Considering Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson

Rawhide… Have to question Slater STILL being here. We got 76 points last season with him out there and he is a holdover of past mistakes.

He has to go, so we can open a spot for someone who WILL help the team, Slater does not. Todd White another career season DOUBTFUL, but he is here for 2 more years…

Like this Sweede, looks like a big forward, something WE need and one who can score, worth a look.

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I like that idea….if MPS is ready or close to being NHL ready, just telling him the 3rd LW spot is his to earn might be just the ticket. Basically, he’d be up against Stuart, the way the roster looks right now. Maybe Crabb who’s more of a RW. Such a move will really push the kid, gets him ready fast and allows the FA forward money to be spent at RW or C. I wonder if he’s ready for the physical play of an NHL checking line?

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On second thought, though, would the kid be ready to skate and defend against the top lines in the league, to play close to even +/-?

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Oh, and thanks for ranallo’ing me.

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I don’t have a problem with MPS as our draft pick. Schenn may be “NHL-ready” more, or just as quickly. But I have no problem with Kane, at 4th overall, either. I saw Duchene on the NHL Network this past weekend, with their Memorial Cup tournament coverage. He was asked, point blank, who his favorite teams were growing up. And he said, in this order, Colorado and Montreal. Hmmn. Colorado picks 3rd. Duchene is “NHL-ready,” potentially. His favorite team is the Avalanche. If Duchene is still up on that board when the Thrashers pick 4th, I’ll be stunned. And pick him!! Pick him now!!!!

I’m sort of warming to the idea of Kane. But, I’d sure hope Waddell has the good sense to keep his desires SILENT. Nobody needs to know who he WANTS to pick. He should field offers for the #4 slot. Normally, I’d say “no” to that sort of thing. But with MPS, Schenn, and others, still rich in talent, I don’t mind moving back one-slot. ?I said, ONE, not two. Or three, etc. And the pick up need to be a high-end 2nd rounder. Or don’t do it.

How much difference is there, really, beyond Hedman, Tavares, and Duchene? Is the drop off SIGNIFICANT enough to just “poo-poo” a proposal to pick up a 2nd rounder in this year’s draft? If the answer is, “YES!! It drops WAYYY OFFF!,” then no. Don’t do it. If the answer is “no, we’d be okay with any of a myriad of players at #5,” then it’s at least something to consider. Generally-speaking, I don’t budge from a lottery draft position. I take stock of what I need, and the talent level that’s there. Based on that, generally-speaking, I’d pick precisely where I am in that draft. Unless I could manage to move up. But, I’m open to the idea of moving back one, and only one position.

In 2005, we owned pick #8. We moved back FOUR SLOTS to #12, to go pick up Pavelec, I believe. Can’t even believe we’re talking about trading Pavelec now, after paying such a hefty price for him, while passing on Setoguchi, Staal, and Kopitar. We moved from #12 back to #16, to eventually select Alex Bourret, whom the organization traded for Pascal Dupuis and a 3rd round pick that it converted into Chris Thorburn.

Bygones.

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Sure, I don’t mean to miscast a scorer on the 3rd line. I was thinking of it more as a way for MPS to play right away, get some minutes in w/o having pressure on him to be a scorer. Thinking about it though, he might be more comfortable not being a defensive-first forward. This is the sort of thing the coaches figure out in camp, anyway.

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It’s like he is a year too early for us. If this were next year and Slava was retiring and Kovy had resigned, he would make almost too much sense for the second line LW spot.

But, and slap me for the blasphemy, maybe MPS would be a great insurance policy this year in case we can’t resign Kovy. I feel something will go down at the draft with these picks and DW. Hope to goodness it’s positive.

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After finally watching some footage of Duchene, Kane, and MPS, I would eliminate MPS.

Duchene has obscene wheels, breakaway speed, amd sniper shooting skills.

Kane reminds me of a young Willi Plett, tough, willing to get in front of the net, and opportunistic.

MPS didn’t really seem to have Duchene’s wheels or Kane’s toughness. MPS is what I often call a tweener.

So, I’d rather have a player that can keep up with Kovy, Duchene or a player that can cause havoc in front of the net, Kane.

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There are three can’t miss players in this draft and we have the 4th pick.

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I’d rather have Evander Kane with my first pick…

Considering the fragility of the franchise, I’d rather have a veteran D-man from free-agency than from the draft.

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I haven’t seen anything to get too excited about with MPS…the only stats I’ve seen on him are from TSN’s website and the numbers are weak at best. I’m hoping those numbers aren’t accurate. Anybody seen stats to backup his draft ranking?

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FIF – or the Flames and Pekka Rauttakallio…!

Yup…Jordan LaVallee-Smotherland.

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Stroz, NO on that Colorado trade…. Could we do better trading a goalie for a FRONT LINE CENTER, which BTW, has been PROMISED for two-three years now and NOTHING, oh Todd White…..

