie contract…it’s not exactly a compelling list of have-to-have’s, and is populated with 4th line journeymen talent. He’s not breaking the bank, nor is he overpaid compared to his contemporaries.
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March 31st, 2009
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Alan
March 31st, 2009
4:15 am
Regarding Falconer… Eh… so what. “We play an exciting brand of hockey.” The best scenario is to stop taking so many penalties, which is what you get with Valabik in the line-up. I’d love to see Boris’s numbers on the PK, but he’s usually the guy in the box.
Wow, I just noticed this comment.
You say “so what” to Falconer’s numbers, then completely disregard his numbers as it pertains to Valabik. And a little ways down, you also disregard them concerning Armstrong.
“So what?” So you should consider reading them instead of disregarding them simply because they don’t tell the version of the story you’d like to hear.
ranallo10 (in AT)
March 31st, 2009
4:42 am
We have a new brand of trolling…advertisement trolling.
kracker
March 31st, 2009
7:12 am
That’s not so bad, ranallo…there is a link to an article on Lehtonen stopping 49 vs the Caps. And I saved a nice Carey Price photo for my screensaver picture group.
BlueSpark
March 31st, 2009
7:54 am
@Nikita: Bogosian has “relatively weak skating ability?”
Relative to whom?
@Smoothie: “sign a stud top 2 D-man?”
WTF? Do you seriously think they’ll even attempt that? ASG+DW will not be signing ANY top 2 D or top 6 forwards this off-season, not counting re-signing Kovalchuk (which I do think could happen). They may try to re-sign Oystrick, and they’ll most likely try hold on to Valabik and Salmela. If 1 or more of those guys sign elsewhere, the replacement will NOT be a top 2.
stendec's wife
March 31st, 2009
8:47 am
I have nothing to say.
Nikita
March 31st, 2009
8:53 am
*Relative to whom?*
Relative to what he’ll be in a few years. He’s still on minor league time, and will continue to play at less than full capability until he’s completely adjusted to the pace of the NHL game. So, on our team, relatively weak in comparison to Enstrom. Sometimes he looks like magic. But sometimes he looks like an 18 year-old flailing for position. And I don’t expect to see any of that next year.
In general, I’m expecting to see a lot more settling/maturing out of the D corps. My guess would be, using the existing corps, that the top 6 would be: Bogo/Hainsey, Salmela/Enstrom, Valabik/Oystrick. With Hainsey, Enstrom, Salmela, and Bogo playing on the PP, and Val, Oystie, and Hainsey playing the PK. And of course I hope we pick up a new D over the summer.
Switching gears, who out there has NHL’09? I’m struck by small differences between the actual team and the game team. Specifically, no Oystrick, but Chad Denny. And Eric Boulton is a stud, but the announcer calls him “Bolt-on!”
Jimbo
March 31st, 2009
8:54 am
“Bogosian has weak skating ability.” Nikita, what in the world are you sniffing? The guy is both fast and very shifty. Re;Slater. We’ve all been up and down on him for 5 years. But, he is not big and has not produced to any great degree. The 4th line is supposed to add energy and stop the other team’s momentum. Does our 4th line really do that? I don’t think so. And, both Thorburn and Boulton are middle-weight enforcers (at best). We really need a good sized center who can match up with some of the better centers in the league and slow them down. Someone like a Chris Gratton as the third line center would help. I like Reasoner and definitly want to keep him but While/Peverley/Little/Slater are a group of smurfs. Let’s get a big center and a true heavy-weight enforcer.
GaVaHokie
March 31st, 2009
9:05 am
Alan… I can make numbers say stuff too. Don’t get me wrong, I respect the Falconer.
I don’t see where Falconer’s numbers take into account how many PK appearances each player has made, and what the opposition was. I’m willing to bet Havelid and Enstrom faced Malkin and Crosby a whole hell of a lot more than Bogosian and Valabik.
Obviously, Ex isn’t great on the PK. But I’m not ready to move Exelby just to have a guy who’s good on the PK and worthless the rest of the game.
Look at Enstrom’s numbers since Havelid left… Havelid is a great stay at home defenseman. Who do you think was telling Enstrom to “play it safe” most of the year? Certainly wasn’t Anderson.
