It might be more valuable to move Armstrong at the deadline, if a trade is really ever going to materialize. My guess is that Colby would like to play 2nd line minutes. I can’t blame him there. Will he get those minutes in Atlanta, either this season or next? Maybe not. If Waddell needed to ’sweeten up’ a deal, another GM’s ears would perk up at the suggestion of Colby Armstrong. Keep something else in mind, a Colby Armstrong trade sends $2.4 million in cap hit the other way. If Waddell is really, truly authorized for $50.0 million, it means he could land a fairly high dollar player, as long as he shipped Colby the other way. And that’s something to think about. Speculating is fun, isn’t it?

Okayyyyy. But as Sara suggested, “whattaya mean, ‘counter-offer?’” In essence, just AGREE to whatever Kovy’s camp demands. And be done with it. If Waddell submitted years and dollars, and Jay Grossman responded with years and dollars, then the contract negotiations should be OVERRRRRRRRR. In this respect, I completely agree with Sara.

But in my way of thinking, the counter-proposal was not years and dollars. It was list of names who should be signed to play in Atlanta. Can I PROVE that? Of course not. I don’t have wire tap authority. But what if I was right? And what if Nikki Zherdev’s name was on the list? I sure hope I’m wrong. Because if I’m right, then the opportunity to PROVE to Kovalchuk that the Thrashers had turned the corner and become committed to winning the Stanley Cup … failed when Zherdev signed with Atlant, in the KHL. Maybe Kovy didn’t want him. Did Kovy want Max more than Nikki? Shrugs. I have no EARTHLY IDEA. I know Waddell got Antropov for Kovy. And Kovy liked it. And I’m guessing that Kovy liked the Kubina acquisition, too. That’s something, at least.

I sure hope there’s some BIG ANNOUNCEMENT that’s being hushed up for the Opening Night game. A Kovalchuk contract would make losing that game, 8-0, stomachable. Of course, if this contract drags on … and on … and on … and ultimately results in him walking for nothing … or traded at the deadline, I’m going to harp on my belief that April 2007 was the perfect time to clean house. Fire Hartley, Fire Waddell, Fire the Scouting Staff, and conduct an exhaustive search for a replacement … or ask the NHL to step in and run the team. Ask yourself this question, would a different GM have passed on Bogosian? Would a different GM have passed on Kane? If the answer is no, then it really wouldn’t have hurt the organization to fire Waddell, other than to eat his salary until 2009, and Harley’s until 2008. Hartley was fired six games into a fresh, new 2-year deal. Waddell got that contract extension right after the team went 11-4-1 after Hartley was fired. But let’s not talk about that, since a Kovy re-signing would supercede all of it.

Phrases like “we are having productive talks” and “we are very close” and “we expect a deal to be done soon” just make me sick to my stomach.

What the hell are they thinking. Let Ilya’s agent make an offer, say yes, and then move on. But you and I know that Ilya’s agent is not making an offer. Don keeps making offers and our captains agent is taking them under consideration.

We need to call the organization onto the carpet tomorrow at the fan event before the big wigs hide in their executive suites funneling lies and deceptions down to the fans and reporters.

(damn, I am getting to Stendec levels of aggravation. It is a bad day to stop sniffing glue ((Airplane)) ).

A Savard trade isn’t realistic, in my opinion.