Can anyone point to anything jim slater has done here that warrants his return ? He’s been here three years or so and has nothing to show for it… DO NOT BRING BACK JIM SLATER PLEASE !

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LAC – My concern is that no team in their right mind would give up a top line center for any of our goalies.

Pavelec just had his knee scoped and his play was inconsistent at best.
Lehtonen has talent but lacks maturity.
Moose is a great backup that is aging.

If you were another GM, would you trade a top line forward for any of those three?

The only way we end up with a top line forward for one of our goalies is due to the other team needing to dump salary. Other than that scenario, Waddell’s ability to move one of our goalies for a top line forward is nothing more than bluster.

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Stroz-I’d make that deal to get Duchene.
I like Slater, but he has stone hands around the net. He could hit the broad side of a barn.

Marchant can take his place and he has speed too.

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I wonder if we’ll see a player like MPS or Schenn or someone else shoot up teams draft boards over the next month and challenge the order of the proposed top three? It seems to happen every few years, especially in other drafts like the NBA and NFL. Might be the final scouting numbers come in and a player like Duchene might fall a spot because of the supposed new info on a European player is climbing fast. What’s the feel on that other Swede dman…EKMAN-LARSSON or Cowen? Are they capable of climbing as high as three or four?

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WBF – true, Slater’s offensive skills are, well…offensive! But as a 4th line center between two bruisers, he could work there. He could be the first man in on the deep forecheck, and force the play into the trap and BOOM, leave them to get levelled by our winger. If he came without the tag of “1st round draft pick” and came in as say, an unsigned free agent, he’d have made everyone happy. Again, cant help DW took him as a number one, but he certainly serves a purpose here. He would be served on an “energy” line.

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Darkhorse… Bogosian was one of those players last year… mid-season he was around 9th amongst North American skaters, then he shot up to #3 in the final ranks.

There’s also the famous example of Gretzky drafting Blake Wheeler at #4 when he was projected to go in the 20’s.

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I think Wheeler also showed why Gretz drafted him so high this season-if that’s his “baseline” and you project that most players really hit their stride after 2.5-3 seasons…well, Wheeler’s going to keep making Gretz look prescient.

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Tony… agreed, but Gretz probably could have moved down and picked up more assets if he was going to go “off the board” like that.

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DW will likely pick a player that is NHL ready or trade the pick for a proven NHL player. He needs to make an impact now or else lose his job when the team is sold/moved. A repeat of the Coyburn disaster.

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Tony… we’ll be the Russian Olympic practice team… sign Khabibulin, Antropov, and Morozov. Bring over Nikulin.

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h… I’d be perfectly happy with that… Waddell was rumored to be interested in Khabibulin before.

Of course that was Eklund, but I believe it was confirmed somewhere else too.

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H – I was peeved Dupuis was a throw in in the Hossa deal. I would have told Pitt no way. Hossa is on the table and that is it. Not really a huge fan of Slater, just that he was put in a no win situation due to his draft status, and has yet to be put where he belongs for that very reason. You have to use your first rounder to CYA.

I cannot buy there is a trade market at ALL for Ondrej. He was a train wreck this year when called up, plus as Tony C points out, there is no lack of available goaltending this year via UF and RFA’s. Plus there are many NHL tested goalies working down in the A.

Don’t think a player-coach is an option, but Brendan would know better than I. But to be a coach, Moose would have to file retirement papers with the league, thereby forefeiting his players salary. Not sure if the CBA would allow him to be pressed into duty when the team already has goalies in its minor league system.

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I like Bulin, Clemmenson and Biron but the others are not much better than Moose IMHO. If Kari is the bait then we should use it. I know Pavs had a rough time up here this year but people still seem to think he is a natural in the net, and if DW had the amount of interest he previously indicated he received in March, that shouldn’t have changed since then.

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Smoothie, no way we should trade either goalie if we can’t get a top 6 forward or top 4 d-man. Keep in mind that trading Pavs is nothing like trading Huet. Huet was a 32 year old goalie who would be a UFA the next year. That is much different than trading a 21 year old who has 4 years before being a UFA. As for Kari, you can probably lock him up for a couple of years at below market value due to his injuries.

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I don’t think he is a good fit for where, at least I think, this team is going.

Is MSP a decent two-way guy? Is he capable of playing a bit of D in his own end? Does he have a little sandpaper in his play?

I think Kane or Schenn are the more likely options at #4.

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I know this is a cliche response, but I would be happy seeing Duchene, Kane, Schenn, Paajarvi-Svensson, or even Cowen on this roster. Though he’s a bit undersized, I’m also interested to see who drafts Schroeder, as I think he’ll be a fine second line player at the NHL level.

Based on the scouting reports there are a lot of fine options in the top part of this draft..the combine might weed out some of the kids and solidify their standing in the top 5/10 (like it did for Bogosian), but for the most part it seems that any decision is a fine one, in my opinion.

