Regarding Heatley, I can’t argue with you, Ben. Other people will. John Manasso would!!! Heatley’s recent actions in Ottawa, and his lockout year release requests, as pointed out by Darren Eliot, paint Heatley in a new light. Or, an old one, for those with their finger on the pulse of the Heatley heartbeat.

This organization has had its fair share of setbacks. That’s for certain. But a few, more than few, have been “Self-inflicted” wounds. For which … there has only been Head Coaching position accountability. Ben, you mentioned Savard and signing him when his contractual value was low. Waddell’s policy of “not negotiating contracts during the year” may have cost the team that player. Of course, he could have made Savard a proactive contract in July 2005. Bygones.

If Waddell got promoted, with the job of “budget oversight” of the Hawks and Thrashers, I’d hope he’d lean favorably towards the Thrashers. And if it’s Don’s would-be job … to go BEGGING FOR MONEY, I’d hope Dudley–the presumed next GM–would get the results that please ownership. In that role, perhaps Don Waddell would actually excel?

Sage, all I can say is … and more than likely, accounting principles will back this up, “This team always got what it paid for,” except for 2006 and 2007. In other words, when you pay for a bottom third of the conference team, or a lottery draft team, you’re apt to get just that. In 2006, it spent to Maximum Cap limit, but did not achieve CF, or CSF. Or the playoffs (because of Lehtonen’s injury, along with Dunham’s, and Shields’ and Garnett’s, etc.). In 2007, it got to maximum cap, by season’s end, gambling WILDLY on radical trade deadline moves. It reached the playoffs, but did not achieve what maximum cap spending is expect to do. Would you agree with that, Sage?

Jimmy Bubnick might be a steal as a 6th rounder. The kid was all over the place, two goals and an assist I think.

Leveille is a good “skills” guy…fast.

Kane is polished. Looked Ok. Best play of his for me was when he turned it over at the blueline, raced back on D and with a nice back check & stick lift to disrupt the rush. Seems to have no fear of traffic and getting in the middle of the slot on the offensive end.

Sage brings up a good point. Which is this: When Don drafted him Kari was a child. We’re being told this man has enormous potential. Well seven years down the road, I think Kari’s numbers are better than Pasi’s. Bear in mind, Pasi didn’t play as long. Life marches on.

The Kovy situation. I want him signed by this team for five years, at least. If trading him, trade him now this will max out value. If Kovy is not signed by October, he won’t come back.

I look forward to reading more of your posts. I hope the above clears up my views on the first 10 years of Le Thrash.

Promises, promises. Buffoonish Don still collects a hefty paycheck. It must be nice! (there’s a haiku in there somewhere, you know?)

Ben, my fear is … gosh darn it, we’ve invested 7 years in this goalie … I’d hate for some other team to be beneficiary of his grooming here in Atlanta. I suspect Braydon Coburn told the Flyers, “Remember when they said I sucked in Atlanta? Well, Kari doesn’t suck, either. Trade for him.” Or he maybe Coburn said nothing at all. But the Flyers allegedly offered us 2nd overall pick James vanRiemsdyk for him at the trade deadline last year. Obviously, that deal never happened. And, perhaps, was merely a rumor and never offered at all.

If Kari flourishes elsewhere, it’d be very frustrating. Not just that it happened. But that … he was supposed to be “THE ANSWER” in the Atlanta net. I sometimes wonder … “what GOOD are these lottery picks … if we don’t USE them? Or they don’t materialize into anything. Stefan is long gone, an unfortunate career at 3rd line Center. Heatley was moved for a temporary solution named Hossa. Who never wanted to play here. Kovalchuk’s future hangs in the balance of the offseason machinations. Stay tuned, there. Kari’s next, at 2002. And unless his trade brings forth something along the EXPECTATION LEVEL of a lottery draft pick, then that pick was wasted, too. Which brings us to Zach Bogosian and now Evander Kane. These guys can’t get traded out of here. They’ve got to be developed and kept. Proactively.

Ben, I’m sure you’re not alone in thinking, “The Kari experiment has failed. Salvage what you can.” I’m tired of salvaging. We tried to salvage what we could of Heatley, via Hossa, at the 2008 Trade Deadline. We tried to get “something” for Stefan. We got Niko Kapanen and Will O’Neill, who is at prospect camp. Savard walked for nothing. No salvaging there. Kaberle walked for nothing. No salvaging there. And, if you can take Waddell at his word, there’ll be no salvaging for Kovalchuk, either.

Looking back, answering truthfully, wasn’t Heatley going to be the foundation? And Kovalchuk the roof? And Lehtonen the watchdog that kept out all the danger, of the figurative “House of Thrashers?” What the heck happened to that plan?