Thrashers ‘fire’ Ben Eager all the way to San Jose
The last time we saw Ben Eager play was on January 7th when he skated off the ice of Philips Arena after receiving a match penalty for sucker punching former Thrasher Colby Armstrong. 14 of his team-high 77 penalty minutes came during that forgetful game…and afterwards I made it clear I would not mind it if he never donned an Atlanta jersey again. If GM Rick Dudley traded him away for a fifth or sixth round pick, that suited me just fine. Many of you agreed.
Well… looks like we got our wish.
Ben Eager celebrates one of his 3 goals as an Atlanta Thrasher last November. On Tuesday he was thrown to the Sharks by general manager Rick Dudley AP Photo/Gregory Smith)
As I’m sure you’ve heard, once he served his four-game suspension for that incident, the Atlanta Thrashers traded away Eager to the San Jose Sharks Tuesday. The move really came as little surprise given the amount of time he had already spent in coach Ramsay’s doghouse this season. In exchange for the 23rd overall pick by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2002 draft, the Thrashers will get to use the Sharks fifth pick in this summer’s draft.
To place that return in some perspective, let’s try to see exactly what such a pick might procure for Rick Dudley down the road, shall we.
As of the time the deal went down between the Sharks and Thrashers, San Jose was 21st in the NHL standings with a .543 points winning percentage. If they were to wind up at that spot in the standing after the season ends, that would mean they would own the 10th pick in each round. So, here’s a list of players taken at that spot in the fifth round over the past five drafts.
2006: The Minnesota Wild took goalie Bryan Pitton with the tenth selection in round number five that year.
2007: Defenseman John Lee was selected by the Florida Panthers.
2008: The Vancouver Canucks took center Prab Rai.
2009: Forward Matt Kennedy heard his name called by the Carolina Hurricanes.
2010: Last summer, the New York Rangers picked up Jason Wilson.
Now, I’m in no way shape, matter or form trying to degrade or insult any of the above mentioned players…certainly they are talented and promising enough to be drafted by an NHL team and that’s an accomplishment in and of itself. Plus, there really is no way in predicting just where that pick will eventually land. But to see the Thrashers basically give Ben Eager away to another NHL team in exchange for a prospect that will be chosen with the 130th or so pick in five months pretty much says all that needs to be said about what the Thrashers organization felt about Eager’s time with us.
Ben Eager...You're FIRED!
If there is a way to “fire” a player in the middle of a season…then basically Dudley just “Donald Trumped” Ben Eager’s butt all the way to the San Francisco Bay area.
Truth be told, I’m just fine with that. If Eager was not going to be a part of the whole collective effort to help push this team to the postseason, then it’s best to go ahead and get him out of the way as soon as possible. Better to get a 5th rounder for him now then let him clog up a roster spot while waiting for something only slightly better. After all, that’s a roster spot someone else…at this point and time, Spencer Machacek…could be filling.
And if Eager…after being ‘fired’ all the way to San Jose…finds himself in a better place for his own personal and future growth, then that’s fine too.
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115 comments Add your comment
ATLREP
January 18th, 2011
4:12 pm
FIRST!!!!
ATLREP
January 18th, 2011
4:14 pm
wow! That was the first time I ever tried to be first and I was!!
I always liked Eager, I thought he was a hard working player and I kinda wished he would’ve stayed.
Also, I would have rather traded him for something that can help us now, rather than a future player.
R. Stroz
January 18th, 2011
4:17 pm
I wonder how well Heatley and Eager will get along.
Chris S
January 18th, 2011
4:18 pm
@ATLREP,
Remember, Dudley’s trades most often have another move depending on them. Don’t be surprised if come March or the draft we don’t still have this pick.
R. Stroztradamus
January 18th, 2011
4:20 pm
I predict Eager will NOT get a hat trick for the Thrashers this season.
Darren
January 18th, 2011
4:24 pm
Prab Rai’s got to be a pseudonym. Or an anagram. Or a witness protection idea.
Darren
January 18th, 2011
4:27 pm
In all seriousness, he did seem to get off to a decent start, but costing Atlanta a game in the standings amid rumors of creating unrest in the locker room is certainly more than enough reason to give him the boot.
Oh, and Prab Rai can be arranged to spell Bra Pair. I’m pretty sure that’s what his dad meant, anyway.
Cornbread
January 18th, 2011
4:30 pm
Not surpised by the firing either. I’m also not surprised or “shocked” about last night’s win. Some who don’t know much about the game are about both.
Lee
January 18th, 2011
4:30 pm
It needed to be done and it happened. He certainly wasn’t our best player but I pay him much respect for his service here. As for the 5th pick, eh, I don’t think it will be much now, but in 4 or 5 years once the prospect has developed, he could be useful….