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Glovesave, I don’t really know if “player-coach” is allowed or not. But Moose would be a fool to give up his salary this year to take a coaching position that paid him less. I also completely agree with Glovesave29 that … the goalie market isn’t high right now. This is something Ranallo has also beeen discussing. Pavelec is unproven at the NHL level. He’s 21 or 22 now. He’s just a prospect. How much does that really fetch? Teams want proven commodities in net, especially. What’s the most important position on the ice? Okay, which smart alec just said, “The zamboni driver.” Quiet, you! As for Kari, well the pedigree is there. But he’s injury prone. And like it or not, Jeff Schultz once described him as “just this side of a drool cup.” That really resonated with me. So, what’s Kari’s trade value? Is it really that good? Okay, that leaves Moose. We’re talking about a 6th or 7th round pick.

People say, “we’ve got strength in goal. We must deal from there.” Uhh, I won’t argue that we have strength in goal. We NEED TO KEEP IT. Especially when the trade value for it isn’t high. If someone, anyone … could explain a realistic trade scenario for Pavelec, Lethonen or Moose, that actually benefits the Thrashers more than retaining these players, I’d love to hear it. The closest thing I’ve ever heard was James vanRiemsdyk for Lehtonen.

Okay, on paper, that’s swapping the #2 pick from 2002 for the #2 pick from 2007. It makes us younger. But is Kari Lehtonen a member of the geriatrics ward? What is he, 26?? 27?? His prime years are ahead of him. The organization invested HEAVILY in him. I’d sure be disappointed that Kari “developed” in Atlanta, but FLOURISHED elsewhere. Why did we have to endure these years, only to lose him when he finally reaches his potential? I admit, I wouldn’t have drafted Kari in 2002. But we can’t undo that. And swapping him for vanRiemsdyk won’t necessarily do it, either.

Folks. Are there ANY playoff ultimatums on Don Waddell’s head? Shaking my head, “no.” So? So, it means the organization has plenty of time … to go develop Pavelec. Nobody’s head is on the chopping block. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a Lehtonen-Pavelec rotation, moving forward. Pick #4 in the draft will bring forth a good forward, or defender. There may even be something there in the 2nd round, too. Don’t we have an extra pick coming from Monteal, in the Schneider deal? Okay. Let’s see what brings. And then there’s free agency, too. I won’t hold my breath. But ya never know. Every year, there seems to be a Recchi, Guerin, Weight, Roenick “yesteryear All-Star” still hanging around in his late 30’s, early 40’s, willing to take an NHL paycheck, somewhere, ANYWHERE in the league. A player like that would even come to Atlanta, probably hoping to be moved at the trade deadline to a contender.

Hokie, sorry I forgot your Avalanche/Duchene comments from last month. I do recall you mentioned it. Hey, we regulars make a lot of posts. It’s easy to miss one, here and there.

Last, I recall that DW told the STH’s that Pittsburgh wanted Eric Perrin in the Hossa trade. Instead, Waddell offered Dupuis. Everyone cheered at Waddell’s decision, allegedly. Who knew Perrin’s ice time would be so cut and/or that he’d underperform so much from the previous year. I don’t know if Eric Perrin is coming back. I don’t know if Eric Perrin WANTS to come back. But I never minded Dupuis. I liked him, for what his role was. As for Jim Slater, I’d dump him, for sure, if we were actually talking about being a Stanley Cup contender. But we’re nowhere near that point. So, for a 3rd or 4th line player, on the 27th-best team in the NHL, at $800K, or thereabouts, I’m not crying a river of sorrow and woe. So what if he only pots 10 goals a year, at best. We’re not contending right now. We’re building right now. Might as well stay the course. Slater is an RFA this summer. To retain his rights, Waddell must tender a qualifying offer. He may. Or he may not. Even if Slater becomes unrestricted, without the tender, he’s apt to re-sign with Atlanta, first.

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FYI-Blake Wheeler had a good rookie season, but he lost his job in the Carolina series to Bitz. Bitz and Wheeler are about the same size-real big. We could use some size like that.

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GaVa – Hedberg would not get his player salary if he were to retire and coach. It’s been said he’d be nuts to do so and take the cut…but would he? This is his final year, he’s not going to get another contract at 37 for the 2010-2011 season. If he takes a coaches salary at say $350K, he can earn that over many years and recoup what he lost in players by retiring. Coaches are also not taxed by both the USA and Canada as players are. Most states and provinces have income taxes on athletes when they play games in their state in ADDITION to those pay to Georgia as a member of the Thrashers. Also take agent fees out too. No union dues either. Not saying he isn’t going to take a hit, he would…but in the long term he may be better off. Moose is a vet and a great guy, the team needs to pay him respect and let him make the decision. He’s earned that right. But after the DW not contacting Toby incedent, I am not so sure that ol Donnie boy will do the right thing.

