Afinogenov can’t get no satisfaction
Recently Maxim Afinogenov was quoted by Dmitry Chesnoklov via twitter as saying, “I wouldn’t mind staying in Atlanta but the current offers from the team are unsatisfactory”.
To date Afinogenov has been unsuccessful in getting the Atlanta Thrashers or any other NHL team to offer a deal he’s willing to accept. And even though the soon-to-be 31-year old Russian forward isn’t quite to the point of being Too Proud to Beg, he has made known he’s willing to consider re-signing with the Thrashers. But the two sides are still yet to make a Connection.
Maxim Afinogenov reacts after scoring a late-game goal against the Boston Bruins last November. A former Thrasher looks to join in the celebration (AP Photo/John Amis)
Because of that, two weeks after the beginning of UFA signing season began, Max still Can’t Find No Satisfaction.
Last season Afinogenov netted a career-high 24 goals while in Thrasher blue and his 61 overall points matched his second highest total. But if there is a knock on Max, it’s that he still has issues with doing the Dirty Work in the defensive zone as he was Down in a Hole with a –17 rating last year. Only Zach Bogosian’s –18 was worse.
However, he’s certainly not alone in that regards as most Thrashers rosters have been prone to leave goalies crying out “Gimme Shelter”!
There were many last summer who said his skills would leave us High and Dry during the campaign…that his playing style would cause us to suffer our 19th Nervous Breakdown. “Don’t Cry to Me when he spins in circles, toe drags the puck only to lose it before shooting”, they told us.
But I think he really did put together a rather solid season last year…Honest I Do.
True, there were Good Times/Bad Times last season with Max…but to me, he gave a great effort in last winter’s campaign. Many times he would come to our Emotional Rescue by scoring a goal late in the third to win a game, or tie the score and send it to overtime. His speed often has him barreling toward the goal Like a Rolling Stone where he would then position himself with the puck and Let it Loose on goal. And while the playoffs eluded this Thrashers team yet again, he helped them win some very exciting game, although sometimes were found Winning Ugly ones too.
Now the last I heard, Rick Dudley and the Thrashers had offered Afinogenov another one-year deal…the dollars and cents I do not know. So apparently what Max is looking for is a contract that spans multiple years. That doesn’t have to mean Dudley and Co. need to wrap him up for a Long Long Time necessarily… but two or three at the least wouldn’t be too much to ask.
Certainly, re-signing Max wouldn’t be the Biggest Mistake the organization has ever made.
Would you like to see Afinogenov re-sign with the Thrashers?
- YES! It's Not Easy landing a talent like that! (50%, 152 Votes)
- Maybe - As long as the Money is right (47%, 141 Votes)
- NO! It would be the Biggest Mistake Dudley could make! (3%, 9 Votes)
Total Voters: 302
Loading ...But if the Thrashers are still interested in retaining Afinogenov’s services, I hope they don’t Play with Fire by dragging their feet. If so, they could soon find themselves Out of Time and see his services Slipping Away. After all…Time Waits for No One.
So, Tell Me Thrasherville… what are your thoughts regarding bringing back Maxim Afinogenov? Is he the final piece in the Thrashers offensive puzzle and without him the lineup is left Torn and Frayed?
Is he a player who you think could help get us Down The Road Apiece… but since You Can’t Always get What You Want he could go somewhere else and it’d be OK?
Or do you think We’re Waistin’ Time discussing the matter altogether and the team is better off telling Max “You Better Move On”?
Any Way You Look at It, the Thrashers still need another top-flight winger to help round out this offense. And it stands to reason that re-signing one we’re already familiar with could be better than bringing in New Faces. I for one would love to see him continue to provide a Little T&A around Thrasherville.
Uh…that would be Tallies & Assists.