Nikita
March 31st, 2009
9:29 am
*Obviously, Ex isn’t great on the PK.*
Actually, Ex isn’t “good” on anything. He’s mediocre at best. But even if he were good in general we’d still need to fix our PK if we want to contend. It’s our most glaring, pervasive problem. And someone will have to go to make that possible.
Given all the other variables, I would think that Oystrick or Exelby or both are the most likely candidates for the block. (It may make sense to sell Hainsey or Val after camp.) But, just comparing those two, Oystrick is slightly younger, probably has some development ahead of him, is a better scorer, is better on the PK, fits the Anderson system, and is pulling more ice time.
Put another way, I think Oystrick is slower than he should optimally be. But he’s a rookie who’s adjusting to the NHL, and he’s still doing better by nearly every measure than Ex. And he is likely to develop into someone who does substantially better than Ex. Six seasons in, Ex isn’t likely to improve enough to be worth retaining.
GaVaHokie
March 31st, 2009
9:39 am
Oystrick would have to get PK1 time for me to make that judgement call… let’s see him and Valabik on the PK1 against Ovechkin and Mike Green next Tuesday… I’m all for it.
Here, I’ll make numbers say something… Thrashers record since Havelid was shipped out of town… 9-4.
My numbers show the Thrashers need less stay at home Defensemen.
Alan
March 31st, 2009
9:44 am
My point, Hokie, is that you can’t just disregard statistics because they’re not telling your story. Sure, numbers can be used to say anything, but you cannot refute the fact that Exelby on the PK is a recipe for disaster.
While it would be nice to know the number of times shorthanded a player has appeared on the PK versus how many times they’ve been scored on, the fact remains that for a defender, Exelby isn’t doing a good job on the PK at all. I’d sooner have Kovalchuk on the PK in place of him.
The outright criticism of Hainsey may be warranted, but throwing Valabik under the bus for whatever reason is pretty disingenuous. He’s a first year NHL’er and is still learning the ropes. Yeah, he takes some untimely penalties, but there’s absolutely no reason to throw him under the bus just yet. Throwing Slater under the bus is more justifiable, even though it’s equally as disingenuous given the contributions he does make to this team on the fourth line..
To reiterate, Hainsey and Valabik aren’t going anywhere. Slater is very likely staying put.
As for who is leaving? I have my money on Thorburn and one of Exelby and Oystrick. Moving anyone else doesn’t make any sense, at this point.
GaVaHokie
March 31st, 2009
10:05 am
That’s the other point I wanted to make… Slater is an energy line player… Reasoner is our Checking line Center… for what it’s worth.
sisu
March 31st, 2009
10:07 am
Right now there is no reason to get rid of Slater, he is finally finding his groove. He has 7 goals and 10 assists for 17 points, not bad for 4th line guy.
As to the fact that Kari is still “injured” and that no one is saying what is wrong…maybe he did hit his head harder than we thought? Remember how Pavelic behaved after being sent down this season???? His agent cried more than Cindy crosby has during his whole career so far. Not sure what the goalie situation is next season but the best goalie available right now is Thomas and I do not believe he will come here.
GaVaHokie
March 31st, 2009
10:09 am
Okay… let’s all collectively agree to pay attention to the PK unit for the rest of the year… the pairings, and who’s on the ice with Ovechkin and Mike Green, Lecavalier and St. Louis, etc.
Then we’ll have something to discuss during the playoffs.
Nikita
March 31st, 2009
10:18 am
I doubt Thorburn’s leaving for the same reason that I doubt Slater or Ex will go — his love affair with the coaching staff is both torrid and enduring. Of course, the coaching staff isn’t the primary decisionmaker. That said, if the team really, really wants to contend, then we need to shed a number of players and build a stronger roster in general and I could make a case for shedding the D-men I already mentioned, plus Slater and Thorburn. Boulton’s actually improved a good bit this year, which surprises me since he’s not played in this type of system yet in his career.