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Detroi 2, Chicag 1, the 3rd period just started. It’s on Versus. So no excuses for not watching. Wonder what the Stanley Cup playoffs do, TV-ratings-wise, in Atlanta? I bet somebody has this stat.

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Hokie, sorry I forgot your Avalanche/Duchene comments from last month. I do recall you mentioned it. Hey, we regulars make a lot of posts. It’s easy to miss one, here and there.

No skin off my teeth… I wasn’t trying to take credit. Just backing up what you said.

It’s on Versus. So no excuses for not watching.

How about I have Dish Network and they only carry it on their “Everything Pak”… bastards.

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It’s really hard for me to ignore these numbers.

How did Kane amass 45PIM in 17 playoff games?! Pretty interesting.

Also, nice to see the Wings pull out that victory in OT. They’re going to need the momentum heading into unfriendly territory.

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As usual a good informative piece, Rawhide. You continue to keep our interest high during this down time. Where is Tomi Kallio when we need him most? Agree with others that letting Dupuis go was a HUGE MISTAKE.

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It’s important to remember that Kane is also playing on a line with a 100+ point scorer in the WHL, Casey Pierro-Zabotel (who lead the WHL in points during the regular season).

I’m guessing that will help pad anybody’s stats. Kane had 23 PPGs, and Pierro-Zabotel led the league in assists. Perhaps it’s more of a chemistry thing than Kane’s raw talent.

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This is great stuff….but we will have to reassess after next week’s combines in Toronto. The NHL Network’s online schedule doesn’t have listings past Sunday and the combines start on Monday but they will probably have lots of coverage.

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ranallo-OK. so he is more of a triggerman than a playmaker… COOL. I’m ok with that-I think we have enough guys who think pass first.

Also, check your boy’s (P-Z) stats the year before he & Kane were on the same line-his numbers drop percipitously.

But it’s snippets like this that sell me on Kane (link: http://national-hockey-league-nhl.suite101.com/article.cfm/evander_kane_2009_nhl_draft_profile):

Unlike the flashy Tavares, Kane is not just about points. Sure, he has a great shot and super puck handling, but what NHL teams are coveting in the upcoming ‘09 draft are his two other assets. He is a very solid two way player, and is a tough presence to play against on the ice. And at 6”1’ and 180 lbs at just 17 years of age, scouts are eager to see how much bigger he will get.

According to NHL scout Bruce Haralson, “What’s impressive to me is that he doesn’t necessarily dominate with the puck. He’s not a highly skilled guy who hangs onto the puck forever. He just has that innate sense of timing and gets to the holes. He has pure goal-scoring instincts.”

Also this (link: http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/evander_kane ):

A superb skater with excellent acceleration. With his quick release, Kane is a threat to score every time he steps on the ice. NHL scouts say he has pure goal scoring instincts, evidenced by his 48-goal campaign. He handles the physical rigors well, in part because he is a difficult target to lock on to. Kane has benefited from the play of 20-year-old linemate Casey Pierro-Zabotel (PIT), the WHL regular season scoring champion. Could use some additional weight, but has plenty of time to build strength. Skill set is reminiscent of a young Mike Modano, a former WHLer who played his junior hockey with the Prince Albert Raiders.

Sounds OK to me. Although, I would bet that it about that line equaling greater than the sum of it’s parts- I just like his pedigree, guy’s been a winneer wherever he goes-plus that Vancouver Giants team has just been NASTY the past few seasons-I lost a good bet on them when they were upset in the playoffs. Vancouver Giants alumni include:
Gilbert Brulé
Triston Grant
Brett Festerling
Mark Fistric
Andrew Ladd
Milan Lucic
Spencer Machacek
Kenndal McArdle
Andrej Meszaros
Brendan Mikkelson
Marek Schwarz
Michal Repik
Nick Tarnasky

So I’m pretty ok with products of this team-they’ve been a contender for the past several seasons-even as they loose talented guys like Lucic-Arguably their team this year was better than the club that won the Memorial Cup.

One thing that bothers me is the last paragraph of that HFboards profile:

Kane has also acknowledged he is ready to assume the responsibilities of a role model if he is chosen by a NHL team located in a largely African-American market.

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One thing that bothers me is the last paragraph of that HFboards profile:

Doesn’t bother me a bit, so long as he’s a good role model.

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Oglethorpe showed up to the Championship game, though. If there’s on3 game you don’t want to miss, it’s that one. Unfortunately, it ended in a striptease. By a guy. It would have been much better with the “twins.”

So, the Red Wings hold serve at home. Now all Chicago has to do is … win four out of the next five games, to take the series, and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. Piece o’cake. D’oh. The Blackhawks really needed that OT winner. It’s not over yet. But a loss in Game Three … and it will be. Everyone knows what 0-3 means.