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151 comments Add your comment
The Smooth Spark
July 16th, 2010
10:53 am
Y’all better stop it or else this young whipper-snapper is gonna start dropping Metallica lyrics on My Friends of Misery…
Now anyhoo, thanks for the vote of confidence Badger Bob. Having depth of talent in the NHL (13 forwards deep with capable call-ups) is essential to success over the long, rigorous NHL season. While I think Cormier, Machacek and Kulda have a really good shot to make the team this season, I would not be surprised if only one of them is truly ready with Macho ending up the 13th forward. I’m pretty sure I read somewhere there is another buy-out period later this summer so we can probably expect Whitey to end up as one of the Unforgiven, Sad But True.
If we don’t sign Max, then look for someone like Pettersson or the General to challenge for a wing spot in camp. And while I don’t see the harm in re-upping Max for 2 years, please don’t perceive me as being Holier Than Thou when it comes to my stance on the matter. I’m okay with letting Max’s career as a Thrasher Fade to Black.
Lastly, take a look at the poll, only 4% of the 132 people who have voted think it would be an absolute act of The Frayed Ends of Sanity to bring Max back into the offensive Battery. But then again, some of you still think of Max as a Leper Messiah or just some Disposable Hero to throw onto the scrap heap like a Thing That Should Not Be.
Sorry, just had to do it.
Alan R.
July 16th, 2010
11:00 am
kracker – That’s a step in the right direction. Now, let’s allow people in-market to watch their team. I can’t always get to a TV, and I’d rather subscribe to something like GameCenter Live than to watch the games via myp2p.eu.
Lee
July 16th, 2010
11:01 am
If Finny is trying to make “Kovy Money”, I don’t want him here. He’s good, but he’s not worth the big bucks. I’d love to see him back though.
Lee
July 16th, 2010
11:01 am
……That is, only if he gets a fair deal.
glovesave29
July 16th, 2010
11:11 am
If I can only have one, I take Stempniak first, Max second, Frolov third and Ponikarovsky fourth.
schroeder
July 16th, 2010
11:13 am
GS29, Gotta love the way a goaltender thinks!!! Amen to ya my brotha!!!
well played
July 16th, 2010
11:25 am
when I came across this hockey blog from Atlanta I thought for sure I’d look down at the comments section to find This Place Is Empty. I thought hockey in the south was dead but I guess that was Just My Imagination. most blogs read more like a Turd On The Run and are very boring but I can see now Where The Boys Go in Atlanta to talk hockey.
World Be Free
July 16th, 2010
11:35 am
Tom-way too cool! Stroz-Ringo is an OLD white man!
On another subject, can anoyone else understand Kiovu’s deal in Minnesota? That’s a Shawn Horcoff contract to me, he’s in Minny forever. I am not saying he’s as bad as Horcoff, but he is certainly not as good as other guys making that much coin.
Flagstaff
July 16th, 2010
11:49 am
Matt McConnell said yesterday that he doubts that the Thrashers will acquire any more UFA forwards for a while. He thinks that Dudley wants to wait until training camp to see how players like Burmistrov, Cormier, Machacek, etc. do.
Badger Bob
July 16th, 2010
11:52 am
Excellent point, WBF. With all the disasterous contracts and trades and drafts the Thrashers have had, we sometimes forget how many other clubs are making similarly bad deals. Many of the worst deals have been happening in the “traditional” hockey markets like Edmonton (everything they’ve touched in the past 2 years), Tronna (a cap max team that looks like an AHL team), Calgary (trading for Alice? Re-signing Ollie?), Ottawa (the return on Heatley from San Jose). We’ll be happy NOT to be paying Colby $9M for a few big hits and little else, Kovy $100M for very exciting singles figure skating, and Campbell $7M for less than top pair play. Bet Duds keeps everyone on a short-term contract, unless you prove you show up regardless of what your contract reads.
Sage of Bluesland
July 16th, 2010
11:55 am
Great comments and twisting of some great music…Beatles among my all-time favorites…”Gimme Shelter” among my all-time favorite songs…Good stuff.