Good luck Eager. GO THRASHERS
Brandon
January 18th, 2011
4:32 pm
Excellent move by Doug Wilson
Rawhide
January 18th, 2011
4:32 pm
Oh, and Prab Rai can be arranged to spell Bra Pair. I’m pretty sure that’s what his dad meant, anyway.
Darren – LOL!
Only someone on this blog could come up with that. Very well played indeed!
Emily
January 18th, 2011
4:33 pm
Wow lets ease up a little on Eager. i honestly love him! I love that he is aggressive yet a good skater and he is an aggressor that can find the back of the net. I miss hom being with a team i actually enjoy watching. Go Ben Eager!
Red Light
January 18th, 2011
4:36 pm
The Thrashers have had a total of three 5th-round draft picks appear in an NHL game for the team, Colin Stuart, Derek MacKenzie and Brett Sterling. From 1997-2007, all NHL teams have had a total of 96 players appear in an NHL game, the most notable of which are listed below.
2007 4 Jamie Benn
2006 4 Olivier Magnan
2005 11 Darren Helm
2004 10 Kris Versteeg
2003 10 Lee Stempniak
2002 7 James Wisniewski
2001 11 Kevin Bieksa
2000 12 John Michael Liles
1999 7 Ryan Miller
1998 13 Jaroslav Spacek
1997 7 Jason Chimera
Fan from Carolina
January 18th, 2011
4:40 pm
Totally off topic but someone please steer me in the direction of safe, not horribly expensive parking for the game Thursday night (and approximately where it is in relation to Philips Arena. Thank you for any assistance.
Lee
January 18th, 2011
4:40 pm
Wow never knew some of those players like Versteeg, Stempnniak, and Miller were all 5th round picks…Who knows? We could pick up a great player from the 5th round this year.
It’s the NHL, anything can happen.
Hoof Arted
January 18th, 2011
4:44 pm
Can’t say I’m unhappy about Dudley saying bye-bye to Ben. Better to get rid of a malcontent sooner rather than later. I hope it works out for him in San Jose, he could be a hell of a player of properly motivated.
Laura
January 18th, 2011
4:52 pm
Fan from Carolina – park in one of the lots or garages off Spring Street. Close to the game $5-$10 depending on the lot. There is a lot and a garage at Spring & Walton that are $5
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&q=philips+arena&fb=1&gl=us&hq=philips+arena&hnear=Atlanta,+GA&cid=0,0,14919096780273986234&ll=33.756886,-84.391791&spn=0.005584,0.008272&z=17
Fan from Carolina
January 18th, 2011
5:00 pm
Wow Laura!! Thank you so much. I can’t believe you took the time to give me a nice link as well. I have it printed out. Deeply appreciated!
World Be Free
January 18th, 2011
5:19 pm
Carolina-I normally park in the Red Intl deck across from the Georgia Dome. It’s an 8 level dock buried in the ground, easy to get in and outta town, like Ben Eager. Cost is 10 bucks.
Sometimes you just have to move on and that’s what Ben just did.
Ironic that his last act as a player in ATL was to slam Colby CheeseHead into the boards. This is a small move, hope a much bigger one is in store for the Thrashers.
Red Light
January 18th, 2011
5:37 pm
Fan from Carolina
I have an extra parking pass in the CNN Parking Deck, across from the Arena, and am glad to provide it to you if…we can figure out a meeting place prior to the game. If you know when you plan to arrive, I’ll come up with a spot we can meet. Totally your call. Advise here and then I’ll provide you an e-mail address.
Tom
January 18th, 2011
5:54 pm
Here is my off ice wish for the Thrashers this season:
We out draw the New Jersey (The More Professional Franchise) Devils
Right now we are averaging 12,848 fans per game but rising quickly.
The Devils are at 14,204 and dropping like a rock.
This would make me feel much better about everything.
Fan from Carolina
January 18th, 2011
6:27 pm
Thanks again guys! Red Light, your offer is extremely generous but sometimes meeting can be tough and I don’t want to keep you from anything in case we are late for whatever reason. No one else needs to respond as Laura, World Be Free have offered plenty of options. Sorry Rawhide for taking up your column after writing a nice update on Eager.
Lee
January 18th, 2011
6:37 pm
Hopefully the boys will rest up for the Tampa game. The Bolts are red hot right now and consitantly seem to find away around us and I think because they’ve beaten us so much they’ve kinda found the style that we’ve played. I’m pretty sure Rammer will change things up and I think Thursday’s game will be an interesting one….