Thinking about the value of the checkers…Chris Thorburn’s curse is that he’s currently too slow for higher lines and he’s not really a defensive player. He’s also a poor fighter. The big improvement he’s mader this year is in taking fewer penalties and agitating. Jimmy Slater is highly consistent, but unfortunately he’s consistently not as good as we ultimately will need to contend. He has improved as a fighter, however, and is a more dependable message-sender than Boulton. Boulton is, well, not playing badly. He’s improved in all measures. His fighting is mediocre, but he’s willing and tough.
Alan
March 31st, 2009
12:29 pm
Thorburn isn’t tough enough to be an enforcer, too slow for even an energy line guy, and he has Erik Christensen like consistency when it comes to scoring. He, like Christensen, got his chance to play next to Kovalchuk this year. And for Thorburn, it was due largely to his size. Slater produced with his status as a third or fourth line guy, while Thorburn couldn’t quite get it together on the top line.
This team needs to be playoff caliber, and I don’t see it happening if we keep all our weak links. We need to make changes in the off-season, and we can’t do it if we keep everyone. Players need to depart. I agree in keeping Slater, but there’s no room for Thorburn. There are guys in Chicago that can step in; There’s also the draft and free agency.
Who stays and who goes? Really, that’s not my decision. But I’m not keen on keeping players around for sentimental value. You can see Slater’s improvement this year, but you can’t see much from Thorburn. More goals (how many came playing with Kovalchuk?), sitting pretty at seven on the year. That’s not bad, if he was a full time fourth liner. He also has more PIM, but it can be argued away because he only played 73 games last year.
There’s really not too many weak links to this team now, but we have a few glaringly weak links. Those need to be fixed, or we’re going to see another postseason like 2005-06 (so close, but so far away …from the golf course) or 2006-07 (get your brooms ready, spring cleaning requires a good sweeping).
Smoothie
March 31st, 2009
12:39 pm
Well to round out the discussion regarding Jimmy Slater’s value to the team, I decided to conduct a lengthy purview of 4th line C’s in the NHL. And as I suspected, Jimmy (aka Skandalous) Slater is right where he needs to be as a 4th line guy making $750 – $900 K / year.
Several folks have been giving him flack (prolly due to the lofty, now unfair expectations for a former 1st round pick), but perhaps his critics have a somewhat distorted view of his play. I for one think he is much improved and will continue to thrive in JA’s system as long as he can stay off of the disabled list next year. Afterall, he was on pace for career numbers before the injury. To wit:
Player Name GP GS AS PTS +/- ATOI FOW%
SLATER, JIM 54 7 10 17 -1 11:12 52.8%
Goc (SJS) 49 2 8 10 -7 13:48 59%
Draper (DET) 75 7 10 17 -12 12:08 60%
Yelle (BOS) 70 7 11 18 +9 13:21 51%
Holik (NJD) 58 4 4 8 -2 10:17 59%
Boyd (CGY) 70 11 11 22 -10 12:54 45%
Giroux (PHI) 35 6 15 21 +11 15:16 46%
Fraser (CHI) 73 5 11 16 +3 9:08 48%
Talbot (PIT) 70 11 9 20 -11 14:14 52%
Mair, A (BUF) 68 8 8 16 +3 10:39 49%
Steckel (WSH) 70 7 11 18 +3 13:51 57%
Sutter (CAR) 50 1 5 6 -1 8:49 39%
Kreps (FLA) 61 4 14 18 +4 14:09 50%
Hall, A (TBL) 68 5 5 10 -5 11:07 49%
So as you can see, in relation to the 4th line C’s from the top 8-10 teams in the league, our next opponent (BUF) and our division foes, Jimmy is either holding his own against or outplaying several players who are getting consistently more ice time (2 – 3 mins more) than he.
While Jimmy may not have lived up to some of the considerably high expectations of him coming into the league, he has settled into his niche nicely and should continue to develop steadily as a future 3rd line option for 2 – 4 years down the road. I for one am very happy to have Jimmy as our 4th line “energy” catalyst!!
Go Slates!!
kracker
March 31st, 2009
1:01 pm
I prefer to think of Jimmy as if he were the 1st player chosen in the 2nd round of the 02 draft. In years past, the 30th player chosen would be well into the 2nd round. There, is that any better? No….well, ok then.