Enjoyed the diversion–but then reality came crashing down on me when I thought of both the ownership and senior leadership of this franchise.
Futility–and insincerity of goals…Happy to just be in the club…Lip-service to winning the title…Really content to just be schedule-fodder for the real teams in the league…
Such a shame. It’s actually worse than Revolution Number 9…
Bluenote
July 16th, 2010
12:00 pm
Not a lot left to work with crew, but…
When the Whip Comes Down I think there will be Rough Justice.
Max will have Far Away Eyes as he sees an expectation for more responsible, 2-way D move his payday claims Down the Line.
You Can’t Always Get What You Want….but a 1 yr deal with bonus is the Max for Max.
Stones rule at my house. JFK in ‘78….great if somewhat out-of-focus memories.
lola
July 16th, 2010
12:00 pm
WBF: Great idea for my next jersey! I will do my best to make that happen!
World Be Free
July 16th, 2010
12:05 pm
lola-you need to get the jersey signed too!
lola
July 16th, 2010
12:07 pm
And I can wear it with my hat that he signed last year — Yep! I’m obsessed!
World Be Free
July 16th, 2010
12:09 pm
Max thought he had a new contract but it turned out to be “Just my Imagination (Running Away With Me)”.
Sage-good to have you back, keep the faith dude-no I really mean it.
I heard DW was looking for a house in your neighborhood.
alex
July 16th, 2010
12:11 pm
i am talking asg (dud can go as far as asg let him) OK if asg commited to vinning, making playoff run, they should bring at least one real offensive veapon on this team (max, stepniak, poni) if they intend to continue play cheap and fall short of playoff like previous 11 years expect announcement ” we are happy where we are” or idiot dw going to garantee something. we all got experience with this organization. let see.
J.B.
July 16th, 2010
12:14 pm
Time for Flames to weigh in again…
Red Light
July 16th, 2010
12:20 pm
For the first time in franchise history, this team has a lot of young depth, and now it’s up to the team to develop them in the right way. Hopefully, once the younger kids leave the Junior ranks and sign their first pro deals, that they will actually be developed. I have never understood why Gwinnett gets the non-prospects for the most part, while the real prospects are forced to play a more limited role in Chicago behind the older pros who are good hockey players but just can’t find a spot in the NHL. That Chicago roster has been laden with those types in the past. To develop, coaching and ice time are imperative. If you look over past numbers in that regard with the Wolves, you’ll see what I mean. I hope that is another thing Dudley can help change during his tenure here.
World Be Free
July 16th, 2010
12:31 pm
Red Light, add to this the fact that both teams, the Wolves and Thrashers need to play the same style and be coached in similar fashions to allow players in Chicago to make the seemless transition to the Thrashers. I know that’s a run on sentence English Teacher.
FormerIslesFan
July 16th, 2010
12:48 pm
Red Light: Rebuke my comments??? What have I ever done to you!!
On Max: I’m just not sure that he’s the Everyday Glory that we need. Sure, he has offensive Bravado and his skills can Animate a crowd, but sometime I wonder if he is Driven. He certainly does like the Limelight, though. I guess with a player like him, you have to tell him to Show, Don’t Tell. Maybe he will take the message Closer to the Heart and Stick It Out in Atlanta,. Maybe he’ll take his chances, Roll The Bones and end up somewhere else. If he can be a Working Man with a Mission on defense and not just a Fly By Night goal hanger that we treat with Kid Gloves, then I would say he’s worth a Ghost Of A Chance and could become The Weapon. But, you can’t say that after what we’ve already seen that we haven’t had a Distant Early Warning.
If he willing to show some Vital Signs on defense, then Presto, we should sign him. If he won’t, the take The Pass on him and Leave That Thing Alone. I’ve had enough of The Main Monkey Business.
My hope is that this team will be a Far Cry better than we’ve seen in the past.
Yes, Rawhide…that was just for you.