Shark Fan
January 18th, 2011
7:40 pm
Thank you Nashville. Sharks need bad bad. They have lacked passion all year.
Hopefully, the Sharks will end the season more like 8th in the league standings, not 21st.
btw, on 2 game win streak since.
Rawhide
January 18th, 2011
8:53 pm
Fan from Carolina – Think nothing of it. I’ve been the go-between for e-mail swaps here many times for such things. One thing that’s great about this blog is that there is always someone willing to help out.
Thank you Red Light and Laura for doing just that for a fellow fan/blogger.
littlemsmonk
January 18th, 2011
9:01 pm
Rawhide,
Now that Eager is gone, you can tell us what REALLY was going on in that locker room! I had posted on another page that I had thought for some time that Eager’s problems were personal and they were effecting his on-ice play. Girlfriend issues, maybe? I do know that he got into some sort of altercation back in Ottawa over the Christmas break. He was thrown out of a bar there. It’s sad because this is the same guy who scored the game winning goal in game two of the Stanley Cup finals. Something is going on with this guy and I really hope he gets his s**t together. Too bad he become so toxic in the clubhouse.
Rawhide
January 18th, 2011
9:08 pm
littlemsmonk – I cannot respond to your comments about Eager’s girlfriend and what impact the relationship may/may not have played in his attitude as I wouldn’t know one way or the other about that. Even if I did I wouldn’t discuss it here.
What I have heard about Eager is that he was not liked at all by more than a few in the locker room. His on-ice effort laked at times and he was called out for it on multiple occasions. I’ve heard that from more than one person close to the organization.
Hopefully this can be one of those co-beneficial trades where the Thrashers gain by way of subtraction and Eager gets a fresh start with his career.
Badger Bob
January 18th, 2011
9:10 pm
So RL, that means there’s about a 4% chance of us really liking who we get in the 5th round…
Now didn’t Dudley have to give the Sharks a 7th rounder just to help us get under the contract limit on the trade that brought us Eager? So in some ways, all we got for Eager was an upgrade from a 7th round pick to a 5th round pick. In hindsight, I’m sure Atlanta and Chicago would have been happy to leave Reasoner and Eager out of the trade (since Reasoner > 5th round pick and Eager > Taffe).
World Be Free
January 18th, 2011
9:22 pm
Billy Jaffe giving the Canadians alotta love on Versus tonight.
CatThrashFever
January 18th, 2011
9:23 pm
Well, at least he’s in the West now…Do we even play the Sharks again this year? no… I actually thought he was nice to fans…at least he was at Fan Faceoff…but if he’s not happy here and cost us games! Goodbye and Good Luck!
littlemsmonk
January 18th, 2011
9:29 pm
Rawhide,
Fair enough. I actually wasn’t expecting you to be “gossipy”. I will say that at times watching Eager play was….painful. He obviously didn’t want to be playing for the Thrashers. I suppose that it’s one thing to make mistakes and then LEARN from them. Eager appeared to be making the same mistakes time and time again. My feeling was that he had been “talked” to time and time again, and it was falling on deaf ears and that was the reason he was riding the pine so much. If someone’s attitude is that poor, they need to go.
Rawhide
January 18th, 2011
9:31 pm
CatThrashFever – We are done with San Jose for the season. The game last October out there was the one and only meeting between the two.
bTW…I like the username you’ve chosen.
CatThrashFever
January 18th, 2011
9:42 pm
Rawhide: Thanks on my username! And as I recall we did VERY well in our western sweep this year! We only lost to Canucks…? And most of the games were the home teams season home opener!!! tough!
Hokie P. Clisters
January 18th, 2011
10:03 pm
Mr. Rawhides, I too have been eager…….well let me start that over. I too have been anxiously ready for the Thrashers to part ways with Ben Eager. I think Ben’s a good player but he’s had trouble adapting to Rammer’s teaching. Now let’s get some fire in our bellies for the playoff push!! It’s amazing that the Thrashers are still hanging around with all the young players we have.
Hopefully Bogo will come to life sometime soon. I think Buff’s big season has Bogo thinking too much – he needs to play to his strengths (body checks, blocked shots) and quit thinking about what might have been. There’s no reason for his rapid decline after initial so much success his rookie year. He’s got to fight through it or its going to get worse before it gets better. Some players who are talented start getting the wrong attitude when things don’t go as planned…See Ben Eager.
Hokie P. Clisters
January 18th, 2011
10:16 pm
Oh now I see where Bogo is practicing at forward. Rammer is pushing the buttons. Good to see that the coach has not given up on him. Maybe this can be a fire in Bogo’s belly! I was thinking the same thing about putting Bogo at forward. See if he can clog up the offensive end….cause he’s sure not clogging it up on the defensive end. Would it not be crazy if Bogo takes off at forward like Buff did as a defenseman?