But really, like I posted yesterday, I expect all the players to perform somewhat better as a team next season since everybody will know what is expected of them on an Anderson team. Same goes for the coaching staff, they will be better able to maximize the players’ talents. Add in a new player or two and I am already ready for next season!
Alan
March 31st, 2009
1:18 pm
While we’re making additions and subtractions, how about a new goalie coach?
Sam
March 31st, 2009
1:29 pm
How about a new head coach? Cunneyworth or Weeks…and let Anderson, his system and his right hand man, Nelly, go.
And no, the current winning system isn’t Anderson’s original one. Its most likely somebody else’s baby. IMO
Sara
March 31st, 2009
1:31 pm
OMG Smoothie you pulled a me! I heart numbers.
It’s funny too, because I did one of those spreadsheets for Slater specifically last year about this time as well. New season, same discussions.
You also made the point I would have made about Slater, which is that the fourth line is noticeably better when he’s in versus when he’s out. All things being equal, if I’m the GM and I’m tinkering with the 4th line, I’m tinkering with the wingers first, center later. I give Boults all the credit in the world for the fact that he has always been willing to jump in and do the uglies to stand up for a teammate or give the guys a boost in a game. I also give him (and Cunneyworth) major props for his improved passing abilities this season. But he scares no one and we need someone more intimidating because we get walked all over. I’d vote for Hoffman if the dude didn’t screw up his wrist every time he punched somebody. I’d actually tackle that by dumping Thor. He works hard but doesn’t quite get the job done either physically or one the score sheet. I think he’s the weakest link on the 4th line.
As for the D discussion – I think it would be a 100% mistake for this organization to go out and sign even one player with (D) listed as their position. We have a good defense corps – it just needs a little more time. We also have some pretty good prospects like potentially Lewis, Kulda, Zubarev…I’d rather try to utilize that young (and cheap) talent instead of going out and signing someone else to a long-term contract (which is typically what better players look for) that’s going to mean a younger player gets kept down in Chicago and coach now feels obligated to play the FA acquisition all the time, for better or worse.
Take whatever money might be available and whatever time and drive you can find and focus in on improving lines 1 through 3. If the thought is going to be to go with Kovy-Pevs-Little as our number one next season (which I have no problem with whatsoever), then go upgrade at the 2nd line RW position to go with Kozzie and White. Then I want a new 3rd line LW to go with Reasoner and Army – and preferably someone from the big and nasty school to go with Army – scoring ability always an important bonus. Whether they get all that from FA, drafting, or promoting someone from Chicago matters not to me – just do it. I’d leave the D completely as it is right now and I’d re-sign Kari for two years – him and Moose next season, promote Moose to goalie coach after, and drag Pavelec’s tush up here and let him and Kari absolutely duke it out, may the best goalie start.
So, to recap:
2 – Sign Kari for two years
3 – Re-sign Reasoner for as long as reasonably possible (and ending before he qualifies for the geriatric ward)
4 – Get a highly-skilled second line RW
5 – Get a big, gritty LW that can score some goals on the 3rd line
6 – Upgrade Thorburn with someone who can be a sometimes enforcer, can skate, and can cycle and shoot
7 – Do not touch the blueline
And finally, in back-asswards fashion
1 – SIGN KOVY!!!
ranallo10 (in AT)
March 31st, 2009
2:12 pm
“And no, the current winning system isn’t Anderson’s original one. Its most likely somebody else’s baby. IMO”
Sam — I understand what you’re saying, but why does it matter the ownership of the system that is implemented currently?
Anderson, as head coach, apparently found it necessary to change what wasn’t working and alter it so that it did (work). This, and this alone, is something to be applauded.
Hartley wouldn’t change his system, despite the obvious flaws. Anderson is changing his system to compensate for the flaws, or so it appears. He’s also adjusting his “ideal” system to the talent he has…something that Hartley also didn’t seem to do near the end of his tenure.
All things considered, Anderson is showing his ability and willingness to change HIS plans for the benefit of the team. If it was Cunneyworth, or Weeks, or Levenson (or whomever) that recommended such a change, Anderson should be commended for listening to his supporting cast (they’re paid to be assistants, give advice, help in areas where he can’t always contribute, etc) and not run out of town for not being the originator of the idea.
