Comments on: And then there were five … http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-thrashers-blog/2009/09/03/and-then-there-were-five/ AJC hockey beat writer Chris Vivlamore\'s perspective on the Atlanta Thrashers Mon, 20 Jun 2011 00:52:36 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Duder http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-thrashers-blog/2009/09/03/and-then-there-were-five/comment-page-1/#comment-4312 Duder Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:38:54 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-thrashers-blog/?p=205#comment-4312 Good call Earl. Pains me to say it but Coburn is a player too...just not here...sigh Good call Earl. Pains me to say it but Coburn is a player too…just not here…sigh

]]> By: The Earl of Bud http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-thrashers-blog/2009/09/03/and-then-there-were-five/comment-page-1/#comment-4311 The Earl of Bud Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:53:33 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-thrashers-blog/?p=205#comment-4311 Little and Enstrom are working out too in addition to Kovalchuk and Bogosian. Kane and Postma could be the real deal. Little and Enstrom are working out too in addition to Kovalchuk and Bogosian. Kane and Postma could be the real deal.

]]> By: Duder http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-thrashers-blog/2009/09/03/and-then-there-were-five/comment-page-1/#comment-4310 Duder Tue, 08 Sep 2009 12:57:04 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-thrashers-blog/?p=205#comment-4310 Dave, So they "totally messed up" on Bogosian? Dave,

So they “totally messed up” on Bogosian?

]]> By: Toby http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-thrashers-blog/2009/09/03/and-then-there-were-five/comment-page-1/#comment-4309 Toby Tue, 08 Sep 2009 12:56:55 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-thrashers-blog/?p=205#comment-4309 Thanks for your great insight Dave... Go take a long walk...will ya? Thanks for your great insight Dave… Go take a long walk…will ya?

]]> By: bigjohnthrashfan http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-thrashers-blog/2009/09/03/and-then-there-were-five/comment-page-1/#comment-4308 bigjohnthrashfan Mon, 07 Sep 2009 17:14:04 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-thrashers-blog/?p=205#comment-4308 Any chance they get rid of those awful burgundy jerseys? They really take the fun out of division match-ups. It pains me to say it, but Carolina has the best third jersey in the game. Here's to an opening night thrashing of the Bolts. Let's Go Thrashers! Any chance they get rid of those awful burgundy jerseys?

They really take the fun out of division match-ups.

It pains me to say it, but Carolina has the best third jersey in the game.

Here’s to an opening night thrashing of the Bolts. Let’s Go Thrashers!

]]> By: Brendan http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-thrashers-blog/2009/09/03/and-then-there-were-five/comment-page-1/#comment-4307 Brendan Mon, 07 Sep 2009 03:04:17 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-thrashers-blog/?p=205#comment-4307 Dave's right. The Thrashers aren't moving. But what is still possible is a budget with increasing numbers. If Mr. Belkin ponies up his fair share, or if they buy out Mr. Belkin, and find a new investor, the team could once again have a respectable budget, like it did in the early portion of the post-Lockout. While I certainly agree that a maxed out cap for Opening Night in 2005 is not the same equasion as a MAXED CAP in 2009, at least they were trying back then. I blame NHL accountants for creative book keeping and artificial Cap figures. A market like Atlanta faces an uphill battle. The Thrashers have been trying to build a winner via the draft and the waiver wire. I think they're getting better, because of it. I project Atlanta 10th in the Conference and 23rd in the NHL. Talk of playoffs seems more like wishful thinking than a certainty, but we really don't know what an 82 game season might bring. If Kari Lehtonen can actually play 60 games, he'll have the best blueline the Thrashers have ever assembled in front of him. If Lehtonen falters, once again, I think we might be seeing the last of him. Back in 2002, when Kari was drafted 2nd overall, he was heralded as the solution and savior in net for Atlanta. If he has that kind of season, playoff position #8 is within sight. Dave’s right. The Thrashers aren’t moving. But what is still possible is a budget with increasing numbers. If Mr. Belkin ponies up his fair share, or if they buy out Mr. Belkin, and find a new investor, the team could once again have a respectable budget, like it did in the early portion of the post-Lockout. While I certainly agree that a maxed out cap for Opening Night in 2005 is not the same equasion as a MAXED CAP in 2009, at least they were trying back then. I blame NHL accountants for creative book keeping and artificial Cap figures. A market like Atlanta faces an uphill battle.