Brendan
January 18th, 2011
10:22 pm
I doubt anyone really wants to hear this, but that 5th rounder could become a nice fixture in the ECHL for the Gwinnett Gladiators. What? That’s possible.
As “iamtheratio” said on the Vivlamore blog, “at least it’s better that ‘future considerations.’” Well said.
R.Stroz, I have forgotten the relationship between Eager and Heatley? Did they have an incident? Or did you just mean … that they’ll have fun high-fiving each other that they both successfully got out of Atlanta, while the Thrashers held their rights?
Rawhide, I suspected Eager wasn’t well liked. I had no proof, of course. My basis for saying so were comments when he arrived here “It is what it is,” and the contract difficulty during the offseason. It was clear that Eager didn’t want to ‘go long’ with the Thrashers. I figured he’d be moved at the trade deadline. But trading him now … is okay, too. Is Eager worth more than a 5th rounder? Would he be worth more in six weeks, at the deadline??
I don’t know. He’s on the NHL’s radar as a multiple offender. He hasn’t played well enough to impress (m)any people this season. But, he does have a Stanley Cup on his resume. GM’s usually attach ’some value’ to that. I wish him well in San Jose. He’s on a team that, in preseason, hockey pundits picked as a Cup contender. The Sharks met Eager’s Blackhawks in the CF last year. Ya never know what the future holds. I’m sure Eager didn’t think he’d be a Thrasher, in the Eastern Conference, then get traded to the Sharks, where he might end up facing the Blackhawks in the playoffs, again, on the other side.
R. Stroz
January 18th, 2011
10:32 pm
Brendan – I’m just looking forward to two malcontents expressing themselves on each other’s face in the locker room.
Greg
January 18th, 2011
10:41 pm
Altlanta should just give this schenanigan and move their franchise to canada
Brendan
January 18th, 2011
10:46 pm
R.Stroz, ya never know. Heatley and Eager may wind up drinking buddies! Better hope Eager drives. And that comment is cheerfully withdrawn.
CatThrashFever
January 18th, 2011
10:58 pm
OMG Brendan! oh no you di-n’t….
World Be Free
January 18th, 2011
11:22 pm
Brendan! Not expected.
Maybe time on the wing will do Bogo good-or maybe it will screw him up further!
Greg-troll
Smoothie
January 18th, 2011
11:35 pm
R/L – are you still rolling your eyes at me for suggesting last spring that we should try Bogey at forward?
Not that he’ll probably stay there but compared to Enstrom, Oduya, Sopel and Hainsey, he has the skill-set of a power forward IMO. At least that way he can finish his checks with a head of steam, unleash punishment on the forecheck and let ‘er rip with that bomb of his from the top of the circle rather than just inside the blueline. The less he has to think the better right now.
Tom
January 18th, 2011
11:49 pm
Brendan = I will spring for the cab… I don’t dislike Eager that much.
Wayne stuck in AL
January 18th, 2011
11:54 pm
From Greg: “Altlanta should just give this schenanigan and move their franchise to canada”
Dear Greg:
First, learn how to spell.
Second, learn how to make a decent sentence in English.
Third, if you’re Canadian, you’re what I call a Ca-neck. A Caneck is a Canadian internet troll searching hockey blogs demanding all Southeastern Division teams pack up and move above the 49th Parallel while perpetuating stereotypes about the South.
Hockey Biltong
January 18th, 2011
11:56 pm
Greg-spell check. Capitalize countries.
Runner
January 19th, 2011
12:20 am
Littlemsmonk – I can tell you that his girlfriend issues did not affect his play in Thrasherville, because there are no real “issues” at hand on his part. Easy come, easy go. That’s Benny’s style of play in both arenas. Based on your comments, I think you know that. I think we may have mutual friends.
ZAvalanche
January 19th, 2011
12:22 am
CTF – you lost to the Avs too. And BTW, the Avs beat the top team in the league tonight! Anyhow, I like the trade and thanks for the research RL, very insightful.
Rawhide
January 19th, 2011
12:39 am
Yes Greg, you’re really going to have to step it up a notch or five. We pride ourselves in attracting only the finest in aluminum-hat wearing “Make it Seven-ers” around these parts. You are simply going to have to do better, my friend.
Along with what others have said above, you have totally failed to bring in NASCAR to your trolling sessions. I mean, if you realllllllllly want to qualify yourself as even just another average, run-of the-mill Canatroll, you simply must accuse us all of only loving only NASCAR. This is, if I’m not mistaken, covered in chapter one of the Official Canadian Blog Trolling Handbook, both in the English copy and French. If you’d like, I can see that a copy is sent out to you.