The team is excelling under the current system now that it appears they’re getting the hang of it (or it’s been modified to accommodate their abilities). A coaching change seems far too premature to be worth discussing, in my honest opinion. The team has been playing well since February with the current coaching staff, so why drastically change it?
Re: Slater and Exelby — We’re arguing over hubcaps…I still don’t see the point. The PK wont get magically better by removing 1/10th of it (4 regular PK forwards+4 defenders+2 fresh leg substitutes).
Exelby is a third line defender…nothing more. Slater is a fourth line forward…nothing more. Both players aren’t breaking the bank, aren’t killing the team, and if they’re blocking the younger talent it hasn’t been made abundantly obvious to this point. Perhaps Oystrick or Kaip or Valabik will prove they’re ready…but that’s the coaching staff’s call (and I have yet to find a reason to believe the current staff wouldn’t make such a call).
Unless a top line forward or defender comes in which shifts the depth chart to fill the bottom lines, I don’t see a point in focusing on improving from the bottom up. The team isn’t that good, yet.
GaVaHokie
March 31st, 2009
2:42 pm
I think we ARE seeing Anderson’s system now… I don’t think we were seeing it before because of stubborn guys like Havelid and Schneider… and I think Havelid was influencing Enstrom’s play most of the year.
Enstrom and Bogosian are doing EXACTLY what Anderson wanted them to do all year… funny how he’s getting it now that their respective D partners are gone.
UpperDeck4Life
March 31st, 2009
2:49 pm
Just putting this out there. Kozy has said he wouldn’t mind having a preseason camp to move over to the RW and play on Kovy’s wing next year. Why not move Little to Peverley’s RW and sign Gaborik to a one year incentive laden contract to play LW on the second line. I would be happy with that as our Top 6 for next season.
You could then have a Stuart-Reasoner-Armstrong third line, which would be a very good third for scoring and being defensively responsible.
NHL Scout
March 31st, 2009
3:04 pm
Exelby would not be an 8th d-man for the Saskatoon Mighty Mites
GaVaHokie
March 31st, 2009
3:12 pm
UpperDeck… Gaborik is a RW. I’m not sure we’d pay him the $9 million he’s looking for.
Of course, if we were willing to give Brian Campbell $8 million, why not give Gaborik $9 million?
You could put Little or Pevs in the middle and that 1st line is lethal fast.
Smoothie
March 31st, 2009
3:14 pm
Sara — happy to oblige! Glad you liked the “spreadsheet”-esque approach. And it’s good to see you back on here with a longer, more detailed post…guess the busy tax season is winding down a bit or are you just taking a breather?
ranallo — I agree that it’s waaaaay to early to pass judgment on JA. At the midway point, it looked as though things would never click and he was being to obstinate in not adjusting his system. But here we are two months later and he has shown his willingness to tinker, change and match personnel according to strengths. And if in fact he was the one who advised DWad to take a flyer on Peverley, then his first year grade should be at least a B- to a B IMHO.
GVH — right on brotha, Bogey and Tobey are doing what their God-given abilities have blessed them to do. Shedding some of our aged, stuck-in-their-ways veterans certainly helped free Enstrom’s mind. I was calling for the splitting of the Swedes since November and it feels nice to be vindicated on that one.
UD4L — if Kozzy is serious about doing that and playing with his “homey” IVK, then I think JA needs to consider it. However, I would prefer Peverley play on the top line between them to give them more speed and explosiveness. Whitey can still man the PP as usual, but I think he is better suited to 2nd line with Little on the RW. Does Gabby play LW? I know Franzen is listed as a LW so that would certainly be a nice “get” (I know, wishful thinking or is it?).
GaVaHokie
March 31st, 2009
4:14 pm
Smoothie… at least White, Little and Peverley have shown they can play Center or Wing… so if we brought in Franzen that would give us a lot of adjustment room. But why does it feel like the line combo’s are junked up again? I just can’t bare going through another 5-6 months of line changes, trying to find chemistry… it’s been two years of it now.