The NHL Network was giving Brian Campbell some heat about the overtime decision-making. It got me to thinking, “whose fault is it when a player gets overpaid?” Actually, don’t answer. Where I’m headed with this is the level of expectation on the player. When former Lightning GM, Jay Feaster, presented Brad Richards, the 2004 Conn Smythe Trophy winner, with a then “league maximum” contract, $7.8 million-a-year, for five years, it put a burden of expectation on that player that he never really achieved. When Brian Campbell hit the market, several of us, and even his former team, Buffalo, suggested $5 million “felt about right.” Campbell, due to a competitive marketplace, got $2 million more than that. What I’m asking here is … do we excuse performance a bit more for a lesser salaried player? When Zdeno Chara whiffs on a pass from behind his net that is intercepted and converted into a scoring chance for the other team, do we yell, “Way to go, Chara!! $7.5 million for THAAAT!!”

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Hokie — To my recollection he played on the same line with P-Z the year before, and they both attributed that chance to adjust to eachother as to why they excelled (points wise) this year more than last.

You’re right though, which is why I say it’s evidence of good chemistry and not simply his ability to score. I don’t know if I agree that this team has good enough playmakers. They’ve struggled mightily to find one for Kovalchuk on a consistent basis, and adding another player who depends on good feeds might not benefit Kovalchuk directly, nor the other lines missing passers.

But as I said previously, I’d be fine with almost any of the draft candidates. Kovalchuk-Little-Kane looks just as good to me as Kovalchuk-Schenn-Little or Kovalchuk-Duchene-Little. Paajarvi-Svensson-Peverley-RW could also be a fine combination, if Kozlov retires in one year. Or even Bogosian-Enstrom, Hainsey-Cowen in two year’s time could be a good sign.

There aren’t many knocks on these players, in my opinion, so we’re picking based on perceived strenghts and weaknesses. I think it’s unwise to pick based on immediate need, which is why I think Paajarvi-Svensson is still in the running for that #4 pick for the Thrashers. He might be log jammed at LW for the first year, but perhaps he wants to stay in Sweden and get some good conditioning in the 5th best league in the World (per IIHF in 2008). If Kozlov and/or Kovalchuk are gone next year, Paajarvi-Svensson fills their hole in the lineup.

Tony C. — I agree, that’s giving away quite a lot of information prior to being drafted. I think it’s pretty obvious that “largely African-American market” is focused on the city of Atlanta, and likely came directly from Waddell or Marr’s mouth. But, it’s good that he acknowledges what type of role he might play, and seems to embrace it.

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SHHHH…Sara, information pending.

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Ranallo… just nit-picking… but it might be easier to set up a guy like Kane who prefers to take his shots around the net, versus Kovalchuk who likes to blast from the point and the top of the circle.

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*Everyone cheered at Waddell’s decision, allegedly.*

I think it was the right decision. I also don’t think Eric Perrin can be said to have underperformed until late in the season. He spent most of the early season being bounced around both in position and line. Yet as far as I can tell he showed up in better condition and applied the same work ethic. In other words, I think DW was right to keep him and I think he was right that he was misdeployed. Of course, the end result is that he didn’t produce the numbers we needed from him.

*I don’t know if Eric Perrin is coming back. I don’t know if Eric Perrin WANTS to come back.*

Has that ever happened? Have we ever resigned someone we waived? I would bet Perrin can be picked up by someone else, and I’d imagine he will be. If he has to, I imagine he might take the Kwiatkowski route.

*But I never minded Dupuis.*

Ugh. I did. Dupuis had great speed, but horrible hands and a bad attitude. Good riddance to Captain Monobrow.

*As for Jim Slater, I’d dump him, for sure, if we were actually talking about being a Stanley Cup contender. But we’re nowhere near that point.*

I like Slater, but I think if we need room he’s going to have to go. The checking line worked pretty well together, but both Slater and Thorburn performed relatively badly. The differences are age and special teams performance — and special teams performance is very important, since it is a major identifiable factor of our non-success. Slater’s PK performance was very weak. And also, I think Slater might need to go for his own sake — for whatever reason none of the coaches he’s worked under have been able to bring him to the full use of his potential. Thorburn could also go, but I don’t think the coaches intend to let him.

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So, is this flying under the radar around here or did I already miss the discussion?

Holy Cow!… thanks for the link! Boy did LAC get called out or what?

On Levenson’s issue of “no credibility with anonymity”… I use a screenname to protect my private life from the insane trolls that frequent this blog. I’m not trying to keep my comments anonymous to the AJC. I don’t care if the AJC and Atlanta Spirit Group know who I am… I’m more than happy to share my opinions with them openly.

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I would love for a grinder with a nose for the net who cashes in on rebounds (ala Holmstrom and Franzen) to play in Atlanta, with Kovalchuk.

Franzen is quickly becoming one of my favorite players in the league, along with Getzlaf.

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LAC-feel better? Looks like ol’ Bruce does read the blogs…at least sometimes.

I have to admit I just made my co-workers all think I’m loony for the hysterical laughing that paragraph caused.