Once you’ve gotten comfortable with that, then you can advance on to the usual tried and true “you all marry your cousins” comments and “banjo” references.
All this, of course, can be interlaced with such drival as “we ‘deserve’ an NHL franchise more than you do”, “You’ve already lost one NHL team” and the ever-so-popular… if not quite-overused… “Atlanta is not a hockey market”.
Once you’ve mastered those canned talking-points lines which are faxed out to all members of the Canatroll Union members, you could even advance to a level where you good enough to come up with your own original material. Now that would truly set you apart.
Of course, we haven’t really known of any such troll actually making it to that level. But I’m sure if you apply yourself, you could maybe be the first to do so.
See, it is much more enjoyable for us to read the comments of a troll if he/she is actually able to bring something of substance to the table. If you can do that, Greg, we might actually pay more attention to you. Then, once we’ve partaken of that which you’ve taken such care and time to present, we can all get a jolly good laugh at your expense in between discussing something we like to call…”OUR NHL franchise”. True, it hasn’t been a pretty one to follow over the years. But hey…at least we have one.
So work on your trolling skills, Gregory, and next time be prepared to bring your A game…or even just a B game would be an improvement. We are all rooting for you, we are sure you can do it and we just know you’ll make us all proud.
littlemsmonk
January 19th, 2011
12:42 am
Runner, would you happen to be talking about my comments on another page regarding Benny? The stories we could share! I would never post anything here, but, if you had an e-mail……..;)
littlemsmonk
January 19th, 2011
1:04 am
Brendan,
You naughty little kitten! “Better hope Eager drives”! You are so bad. I was thinking the same exact thing! Evil minds think alike.
Runner
January 19th, 2011
1:26 am
littlemsmonk – I am talking about those comments! Chicago is so small…
Cornbread
January 19th, 2011
1:54 am
Get ‘em Rawhide!
littlemsmonk
January 19th, 2011
2:15 am
Runner,
As I stated before, if you had an e-mail…….
Until then, take care.
Nate
January 19th, 2011
6:45 am
Nice retort Rawhide. Made me laugh.
Dwayne
January 19th, 2011
8:26 am
Rawhide, that was some good reading.
Hockeunut
January 19th, 2011
9:01 am
Playing like a pro is a nice thought but thr Trashers dont know what that means so now the scum is gone it is time to move on and trade Zach who is becoming a thorne in the fans opinion
Hockey Biltong
January 19th, 2011
9:21 am
Ok, so I’m hoping for Seabrook and Penner and Moulson. Move Zach to forward.
Red Light
January 19th, 2011
9:24 am
Smoothie:
It’s a desperate act moving a 20-year-old up to forward because he’s “failing” at his intended position. He’s a north-south guy, not going to do much in the stick-handling or puck possession game, but his size, speed and shot could work on the wing. I don’t see it happening on a long-term basis.
Zach is having a tough time right now, but in all fairness, I think the question that begs to be asked…why is he averaging 21 minutes of ice time per game? His lowest total for ice time all year is 17:20.
BTW, I know the answer to the question posed above. Anyone else?
Red Light
January 19th, 2011
9:25 am
Good luck with that Biltong!
JB
January 19th, 2011
10:23 am
for what it’s worth, i think they just plugged in zach at forward for practice simply due to lack of warm bodies to play forward. if he ends up playing up front during a game, i’ll be beyond shocked. much ado about nothing imo.
ZAvalanche
January 19th, 2011
10:24 am
@ Rawhide
LOL! Well stated and I hope to not p!ss off the resident blog-master and get called out like that. Made my morning!
glovesave29
January 19th, 2011
10:45 am
Best way to understand a forward is to be one for a while. My guess this is to get the pressure off of ZB and let him have a bit of fun. While he is up there, perhaps he can learn to think a bit as a forward – thus use that knowledge back on D. If he shows a natural talent for it, well then Rammer has another two way weapon.
Badger Bob
January 19th, 2011
10:59 am
RL, I’ll bite. Because he is a conditioning monster? His 21 minutes allows the older Hainsey/Sopel pairing to have just 16 min/night. I believe we’d be less happy with Hainsey/Sopel if they logged another 1-2 shifts/period.
Now tell me the real answer!
SomaAtl95
January 19th, 2011
10:59 am
World English Dictionary
xenophobia (ˌzɛnəˈfəʊbɪə)
— n
hatred or fear of foreigners or strangers or of their politics or culture
xeno’phobic
— adj .