Red Light
July 16th, 2010
12:52 pm
World Be Free: No question about it, but I’m not sure that will ever happen.
Red Light
July 16th, 2010
12:53 pm
It’s the Isles portion that I object to!
Monkey
July 16th, 2010
1:02 pm
I like Max. Bring him back.
DWTOO just misses the old days.
World Be Free
July 16th, 2010
1:11 pm
Red Light-the Wolves/Thrashers’ relationship is a good question for Dudley. His ability to bring synergy to this relationship is a true test of how much power he really.
3stripes
July 16th, 2010
1:12 pm
“Kovy $100M for very exciting singles figure skating”
OK, that was funny.
BlueSpark
July 16th, 2010
1:22 pm
Stempniak. Do it, Duds. I’ve been waiting for that announcement for 2 weeks. What’s the hold up? We still have to spend a bunch just to make the floor, don’t we?
And please, nobody bother complaining when we do overspend on a UFA. That’s the only way anyone signs here.
glovesave29
July 16th, 2010
1:24 pm
Flagstaff…I hope Matt is wrong, that’s a risky proposition considering Duds is getting a slight reprieve from the disgruntled masses after 11 years of getting Waddelled. Why not take a flyer on Stempniak, Frolov, Max, Poni, etc to make the team really deep? Some veteran leader ship never hurt…and Lee is only 27! Has the makings to be a 30 goal scorer. One of those younger players shows up at camp and is not ready for the big club yet, then it is too late…we are screwed (again).
kracker
July 16th, 2010
1:37 pm
Yeah, Glove, I.D.W.T. is a nice tag line but it’s going to be a nervous time between now and camp if Duds doesn’t acquire another forward. What’s the likelyhood that any of those four will remain unsigned in the NHL or KHL when pre-season games are underway? Very little chance of that , IMO.
Cornbread
July 16th, 2010
1:38 pm
I’m ok sending Max to Exile. I want for once to see a Thrashers team that gets their Rocks Off every night and Rips This Joint not with one or two players that just Shake Your Hips. The Thrashers are playing Casino Boogie with Max and Tumbling Dice. Sweet Virginia and I are Torn and Frayed over this. We do love that we have more than one Sweet Black Angel on the roster and hope that the local kids are listening to this record. We want this team to drink from The Loving Cup and makes us Happy instead of another Turd On The Run giving us the Ventilator Blues. On Kovalchuk, I Just Want To See His Face when the Thrashers Let It Loose, All Down The Line, and Stop Breaking Down when the NHL will finally Shine A Light on the Thrashers as the Soul Survivor thanks to Kovy’s choosing his own Exile On Main Street.
Adam
July 16th, 2010
1:46 pm
WBF & RL – I’ve been thinking about that very topic myself the last few days. Funny you bring it up now. I was at PC on Saturday and was sitting right behind Dudley & company. It didn’t seen like the right time to ask any questions… Maybe we can get C-Viv to ask them for us.
The ECHL just doesn’t have the same talent level as the AHL which is why we don’t see more players down here. I sure would like to see some kind of a move to put an AHL team in Gwinnett Arena. It’s just whether there would be enough support locally to make it profitable. I just don’t think you could find a better setup in sport than having your minor league affiliate less than 2 miles from the training barn.
Zombie Steve
July 16th, 2010
2:02 pm
I hate to think that there is a Communication Breakdown between Max and the Thrasher mgmt. I think Max proved himself last season and deserves a piece of the Custard Pie.
But if he’s asking for a 3 year contract, he’s going to leave the mgmt saying “Hey, Hey, Want Can I Do?” It will be interesting to see if Max with be shown a Whole Lotta Love or be stuck like a Fool in the Rain. Whatever the outcome, the only thing Max can say in the end: “Nobody’s Fault But Mine”.