Kovy/Franzen/White…. Kozlov/Franzen/Peverley… Kovy/Franzen/Army
Smoothie
March 31st, 2009
4:47 pm
GVH — Assuming we have a snowball’s chance in hell of getting Franzen, then my inclination would be to start out with the following:
Kovy — Pevs — Franzen (or use JF as the C but he has only taken 210 face-offs this year so he’s not being utilized as a center)
Kozzy — White — B-Litz (since this line clicked so well at the beginning of the year, I see no reason the chemistry wouldn’t be there next year…especially since Kovy and Franzen will draw the other team’s top checking line exclusively)
Just think what a PP unit of Franzen, Kovy, White, Slava and Toby could do?? You’d have a guy nicknamed “the Mule” down low, which would free up White to maneuver behind the net setting up Kozzy, Kovy and Toby going back-door or rotating to the slot. A 2nd unit of Kovy, Bogey, Pevs, Little and Army looks pretty good on paper too!
UpperDeck4Life
March 31st, 2009
4:49 pm
Smoothie, I remember when Hossa would go play with Slovakia in International tournaments, he would play on a line with Demtria and Gabby as the LW so I think he can do it.
Hokie, I would rather give him an incentive laden contract with a base of say 5 mil.
As far as Franzen goes, I really see him resigning with the Wings.
Nikita
March 31st, 2009
4:55 pm
Responding to a few people above…
We have plenty of players who are doing o.k. for the team as it is now. But we’re not going to be that team in a year or most of us will be very angry, and for us to make the transition we need to drop the dead wood.
The dead wood is Exelby. He’s dismally bad on the PK and not too great otherwise and he’s tapped out potentialwise. And since he’s on the lower end of an unacceptable defensive corps, he needs to go. This will not magically resolve the PK — we also need to get Armstrong off it and consider getting Slater off it or off the team entirely. And everyone who’s currently not performing spectacularly well, which is virtually everyone else (other than White and Bogosian), needs to improve. Obviously this calls for new horses, since Anderson has already decided that the remainder of the team can’t fill those holes. Plus we need to slightly reduce our reliance on Todd White.
GaVa, amen on the lines and the system.
Garnet Exelby
March 31st, 2009
6:41 pm
Nikita, you didn’t call me dead wood when you wanted me to take you out after the game.
Sara
March 31st, 2009
7:42 pm
Thanks Smoothie – it’s been a bit fugly this year at work but I’ve caught a little lull for a few days before it all goes crazy again. But it pays the bills, so you won’t hear me complaining.
A few thoughts on the revving up FA talk.
1 – This team, while certainly having made some strides this year in terms of roster improvements and on-ice success in the past couple of months, is still going to finish in the bottom third of the standings. Top talent FAs aren’t likely to take a long gander our way just yet.
2 – There are some significant financial issues approaching in the next couple of off-seasons. We have a number of RFAs to re-sign, a major FA to re-sign, and a possible significant player to replace should Kozzie decide to hang ‘em up after next season. So blowing a large chunk o’ change on any player not named Kovalchuk this off-season would be a bad idea. There is still no indication additional fundage is going to be forthcoming, at least not a significant increase, and until the lawsuit gets settled and they can bring in another partner to assume Belkin’s stake, that isn’t changing. It’s not worth the risk of being unable to sign guys like Little or Bogosian a couple years down the road to go snag some big name FA right now.
Looking at the projected FA talent this off-season plus what prospects we know we have, I’d recommend this essentially.
- I would make an attempt for Kotalik as a second line RW – he’s put up some pretty decent numbers in EDM, he’s on the right side of 30, and he wasn’t real expensive last season. Barring that, I *might* try taking a one-year flier on Afinogenov provided he’s willing to sign for cheap salary and nice incentives (bonus for less than two groin pulls in one season). He’s a high-risk high-reward type and wouldn’t be my first choice, but lacking other options, and under the right $$ circumstances, it could be worth it.
- I’d also look at signing Chris Neil as a replacement to Thorburn on the 4th line. No question that guy’s got some grit and size. If that line is going to continue to be grinding/forechecking central, he’ll fit in.