Used in a sentence – Greg is your typical Xenophobic poster on this blog. His hatred and outright contempt for an area he has probably never visited is quite disturbing. If he were to follow all the guidelines set forth by Rawhide to properly troll around in our little ice rink then maybe, just maybe we wouldn’t make such generalizations about Canada –
Curling must only be fun after a case of Moulson. Everywhere they call it watching a rock slide down an icy hill while using a broom to clean ice – the only abundant thing Canada has to offer.
Since Canada loves the Maple Leaf (as pictured on your flag) then its syrup must be used as the #1 condiment of the area – where most of the world uses Ketchup you crazy Canuckleheads use it on everything from hamburgers to french fries – and must be used in tandem with “Family Planning” materials as lubrication since its so abundant in the area.
A moose is to Canada what a sheep is to Scotland – some are for meat, most are for mate.
You see Greg, there are fans here who know just as much about Hockey as you do, and even though we have been the red headed stepchild of the league we still defend our team, win, lose or draw. Atlanta is quite the “Melting Pot” of cultures and has a population that is 1/6th of the population OF YOUR ENTIRE COUNTRY. Most of us die hard fans have been to your beautiful country and love it, the only downside are the hockey fans (such as yourself) that go out of their way to trash us in any way possible. If its not because of the teams performance, its because of attendance, when its not because of attendance its because of the uniforms and when its not because of the uniforms its because you think you deserve a team more than we do. Its got old early in the LAST DECADE.
Your fellow countrymen like to bring up the fact that the Diques and Jets were taken away. Watched any good Flames games? Ever notice the “Burning” A on the Alternate Captains sweater? We in Atlanta sure recognize it since the team was named after Atlanta history and then stolen away from us – imagine how upset Atlanta Flames fans were when Calgary held the cup just a few years after bolting from the area…
We respect the fact that you all feel a sense of entitlement when it comes to hockey, we just wish you guys would either support expansion or maybe pick on a different team for once. Before anyone complains, my insults about Canada were only in jest, just trying to prove a point that generalizations can swing on both sides of the border.
Until you visit our city and talk to us Thrashers fans then don’t generalize who we are!
And a note to normal posters – said I was taking some time to lurk (SOB really got under my skin after the Toronto game), I have lurked and waited for the perfect time to come back. Today was that day
Joe Friday
January 19th, 2011
11:07 am
There is no way, 0 chance, not gonna happen, that they’re going to move Bogosian to forward. They were just short on bodies and moved him up there to practice, don’t read anything into that. Ain’t gonna happen, he’s a franchise dman.
The reason they skate him 21 minutes is because you got to play to learn and he’s the franchise dman that is the future for the club. They’re trying to teach him and let him play situationally against competition, he’s not going to learn playing third pairing minutes against other 4 lines.
Badger Bob
January 19th, 2011
11:15 am
Well rebutted, Rawhide and Soma!
For those of you wanting to ignore the troll, I suggest reading comments on TSN for every Thrashers related story to help in your Canatroll desensitization training. For instance, last night a Canatroll suggested the Eager trade was the Thrashers “dumping salary” because they “couldn’t make the playoffs”. Facts never concern trolls (savings of only ~$100k Eager vs Machacek; Thrashers on the playoff bubble).
Hockey Biltong
January 19th, 2011
11:22 am
I would like the experiment of Zach tasting forward life, if only temporarily. It might help him break out of his slump, or whatever you’d like to call his malady. Even if it was only one game. Unorthodoxy won’t hurt.
And yeah, Red Light, I am dreaming about signings.
And Greg may be from another continent,never mind country…..
SomaAtl95
January 19th, 2011
11:28 am
Bob, I am no stranger to TSN. The comments there crack me up, and I stopped posting comments there when they stopped putting my comments there (I guess once the mods see them they delete them even though every attempted post has a point and is relevant to their conversation) I see your posts there as one of the few voices of reason in a room full of nasty comments about the Thrashers, Atlanta, Georgia or the USA in general. It still ticks me off to no end that we can’t post trash talk in their forums due to every comment being sent to moderators first, yet they enjoy our right to free speech by trolling their crap in our forum.
Diego from Lilburn
January 19th, 2011
11:28 am
Hahaha! Best troll smackdown since Bilbo and Gandalf!
Also, I still think the main reason (there are many) why the Thrashers don’t have a stronger fan base is because Atlanta is not populated by Atlantans. It’s populated by people who got tired of snow and moved here (haha! last week was a joke on them!) but still retained their loyalty to the team they grew up with. Evidence of this is obvious every time the Flyers, Rangers, Devils, etc. come to town. Lots of hockey fans in attendance on those nights, just wearing the wrong jersey. Those folks all didn’t drive down just for the night.