Ten Years Gone since this team came to be….we’ve had Good Times, Bad Times….we’ve been Trampled Under Foot….and we’ve Rocked and Rolled…. I look forward to the time when this team has a Celebration Day. Is Our Time Gonna Come or will the Song Remain the Same??
One thing is for certain about this up coming season: We’re Gonna Groove
FormerIslesFan
July 16th, 2010
2:16 pm
Zombie Steve…seems to me that your message tended to Ramble On.
Russian
July 16th, 2010
2:40 pm
Hockey Buzz said:
1. Modano will be in Detroit for 2 years
2. Kovy will be in Kings (85%). Deal might be done today or Sunday evening. I hope it is happend. It is taking sooooo Looooong!
Zombie Steve
July 16th, 2010
2:41 pm
yes, Friday afternoons typically have most folk Dazed and Confused…. where’s a cold beer when you need one?
Zombie Steve
July 16th, 2010
2:42 pm
Kovy’s Goin’ to California….. (ok, I’ll stop!)
J-man
July 16th, 2010
2:51 pm
More Stones references than I’ve ever seen anywhere that wasn’t about the Stones. Some of those are pretty obscure too. If you can name songs on _Metamorphosis_ then you know your Stones.
No, the biggest mistake in Thrashers history was signing Steve Rucchin. At least White gave them one good year and one mediocre one. Or you could make a great case that the Coburn trade was far worse than signing White. Dudley could have bought out White this summer or placed him on waivers and hoped for a pickup (at 50% of his salary, some team might actually be willing to take a chance on White). Those are possibly bigger mistakes than signing him in the first place.
Joe Friday
July 16th, 2010
2:55 pm
It seems that some help is needed in determining who the two greatest rock and roll bands are and since we haven’t broached either yet let me breach the Communication Breakdown that has left all including Kovy and Grossman Dazed and Confused. I still think the Lombardi will risk being raised on the Gallows Pole and that Hot Dog is still Going to California. If he doesn’t it’ll be Nobody’s Fault but Mine for overvaluing his worth 2 years before the impending lockout, but I still believe that Heartbreaker is going to Rock and Roll In The Evening and bring a Whole Lotta Love as he endeavors to bring the Kings on the Stairway to Heaven.
Back home, I think Dudley Won’t Get Fooled Again by Max and is standing by his one year offer or he is prepared to then run with his belief that The Kids are Alright and give Cormier et al their shot in camp. Back in My Generation we didn’t have Pinball Wizards like Kovy and Max doing their Sister Disco figure skating around, and I pray that Dudley sticks with building us a squad with boys ready to show him The Real Me.
Either way I’m treading water here in the Summertime Blues and wiling away the time with the Squeeze Box to keep me happy until we are ready to ride The Magic Bus back down to Philips this fall hoping to see a brand new tougher squad when we look at our new guys and happily exclaim “Who the $#%@ Are You?!?”
Alan R.
July 16th, 2010
3:22 pm
The Hurricanes are making their 1 October 2010 game against the Thrashers open to the public. That’s right, free hockey! I’m sure some of the Atlanta fans would find an excuse to road trip to NC to see that.
Hey ASG, how about a free exhibition game at Philips, eh? These practice games should be free, anyway, you know.
kracker
July 16th, 2010
3:22 pm
Hockey Gods
Please send us some hockey news quickly.
Amen.
Zombie Steve
July 16th, 2010
3:25 pm
yes, the heat is starting to get to us
The Smooth Spark
July 16th, 2010
3:35 pm
Only 6 votes out of 174 saying ‘absolutely NOT’ w/r/t Max…hmmm. Might just be enough fodder for a petition to give to Duds, dontcha’ think?