- Then I’d target Travis Moen as a third line LW. 6′2″ with 160 hits – I like him already. His +/- is a little scary but then, that’s nothing new here right? :p
Keep in mind that wingers are where we are lacking real depth in this organization. Float on over to HF and you’ll see lots of C’s and D’s. Which also should be a real hint as to where Waddell needs to focus in the draft this year. If we’re looking at drafting maybe somewhere between 4-8, I’d be looking really hard at Schenn first and Svensson-Paajarvi second. While I know I just said we have a lot of centers, Schenn just makes me drool (in a totally non-puckbunny kind of way). He is big and physical like his bro, which is a nice plus IMO always. Power forward = very good thing. S-P is a highly regarded LW. He’s over 6 feet but may not be overly physical. Skill guy apparently, but if you look at him as a possible Kozlov replacement, that isn’t exactly a bad thing either. (Disclaimer – all bets are obviously off if the team could somehow win the draft lottery…then it’s all about JT.)
Anyway – I’d essentially stink with the tinkering game plan – nothing overly splashy, but keep focusing on players over 6″ and under 30.
Sara
March 31st, 2009
7:45 pm
stick…not stink…though I suppose that’s a matter of opinion around these parts.
Sara
March 31st, 2009
7:47 pm
and 6′ not 6″ – holy geez I’m having some technical difficulties.
Altho I really ROFL’d at the thought of 6″…kinda takes me back to last season…
R. Stroz
March 31st, 2009
8:14 pm
Sara – Your mind is somewhere else.
Brendan
March 31st, 2009
9:58 pm
From http://www.tsn.ca comes this STUNNER: “Said Bruce Levensen, ‘Look, we stood by Don Waddell when he said he could get us into the playoffs at the budget he proposed. But when that didn’t happen, not once, but TWICE, we knew it was time to make a change at the GM position. And, really, our swooning fan attendance is something we just can’t endure for another season. Larry Simmons is going to be given consideration for the GM position. But we intend to interview several candidates between the end of the season and the end of May, especially as our pool of candidates grows as the teams are eliminated from the playoffs. We intend to have our new GM firmly entrenched by the June Draft. And thus will begin a new chapter in Thrashers history. We certainly appreciate all that Don has done for this franchise.’”
….
….
….
A P R I L F O O L S ! ! !
raindawg722
March 31st, 2009
10:59 pm
Brendan, you left out the part about the Thrashers moving to Winnipeg.
I know that Power Rankings don’t count for much, but in Allan Muir’s latest rankings on CNNSI he mentions rumors that Kovy might get traded before the draft to either LA or Montreal. It’s been a while since I’ve checked in on the blogs, but my first thought when I read that was what the heck is he talking about. I know the Kovy signing is the topic du jour, but why would the Thrashers even think about trading Kovy before they do everything possible to resign him? Is Kovy’s camp already sending out signals that he’s gone when his contract expires and if so are those signals in earnest or are they just a negotiating ploy? I mean, without Kovy, there would be a picture of Phillips arena during Thrashers home games next to the word “empty” in the dictionary.
Alright, I just realized that very few people have the knowledge to answer those questions, but if anyone has any thoughts, please share.
Brendan
March 31st, 2009
11:27 pm
Raindawg722, I tried to make it a ‘plausible’ April Fool’s day gag.
Allan Muir is notorious for this kind of unsubstantiated rumor. So is most of the Canadian media. Don’t fall for these cheap gimmicks, anymore than you would my April Fool’s Day post.
The bottom line is … the Thrashers are going to try to re-sign Kovalchuk. They know it’s the #1 issue of the offseason. I’d say that you can ’start’ to lend credence to Kovalchuk trade rumors if Waddell announces it on the morning of the draft. Which he won’t. Since, he’d probably … ultimately … decide to hang on to Kovalchuk until the 2010 trade deadline. But, there would be serious consequences to an non re-signed Kovalchuk coming into training camp.
It would be an unmistakeable dark cloud hanging over the franchise and its players. There’s just … no … possible … way that such a thing would go UNNOTICED by the Thrasher players, the Thrasher fans, and the rest of the league. I don’t think Kovalchuk is Hossa. If Kovy wants out, he’ll privately ask for the trade. Or, better still, he’ll tell the ownership what HAS TO HAPPEN for him to stay. Your speculation is as good anyone else’s as to what those DEMANDS might be. I have some pretty strong thoughts on what they are. But I digress. Kovy, in my opinion, won’t pull punches with the organization. He’ll either re-sign, making everyone happy. Or, he’ll indicate WHY he won’t re-sign, and the organization will have to meet his demands to retain him. Or they’ll trade him. They could trade him at the draft. Or, they could trade him at the trade deadline. There appear to be advantages and disadvantages to both situations.
