Allan Muir likes us… he really, really does!
First of all, if you haven’t yet heard…the Thrashers avoided a salary arbitration hearing by signing forward Ben Eager to a one-year $965,000 deal. C-Viv has all the particulars here.
But I bring you even more good news. Yes…it seems as though the Thrashers have gained some accolades from a member of the press, one who is not a resident of Thrasherville.
Uh-huh…Allan Muir of SI.com has posted a list of the eight teams he feels have improved the most so far this summer. Counting down Muir’s most improved list… No. 8 Calgary Flames, No. 7 Dallas Stars, No. 6 Boston Bruins, No. 5 St. Louis Blues, No. 4 Toronto Maple Leafs, No. 3 Vancouver Canucks, No. 2 Tampa Bay Lightning…and the number 1 most improved team this offseason according one Mr. Allan Muir…
Yourrrrrrrrrrrr Atlantaaaaaaaa THRA-shers!
In his recent entry, Muir explains his reasons for placing Atlanta on top of his “Most Improved” list by saying…
“Gone, finally, is dithering GM Don Waddell, replaced by Rick Dudley, a manager who clearly understands that today’s teams need a little steak to go with the sizzle. Example? After seeing the Cup-winning ‘Hawks flattened by a salary cap semi, Dudley flew in like a crow to pick the meat of Chicago’s exposed bones. And while no one should mistake his acquisitions for Jonathan Toews or Patrick Kane, he added significant talent along with that winning attitude in Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd, Brent Sopel and Ben Eager, along with assistant coach John Torchetti. He made a savvy move by signing free agent Chris Mason, a reliable netminder who can handle the mail as often, or as little, as necessary to expedite the development of Ondrej Pavelec. He also quietly tabbed Boston assistant Craig Ramsay to take over behind the bench, ensuring that an offensively aggressive, physically accountable style will become the hallmark of this club moving forward.
These Thrashers may not boast the wattage of previous editions, but it’ll be a more consistent and more competitive group. A playoff berth is within reach.”
Nice. But Allan…don’t go jinxin’ us by tossing the “P” word around here prematurely, m-kay?
Do you agree with Alan Muir’s assessment that the Thrashers have improved enough to be a playoff contender?
- Yes! Playoffs here we come (45%, 65 Votes)
- No! We are no closer to the playoffs (10%, 14 Votes)
- Dude, don't use the "P" word prematurely! (45%, 66 Votes)
Total Voters: 145
Loading ...Personally, I will say that I agree with the assessment in general. I’ve gone on record as saying the Mason signing was a very positive step in the right direction and that the trades for the Chicago-Four were great acquisitions…and bringing in Ramsay as well as Torch was nothing short of a minor coup as well.
But I’d shy away from declaring the work of Dudley and Co. as big of a success as Muir has here…simply because I’d like to see the final product of their efforts first.
Still to be determined is what it’ll take to get Andrew Ladd’s signature on a contract…if Dudley can get Maxim Afinogenov to re-sign here…if not, who might he get to fill that void…if the Thrashers can acquire an adequate replacement for Pavel Kubina…who we might see as a goalie coach/consultant hired…can Arturs Kulda and/or Patrice Cormier crack this lineup…can Cormier stay out of jail…you get the picture.
Regardless, it’s always nice to read some positive things about the Thrashers than what we’ve become accustomed to over their first decade of play.
Hmmm…would Allan call that the Dithering Don Decade?
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106 comments Add your comment
Jason
July 29th, 2010
6:16 pm
One Hundred and First
Tony C.
July 29th, 2010
6:30 pm
Twatted by C-Viv:
“ajcthrashers:
Mannino deal with Thrashers is two year, two way worth $500,000 over $105,000″ …. Nice, let’s build a fire under O-P…. plus Manino’s not bad, could turn into a capable NHL goalie
Brendan
July 29th, 2010
7:14 pm
James Brown, I also have a better feeling about this team. It’s grittier. It’s probably going to play better as a cohesive unit, as opposed to star players getting their minutes and hitting their numbers. I think Atlanta is one of those markets where a “depth strategy” is a good idea. But it relies on those 3rd and 4th line players to actually deliver 12-17 goals a season. Each. When it works, it’s awesome. How do you defend a team whose 4th line plays almost as many minutes as its 1st line, and is just about as likely to produce a goal? The other coach cannot play his checking line all night. He’s got to pick a line he wants them to focus on. Eventually, those other lines will overtake the opponent. And games are won, 3-2, or 4-3, based on “depth.”
I’m not surprised by the length of these deals. I know Mannino just signed a 2-year deal with us, but he’s hardly considered an essential piece of the Thrashers future. I tend to harp on the fact that few players are willing to forego years of their UFA eligibility on a longterm contract with Atlanta. If there’s a silver lining there … it’s this. Lets say … the wheels fall off. Again. Well, ownership can clean house and they’re not saddled with contracts like Damian Rhodes, Bobby Holik, Todd White, or whomever. The longest contract is recent years was Ron Hainsey’s 5-year deal. That represented a substantive commitment on the part of the Thrashers. Ilya helped us land Nik Antropov on a 4-year deal. I felt great about the length of that deal. These shorter term deals do leave the franchise having to reassess and reassemble a bit every offseason. But, I suppose, that’s what a GM is for. If you look back to 2007, and we had signed Scott Gomez to some astronomical figure, we’d be stuck with him. Same with Briere or Drury. And on and on. Sometimes the contracts can be crippling. But, at least, it showed gumption and commitment on the part of the franchise to work towards the goal of a Stanley Cup.
I’ve never seen a Stanley Cup Champion emerge from a low payroll team. Not since Free Agency came to the forefront, anyway. Looking back, are we sad or glad we inked Ron Hainsey to that 5-year deal, at a cap hit of $4.5 million? Some say, “glad.” Some say, “sad.” Others shake their heads and say, “Brendan, you know that Hainsey deal was just the franchise trying not to walk away from free agency empty-handed, from the Campbell sweepstakes, especially after Bruce Levenson said, ‘I think we know how to sign free agents.’” Probably so, I say. For me, the bottom line is … until Atlanta becomes a desireable place for free agents to sign, it’ll always be an uphill battle to get key pieces to the Stanley Cup puzzle in place. I see what Dudley is doing. Or trying to do. He’s trying to trade the talent here, rather than rely heavily on the draft and/or free agency. He’s done a far better job than I expected. And I have optimism going into the season. That said, players traded here never CHOSE this market. And to get them to re-sign BEYOND their RFA years remains one of the elusive goals of this franchise.
Sage of Bluesland
July 29th, 2010
9:16 pm
It really IS like deja-vu all over again (to whoever just said that)! The level of delusion among the sheep varies–but inevitably there are some who actually say the “P” word with some seriousness!
I do enjoy the banter and the hopeful dreaming by the lamb-set–it makes for a good laugh.
Dudley will be gone in two years time–and, I shudder to think of who his replacement just may be…It won’t matter, regardless–it’s all about the OWNERSHIP, stupid…
R. Stroz
July 29th, 2010
9:20 pm
Sage – That would be me.
Hockey Biltong爽
July 30th, 2010
11:17 am
This parrot blog is dead…pushing up daisies….