Maybe if the owners can keep a winning team on the books for a few seasons then some of those transplants (and us natives don’t mind you being here as long as you admit you like it better here than where you came from) might trade in those other (garishly colored) jerseys for True Blue.
Red Light
January 19th, 2011
11:28 am
Badger Bob, I am providing a queue to Joe Friday with the comments below! Beware the argument.
My real, yet conjured answer is that Johnny Oduya is so good that he can make up for the shortcomings of his other mate on the blueline. No, he isn’t perfect and will make mistakes just like any other regular, but the more I watch him play the more I appreciate what he is able to do, despite being caught in so many bad situations. The guy can skate, pass and shoot (albeit wide most of the time) and while he doesn’t take the body often he doesn’t shy away from it either. He’s currently 4th on the team in blocked shots and third in takeaways.
The downside is that he has been on the ice for more opposition goals by a significant margin over the next closest Thrasher Enstrom, but 28 of those goals allowed were shorthanded and he is averaging more than 3 minutes per game on the penalty kill. His plus/minus has suffered, but he is on the ice a ton when the Thrashers are trying to hold a lead, although there haven’t been many of those instances lately.
SomaAtl95
January 19th, 2011
11:41 am
Hey Diego,
If the Thrashers make it deep into the playoffs I will dress as Gandalf and will hold a poster with the name of the opposing team and in bold letters it will say “YOU SHALL NOT PASS!”
Would be ironic if it were the Flames we ended up playing as the Balrog was shrouded in flames
Darren
January 19th, 2011
11:41 am
All true points, Red Light, but my biggest problem with Oduya is that he doesn’t want to be here. He made that clear from the beginning. As you noted, too, he has been on the ice for 69 goals this season, way, way more than any other Thrasher (and it’s not even close).
I agree with you that fundamentally he’s got the skills in each of those departments to be good overall defenseman, but he isn’t putting it together this season. As you noted, too, his shot is not at all accurate. For a defenseman being paid an average of $3.5 per season, that’s simply not acceptable.
Now, last year, he actually had MORE time per game (over 30 seconds per game more) on the PK, and had much, much better numbers. THAT Johnny Oduya would be a welcome addition to the team. He’s having a poor season this year, and not all of that can or should be attributed to being partnered with Bogosian. There is no question that Bogosian must be better, but Oduya’s the veteran, and needs to be held to a higher standard.
It is interesting that if you dig into the numbers, Sopel has been by FAR the best defenseman (in terms of goals allowed per minute) at even strength, followed by Hainsey.
Red Light
January 19th, 2011
12:39 pm
True Darren about Hainsey and Sopel. They have played very well, but they also don’t log the minutes. You watch over the course of the next few games, and you’ll no doubt see at the most crucial moments which defensemen Ramsay puts on the ice. There’s a reason for it.
He never said that he didn’t want to be here, and I know for a fact he enjoys Ramsay’s system, and the city.
Smoothie
January 19th, 2011
12:42 pm
Darren – you keep discounting the fact that Oduya always plays with a) Bogosian at ES b) Sopel on the PK and c) the fill-in injury replacement. Oduya’s partners are dragging him down. Like Red Light says, its amazing the amount of trouble he escapes on his own during a game. There is a reason he was asked to play on the SWE Olympic team. He is so much better than Bogey and even Sopel its not even funny. In some cases stats lie and this is one of them. Watch JO closely next game and count the number of times he escapes trouble after his partner puts him in a bad spot.
World Be Free
January 19th, 2011
1:00 pm
One of the best things about the Thrashers this year is Hainsey – the fact that the coaches have found a spot for him to play to his abilities. He has the tools to be as good as he is today, in the right situations as noted by Red Light. That’s the sign of good coaching-knowing their players’ abilities and not putting them in spots to fail. It hasn’t worked with everyone, but it has with Ron.
Like Dirty Hairy once said “man’s go to know his limitations.”
World Be Free
January 19th, 2011
1:01 pm
“A man’s got to know his limitations.” that’s better
Red Light
January 19th, 2011
1:11 pm
Excellent point World Be Free. Some defensemen just can’t play 23+ minutes a game and be effective.
Cliff Fletcher
January 19th, 2011
1:13 pm
Interesting article on how Hockey Canada “treats” a hockey league playing in Canada that is comprised mostly of foreign-born (Russian) players-
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/independent-league-stands-its-ground/article1875236/
Can you imagine what the Canadian press who say if we as Americans did the same to a league comprised of Mexican baseball players?
Dwayne
January 19th, 2011
1:13 pm
Johnny O and Kaberle…wow, can we get Kaberle as a rental?