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Just to play devil’s advocate, but Tampa has a large African-American population. But we all know they will either take Hedman or Tavares if the Isles go defense. How is HFBoards analysis tipping DWad’s hand? Perhaps they are doing what every other mock drafter is doing and putting Kane in the 4 slot after JT, VH and Duchene?

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Smoothie- no I’m saying that basically, by going ahead and having the guy come out and make statements that “ Kane has also acknowledged he is ready to assume the responsibilities of a role model if he is chosen by a NHL team located in a largely African-American market. “… know of any Largely African-American cities picking in the top 10 in the draft (where Kane projects to go)???

I’m a huge proponent of the Corleone maxim: Never let ‘em know what you’re REALLY thinking, Michael. So if I am looking to draft Kane, I’m singing the praises of Cowen, MPS, cookie monster-anybody but who my target actually is.

However knowing ol’ Donni, he’s probably made some sort of deal with his opposite numbers in Denver, Toronto & Long Island… Idk, it just goes against what I’d do-but Donni’s been making that into an artform since he didn’t re-sign Savard…

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Lot’s of interesting info here…

http://www.spectorshockey.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=761:latest-bruins-and-ducks-news-may-20-2009&catid=34:articles&Itemid=55

Wouldn’t mind having a guy like Axelsson on a checking line with Reasoner and Armstrong… he’s a hard working guy.

If Fernandez retires, that takes another goalie off the market and helps raise our trade value for Lehts and Pavs.

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That same page mentions that it’s possible Giguere or Hiller could be available…if that’s true, either will lower the trade value of Lehtonen or Pavelec (which I will continue to argue there is relatively none, based on the trades that have gone down over the last year+).

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Tony, that makes perfect sense if that statement can be attributed to an interview with Dan Marr or DW, but can it? I don’t know, just asking. Perhaps that is right out of “‘ol Donnie’s” mouth. But Tampa is in the Top 4 and last time I checked, there are lots of black folk living down there as well. Hell, if Toronto moves up and nabs him, they probably have a pretty solid black population for a Canadian city simply due to their sheer size.

Not trying to stir up trouble, I just don’t see how it’s “tipping your hand” to remark how much you like a player’s style of play. Perhaps he’s trying to drive up interest in Kane and entice another team to trade up so he can work a blockbuster deal (cough Toronto cough). Let’s not forget he and Burkie are pretty pal-sy pal-sy.

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Hopefully this clears up the Evander Kane issue… the question came out of an interview with Atlanta.

On being interviewed by the Atlanta Thrashers, where he would potentially become an important role model in the heavily African-American city…
“I did speak with Atlanta. And I suppose going to the United States, of course there are a lot of African Americans. But I would be happy to play anywhere in the NHL. If it were Atlanta, well yes, you’re correct on that note and I guess that’s all part of the job and I would be very happy doing it.”

Here’s the link…

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/10763/2009_top_prospects_evander_kane/

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The date of that article was December 2008… so that was way before they knew what the final standings would be and what the final prospect rankings would be.

So, that’s why I thought the issue was raised again since more and more Kane seems like an option for Atlanta… but it’s by no means a guarantee or a “tip of the hat”… IMO, based on the date of the article.

I’m sure they interviewed Svensson and Hedman and asked how they’d feel about playing in Atlanta with Enstrom.

I wouldn’t put too much stock in a random question asked to a prospect during an evaluation interview.

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I just hope Evander Kane has better financial advisers than the Champ!

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“I’m sure they interviewed Svensson and Hedman and asked how they’d feel about playing in Atlanta with Enstrom.”

Nah, I don’t agree with that. Them being Swedish is relatively no big deal, there are many Swedish players in the NHL, where as Kane being black is a big deal…he’s a minority by a large margin in the NHL. I doubt Enstrom is ever mentioned in interviews with Swedish prospects, unless they’re related/best friends/SEL II roomates.

If there were an Austrian player it’d be like him being interviewed about playing in Buffalo with Vanek…yet, look through Grabner’s hockey reports and I bet you see no quotes similar to that of Kane’s.

I’m not saying “Waddell” is tipping his hand, but for Kane to mention Atlanta shows that he’s been spoken to various times, and that the idea of being an “African-American role model” is something he’s willing to embrace.

There’s nothing wrong with it, but as Tony mentioned it’s giving more information (though innocently) about the draft than he or I would want given. I prefer the manager says absolutely nothing publicly, and when spoken to by his opponents states that he likes every player available (while doing more listening to the other GMs offer than talking about his own preferences).

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Sara…wow, some AJC reporterette thinks Levenson is ‘Whammer’….I see ‘LAC’ made it, too, by name. Too bad I’m at work and busy tonight but I’ll get around to reading all this when I can. Whammer…lolol

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Mr.T. have you heard from Bruce regarding the “Flames” posts? Seems like he’s getting into a bit of a snit?

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h, Jim Slater should aspire to be a Dan Cleary type of player. Cleary creates massive quantities of energy, he can skate, and he can score in the clutch.