Anyway, to help myself decide once and for all, I did a bit of analysis of Max’s stats from last season. Here are the interesting tid-bits:
1) Plus/Minus in Wins = +11
Plus/Minus before trade: -8
2) Plus/Minus in Loss = -29
3) Plus/Minus in OTLs = + 1
4) PPG before Kovy trade: .800 in 55 games
5) PPG after Kovy traded: .630 in 27 games
6) SOG Avg before trade: 2.27 SOG / game
7) SOG Avg after trade: 2.07 SOG / game
9) Plus/Minus after trade: -9
Footnotes:
1) Team Wins = 35
-10 in December when entire team swooned
2) Team Loss = 34
3) Team OTLs = 13
4) 17 goals scored before trade (.31 / gm)
5) 7 goals scored after trade (.26 / gm)
9) – 6 in April (in 3 gms) after team was pretty much eliminated
Keep in mind the entire team was a combined -16 at even strength (not counting EN goals or SH goals at all). I somehow doubt Max was completely responsible for the -16 as a team even though his -17 would seem to indicate that. But keep in mind that Afinogenov had the misfortune of playing with White and Kozlov a lot of the year and outside of a miserable stretch with Kovy and Antropov in early December, played well when playing top line minutes. While Afinogenov was terrible with a -10 in December, here are the +/- numbers for the rest of the “top 6″:
Antropov: -4
Little: -7
Kozlov: -8
White: -2
Peverley: -7
Kovalchuk -3
I think Afinogenov’s worst hockey was late December into early January when he found himself playing with Kozlov and Peverley. That line was an absolute disaster as Kozzie and Pevs were a -15 combined during that stretch of the season. Brutal.
See, if you put Afinogenov with the right line-mates, then he can be effective. Perhaps not as effective as a .8 points per game, but he could probably muster a .6 to .65 for 50-60 points and 20 goals with hopefully no worse than a -5 or so. Heck, he could be a positive player if playing alongside Antropov and Kaner / Big Buf.
Red Light
July 16th, 2010
4:08 pm
The Smooth Spark: Just like hitting in front of Henry Aaron, right?
Nice rendition Joe Friday!
May I add? Poor Tom, work’s done, been lazin’ out in the noonday sun. Ain’t a thing that you can hide from Tom.
Beware of future Brendan lyrics. Could be as long as American Pie!
Hockey Biltong
July 16th, 2010
4:16 pm
Joe Friday, I’m gonna Ramble On over to Talk about my Generation.
HIt It.
Beer, Beer, Beer…..
World Be Free
July 16th, 2010
4:37 pm
I am glad someone remembered The Who; can we throw some Kinks in there too?
Max Is Fun To Watch - KEEP HIM
July 16th, 2010
4:48 pm
Yes, he makes some silly and dangerous backwards passes, but he is an exciting player who seems to love playing the game. He was my favorite Thrasher last year. With a little discipline and some good coaching, Max can help us win and sell a few more tickets – GO THRASHERS!!!
Red Light
July 16th, 2010
4:56 pm
One from the Kinks for you World Be Free
My girlfriend’s gone off with my car
And gone back to her ma and pa
Telling tales of drunkenness and cruelty
Now I’m sitting here
Sipping at my ice cold beer
Lazing on a sunny afternoon
Joe Friday
July 16th, 2010
5:14 pm
“Could be as long as American Pie!”
Arrghh, my ears! I hate that freakin song, every time it came on, I dove for the knob on my Zenith Quadrophonic . . .
World, I never understood this tune until one night walking down the wrong street in Chicago after too many beers and my buddies laughing their butts off when I start chatting “her” up:
“Well I’m not dumb but I can’t understand
Why she walked like a woman and talked like a man.”
Happy Friday fellas, all this way back machine has me ready to head home for the beer fridge and my ipod
Jack
July 16th, 2010
5:57 pm
Another week another week that Kchoke does not know which team he will go to.FIRE your Agent idiot!!! You are messing up Free Agency!!!!!
Hockey Gods
July 16th, 2010
6:57 pm
Kovy signed in Florida. All other Russia free agents signed in Swedish Elite League. Waddell fired. There ya go, kracker. And yes, we do have a sense of humor!