But I really don’t think it’s the END of NHL hockey in Atlanta if Kovalchuk leaves. It would just start a new era, and maybe even a whole new philosophy and strategy. Perhaps the concept of rolling four lines of nothing but 20-goal scorers, with EQUAL ice time, each paid between $2-3 million might take shape. Think the “Buffalo Sabres model” that worked so well for them in 2006 and 2007, when they made back-to-back appearances in the Conference Finals.
But, the best part of it … is we don’t have to wait much longer. We’ll have our answer very soon. If by Bastille Day, (July 14th, for those unfamiliar with French History,) Kovalchuk is un-signed and/or un-approached for contract negotiations, we’ll know things aren’t going well and probably won’t end well.
No matter when Kovalchuk leaves Atlanta, it will be a sad day. Whether it is in this offseason, 2010, or 2022, when he retires. I am hopeful that Kovalchuk has bought-in to the 2nd building project for this franchise and is willing to be patient. Vinny Lecavalier was patient in Tampa Bay. And it worked out for him. Trouble is, we don’t have Bill Davidson as an owner.
Tony C.
April 1st, 2009
1:04 am
Brendan,
DON’T
EVER
EVER
Tease me like that again.
raindawg722
April 1st, 2009
8:06 am
Brendan, thanks. I’ve come down off the ledge now. Darn you, Allan Muir, and your fellow rumor-mongering Canadian journalists!
And maybe Kovy leaving wouldn’t be the end of hockey in Atlanta, as you say. Perhaps it would even force the Spirit to tell DW thanks for the memories. But even then the Spirit would have to hire a competent GM, which is daunting. Of course, I could also see the Spirit using the loss of one of the league’s top players to excuse two to three more years of bad results. Which leads us back to the topic du jour: Sign Kovy.
DWTOO
April 1st, 2009
9:10 am
Almost fell the joke. Believe anything when you want it to happen!
sisu
April 1st, 2009
9:19 am
So based on the update at the top I think Kari had a slight concussion…at least it was not an injury of his own doing by being out of shape!
Russian
April 1st, 2009
10:05 am
**To Brendan**
You got me.
I wish it will be happend.
Brendan
April 1st, 2009
11:05 am
Once again. Sorry guys. But someone had to pull an April Fool’s Day gag. I just hope none of you wound up in the Emergency Room. I wasn’t shooting for coronary thrombosis.
Can you find it in your heart’s to forgive me?
Brendan
April 1st, 2009
11:22 am
Did this site stop taking posts?
Brendan
April 1st, 2009
11:26 am
Okay, there they are. Tony C. , I promise … I will never, ever do that again. In fairness, it wasn’t directed at YOU, personally.
If I had the money, I’d promise to refill anyone’s heart medication or blood pressure pills. But, I can’t. For the same reason I can’t and won’t spring for any dry cleaning bills, if I’ve ever caused you to spew forth your morning coffee. The standing rule is … “swallow first, then read my post.” This way, it doesn’t wind up all over your monitor.
Okay, minds out of the gutter, please.
Alan
April 1st, 2009
12:02 pm
Between Sara’s six inches and Brendan’s “swallow first,” I’m really not sure what to think anymore.
Tony C.
April 1st, 2009
1:01 pm
It’s all good Brendan, but man I haven’t been that gleeful re: Le Thrash since I saw they signed Holik (which I thought was a harbinger of us doing this thing “for real”…sadly it wasn’t).
Anyway let’s squish the Slugs tonight!
Brendan
April 1st, 2009
3:07 pm
The mullets are done. Tonight will be the final nail.
Brendan
April 1st, 2009
9:59 pm
And now, it’s unofficiallly “official,” Buffalo is through, with that 3-2 OT loss to Atlanta.
Hockey Biltong
April 1st, 2009
11:12 pm
Hot damn, that was great!!!!
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April 3rd, 2009
9:07 pm
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