I wouldn’t call Slater a “Dan Cleary type of player” at this point, but I would tell Slater to watch Cleary play and to emulate that (no “try,” just “do it”). You also have to admit, he did improve last season.

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Seeing as how Dan Cleary took ten seasons before he scored more than 14 goals, I don’t see where the comparison is that bad:

Cleary was a monster in Juniors-production tailing off as he began professional hockey- he still put up good numbers in the AHL, but in the NHL his highest point toatl in a season was 35 before he joined The Borg. Now playing on the best team on the planet, he still has only improved on that point-total by 7 (42pts last season)… certainly a case for being a late-bloomer

Slater’s first three full seasons versus Cleary’s first three don’t show so much difference that the comparison is preposterous-Cleary played on better teams his first three full seasons and his point totals are higher, but I don’t think Cleary is impossibly more skilled than Slater… Now Thorburn=Ovechkin-that is a real stretch.

Not to say Jimmy Slater’s the best thing on two skates, but let’s not get in each other’s way throwing him under the bus. Dude is a grinder with good wheels-isn’t that OK? Granted I’d like to see more finish from a 1st-round pick, but uhhh we’re talking about DW and DM making the draft-day decisions here.

Also, Cleary is one of two Red Wings that I secretly root for…. because in general I hate the red wings. Now that they have hossa, it makes it easier.

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A few days ago, after watching Kane on youtube, I made the comment that Kane reminded me of Willi Plett. Plett’s nickname was train. At the end of the Kane tribute on youtube, that Hokie linked to, was this “the Kane Train.”

That’s karma, pick Kane.

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I dont care of who you pick, but if whoever you pick, you must find him a line

Kovy-Espo-Little
Kozzie-Kane-Peverley
White-Reasoner-Armstrong
Stuart-Thorburn-Crabb

MY opinion

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A Dan Cleary TYPE of player, not a clone! He plays hard, has speed, is not afraid to get physical. The point is that he has a role on the team that he performs well. If he continues to improve, it will be interesting to see.

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Holy Crap, Levenson is pissed at LAC! lol.

But good to know that Levenson et al read these blogs, please, please, please get a clue and get us a real GM once you settle your infighting.

That turnover by Campbell last night was unacceptable. I still think the Hawks will give the Wings all they can handle for the two games in Chicago, but a win last night would have been huge for them.

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Note to Thrashers at the draft-please don’t trade down and draft some dumb that you will trade away in 18 mos.

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Betcha Dale Tallon is looking for Campbell’s buy out clause in his contract.

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As an aside, did the AJC cow tow to Levenson and start reviewing our comments for publication? the comments use to show immediately but now I see they don’t. We can call this the LAC rule.

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when the spirit clowns show up at a owners meeting, are they all in full clown make up and piling out of a little car???? dut-dut-dut-da-little-dut-dut-do-a

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As I linked in the other blog, Bob, Campbell did indeed say he would make that play again. In fact, he said he would do it again a hundred times.

Pretty amazing stuff. Thanks, Campbell!

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The problem with Slater is that he can’t play on special teams, or I should say, can’t play well. The question becomes “how many guys can you have on your team who don’t really score and don’t play well on special teams?” Boults is one, and I am totally ok with that as his numbers show he is effective when he is out there…..I just don’t think you can have a whole 4th line of guys who only play 7-9 minutes a game and don’t play on the PK…it makes the rest of the team play too many minutes each night. I have to believe we can find a better player to fit that role rather than wait 5 more years for him to turn into that “Dan Cleary Type”….I will admit that he was better on even strength this year than last year…..for whatever that is worth.

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Annnnnd now this: http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/story/11769000 – Please tell me Minnesota isn’t serious about hiring Pierre McGuire to be its GM. Boy, that’s a MAJOR IMPROVEMENT over Doug Risebrough. (Sarcasm detector flaling wildly now.) Thankfully, he’s just in “candidacy stage.” Pierre McGuire can be a candid figure, from time to time. Truly. If wearing the GM hat, I wonder if he could tame the “bluntness” aspect of his personality. Wait ’til a junior scribe challenges his decision-making, or the “overall theme” of his roster. He’ll go ape. Shoot, even a level-headed Bob Gainey got a little hot under the collar when a reporter asked him about his decision to go with Carey Price as the #1 goalie. Gainey got miffed and launched into a defense of how and why Carey Price is an excellent goaltender, no matter what the reporter’s wife may have had to say about the matter. Bob Gainey remains unfired by Montreal, as best I can tell, more than a month away from the Habs elimination in four straight games by Boston. A far cry from where they were last year, #1 seed, having eliminated Boston in the Opening Round. But I digress.