The Thrashers have been trying to build a winner via the draft and the waiver wire. I think they’re getting better, because of it. I project Atlanta 10th in the Conference and 23rd in the NHL. Talk of playoffs seems more like wishful thinking than a certainty, but we really don’t know what an 82 game season might bring. If Kari Lehtonen can actually play 60 games, he’ll have the best blueline the Thrashers have ever assembled in front of him. If Lehtonen falters, once again, I think we might be seeing the last of him. Back in 2002, when Kari was drafted 2nd overall, he was heralded as the solution and savior in net for Atlanta. If he has that kind of season, playoff position #8 is within sight.

]]> By: Dave http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-thrashers-blog/2009/09/03/and-then-there-were-five/comment-page-1/#comment-4306 Dave Mon, 07 Sep 2009 02:49:54 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-thrashers-blog/?p=205#comment-4306 The Thrashers are a joke. They will continue to be a joke for the foreseeable future. The owners are interested in the Hawks only. Donny Waddell would have been fired years ago by any other organization. The only draft pick they didn't totally mess up was Kovalchuk, and even he had character issues at the start of his career. Team's going nowhere, folks, except maybe South Ontario. The Thrashers are a joke. They will continue to be a joke for the foreseeable future. The owners are interested in the Hawks only. Donny Waddell would have been fired years ago by any other organization. The only draft pick they didn’t totally mess up was Kovalchuk, and even he had character issues at the start of his career. Team’s going nowhere, folks, except maybe South Ontario.

]]> By: kracker http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-thrashers-blog/2009/09/03/and-then-there-were-five/comment-page-1/#comment-4305 kracker Sun, 06 Sep 2009 21:48:25 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-thrashers-blog/?p=205#comment-4305 Chris, Mgmt. has to be working to bolster last year's not so good PK which is now even worse after losing Stuart and Perrin. What are their plans for that? Some have said Frtische is a pretty good PKer. What do you think? Chris, Mgmt. has to be working to bolster last year’s not so good PK which is now even worse after losing Stuart and Perrin. What are their plans for that? Some have said Frtische is a pretty good PKer. What do you think?

]]> By: Brendan http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-thrashers-blog/2009/09/03/and-then-there-were-five/comment-page-1/#comment-4303 Brendan Sun, 06 Sep 2009 02:43:47 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-thrashers-blog/?p=205#comment-4303 I, too, would like to know if LaVallee has benen re-signed. If not, what's the hold up? I, too, would like to know if LaVallee has benen re-signed. If not, what’s the hold up?

]]> By: JLH http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-thrashers-blog/2009/09/03/and-then-there-were-five/comment-page-1/#comment-4302 JLH Sun, 06 Sep 2009 01:00:04 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-thrashers-blog/?p=205#comment-4302 Chris, I would say you hit most of what I would look for in training camp. I think the line combinations will be very telling and also who our PK pairings will be. I'm hoping we can get a sense of this during camp. I would actually not consider Kane's status to be that important this season. He is a long term investment and if we are depending on another 18 year old to contribute significantly to this team and put us over the top, we are in trouble. . At the start of the season I will be most interested in Lehtonen, Bogosian and Hainsey. Kari is key as we have all said numerous times. While I think Bogosian will be a stud in the not too distant future, I think some of us fanatics are setting the bar a bit to high, but I think we will have an unsuccessful season without a signifcant contribution from ZB. I also expect more from Hainsey and will be disappointed if playing with Kubina (still to be determined, I know) does not significantly improve his performance. Chris, I would say you hit most of what I would look for in training camp. I think the line combinations will be very telling and also who our PK pairings will be. I’m hoping we can get a sense of this during camp. I would actually not consider Kane’s status to be that important this season. He is a long term investment and if we are depending on another 18 year old to contribute significantly to this team and put us over the top, we are in trouble. . At the start of the season I will be most interested in Lehtonen, Bogosian and Hainsey. Kari is key as we have all said numerous times. While I think Bogosian will be a stud in the not too distant future, I think some of us fanatics are setting the bar a bit to high, but I think we will have an unsuccessful season without a signifcant contribution from ZB. I also expect more from Hainsey and will be disappointed if playing with Kubina (still to be determined, I know) does not significantly improve his performance.

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