I’ve often said, “There’s not a jury in the world that can CONVICT SOMEONE of the ‘attempted murder’ of Pierre McGuire.” The list of suspects, alone, would be nearly endless. And at trial, the defense attorney simply polls the jury, “How many of you are thinking about killing Pierre McGuire right now?” Then he leans in, “Beeeee honest.” All the jurors raise their hands, and even Pierre’s own mother, seated in the front row of court, has her hand up, as she elbows other McGuire family member to let their hands be shown, high, high in air.

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It is interesting to read in other media markets. You can see fans in other cities are dissatisfied with their team’s results.

If Pierre leaves TSN, they will have to find another “homer”.

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Smoothie minor correction it’s Chad LaRose and he can only come here if Anderson revokes his diving license.

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A lot of people will argue to keep Colin Stuart in the line-up over an addition of Axelsson… but if you can put together a solid veteran checking line, you can be as young as you want with the rest of the team.

You can rotate as many different people as you like on that 4th line too, until you find something that works, as long as those top 2 lines are set.

And I agree… Kane could be a good garbage man for Slater.

If Havlat can’t be had, then you look at Lehtonen for Lupul… if that can’t be done… Pavelec for Svatos or Wolski.

My defense…

Bogosian Enstrom
Hainsey Komisarek (Hal Gill as 2nd choice)
Valabik Exelby
Salmela

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“As I linked in the other blog, Bob, Campbell did indeed say he would make that play again.”

No, I believed that he said it, I was just saying it’s ridiculous that he would say/think it, he blew it big time and gave your boys a huge gift. I still think the Hawks can win 2 in Chicago, but man the road would have been much easier if they could have won Game 2.

Thanks for the confirmation, Rawhide, that The Man isn’t keeping us down!

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Thanks kracker. I guess the cobwebs are starting to set in as I age. I switched Vail and Plett. I do miss the days of watching Plett pound Dave Schultz.

Hokie – Don’t look for Havlet to become a Thrasher, as Allan Walsh is his agent. Walsh is also Gaborik’s agent.

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I’ve done nothing, absolutely nothing…

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Stroz… Ron Salcer is Gaborik’s agent… Walsh used to be his agent.

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Of course, Waddell will need to consider the new rule changes before deciding on free agents.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7mekhFTrXM

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Good points by Alan, We need a guy like Holstrom, who stands in front of the goal, maintains position and forces the defense to adjust to him, leaving others to have open areas to score from.

We just do NOT have a forward who does that, nobody and it would be quite refreshing to see US have a big guy in front of the other teams goalie for a change !

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CAL,

Nicklas Lasu (5th/ 2008) has the potential to become a Holmström type of player.

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I wouldn’t want Havlat, he’s going to be too expensive for someone that seems like a “contract year” player to me.

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Here is an exhibit that Philly could be a destination for Kari or Pavs. I think Pavs may be desirable to them if they remain cash strapped. Trading for and signing Kari isn’t going to relieve cap pressure. Pavs will do that, he’s still cheap and at 21 will be afforadable for the Flyers (or for us) for years to come.

“As The Goalie Turns in Flyerdom” by Tim Panaccio
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Tim-Panaccio/As-The-Goalie-Turns-in-Flyerdom/2/21283

I haven’t read his three articles, 6000 words is a bit much to get thru!….but I might keyword search them and post back if I see anything interesting. They may choose to stay w/ Biron and Niity but who knows…

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Brendan — I guess you don’t have to worry, Minnesota has apparently chosen their next GM, and it isn’t Pierre McGuire.

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Beat me to it kracker on posting the lastest DW “hot air balloon ride” story. I agree also he says all the right things, but come the draft and July 1st, we’ll see if he can step up big for once and bring some players in that would satisfy us all. I think he really and realistically wants Duchene the most. Although, whoever might make the best trading partner, if any, in the top three, he’ll be happy with any of the projected top three that come with the pick. I like hearing he wants to focus on getting bigger up front and in back.

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R.Stroz, is it true that Toby Enstrom was the LAST contract Don Waddell signed? And whenw as that, last September? Iffff that’s true, are we, officially, the most dormant team in the NHL?

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Ranallo10 (in AT) – I am truly relieved for the fans of the Minnesota Wild. So, Cliff Fletcher’s son got a job in a “traditional” hockey market. Good for him! I wish him every success. He comes from a good gene pool.

Switching gears, both the ‘Canes and the ‘Hawks are down 0-2, coming home. Something like 85% of the time, the team with the 2-0 lead wins the series. But we’ve already seen tht 0-2 deficit erased and the series won TWICE in these playoffs. The Washington Capitals did it to the NY Rangers. The Rangers won both games in DC, but the Capitals took the series in seven. Pittsburgh trailed the Capitals, 2-0, then won the series in seven games. Game Two winners also have a very high series winning percentage. Those are good things, if you’re Pittsburgh or Detroit.

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Quick note — Paul Postma was the most recent signing to my recollection, and that happened in early April of this year.

Perhaps you should look at the amount of activity as a sign that many of the UFAs will not be resigned, and RFAs are not a high priority at this time.

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