Dwayne
January 19th, 2011
1:15 pm
Buff n Toby
JO and Kaberle
Sopel and Hainsey
glovesave29
January 19th, 2011
1:51 pm
This whole Greg issue is my fault. As a kid, I played goalie for the junior Flames travel team. We played in numerous tournaments in Canada. They’d see Atlanta as our home on their schedule and immediately they’d chalk it up in the “win” column. Most of the time, we destroyed them. Usually they were so busy admiring their skating and stick handling prowess, that they forgot to play as a team. We didn’t. Greg, obviously you suited up for one of those teams in Guelph, Kamloops or Regina that got YOUR BUTT SPANKED by a bunch of southern boys…GET OVER IT.
Iron League 13
January 19th, 2011
2:06 pm
Not surprised about this move at all. I do think we GAVE him away, which I understand. A fifth round pick as a return speaks in volumes. There was clearly more to this than just his last debacle, er…I mean game.
World Be Free
January 19th, 2011
2:14 pm
Red Light- play 23+ minutes per game and/or play against the opposition’s top lines.
Hoof Arted
January 19th, 2011
2:15 pm
Best – B!tch slapping – Of a – BlogTroll – Ever!
World Be Free
January 19th, 2011
2:19 pm
Canadians are much like the British. Most of my Canadian acquaintances are real excellent people, alotta fun. But Canadian hockey fans can be like British soccer fans, a bit loony, unreasonable, nonsensical and slightly out of control. These symptoms are often brought on by nationalism and belief that what they have is always better than what you have, therefore you don’t deserve to have what they have.
Does that make sense? I know these are general statements, but …..
Iron League 13
January 19th, 2011
2:25 pm
I like how several posters and Rawhide himself hit that chicken-bleep troll right back. IMHO we should give em the verbal lumber every time. You’ll notice that in most cases they knock it off after they do the usual hit & run limp wristed slappy slap, hence chicken-bleep. Go Team!!!
LET’S GO THRASHERS!!!
ATL fan
January 19th, 2011
2:31 pm
Hey, anyone notice that Carolina is a -8 on the year. They were even 2 games ago.
Red Light
January 19th, 2011
2:32 pm
Most Canadians have an inferiority complex and are worried that any day their country will be annexed into the USA.
Jason
January 19th, 2011
2:36 pm
ATL Fan: Giving up 7 to Boston will do that to a team….
drajax
January 19th, 2011
2:41 pm
I think we will miss his enthusiasm and hard hitting manner of play, which is what I see missing in the team in their recent losses. His punching of Armstrong will cause a lot of players to congratulate him.
Iron League 13
January 19th, 2011
2:44 pm
WBF, hit the nail on the head. Soccer being my other sport of choice, I’ve encountered exactly the same thing there too…with Africans, South Americans, Europeans, basically to the rest of the world everything we do in soccer is silly and pathetic, we’re not worthy. Xenophobia might be a fitting way to describe it.
Totally off topic, but here’s how dumb it gets. Most English speaking soccer cultures have a problem (a BIG PROBLEM) with us calling association football, “soccer”. But the word, soccer is of 19th century ENGLISH (as in from the country of England) origin. Yet even after pointing that fact out, well we’re not an inch closer to being worthy of the game.
Anywho, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, if southern BC (Vancouver, Victoria, etc.) can “love hockey” and produce top knotch ice hockey players, then we can to. Just wiki their winter weather or really lack thereof. It’s all about the love of the game and access to play on refridgerated ice, WHICH ATLANTA HAS BOTH. If they don’t get it, tough.
Iron League 13
January 19th, 2011
2:46 pm
refrigerator rather
ThrasherTim
January 19th, 2011
2:46 pm
Glad to see a couple of posters backing up Johnny O. Johnny is not our problem on D. Go take a look at Johnny’s old team, the Devils. It’s pretty common knowledge that their D isn’t as good this year (along with Brodeur) and part of that can be attributed to Johnny leaving. It would be nice if JO was a bigger body, especially to support the PK, but you can’t have everything.
Iron League 13
January 19th, 2011
2:50 pm
Oh yeah, sorry to finish my incomplete botched soccer analogy. I should point out that association football was codified in England. Modern soccer IS an English game.
SomaAtl95
January 19th, 2011
2:58 pm
From here on out whenever we get hit by a troll that makes it obvious that they are from Canada and deserve our team more than we do I’m going to end my retorts with “Canada: Americas Hat”
I have nothing against their people or their country. The last time I was in Toronto I was laughed at by hockey fans (sporting the original white away jersey that the Thrashers had) but was welcomed by the rest of the people there. I only insist on lashing out as defense.
Anyways – on topic (because I haven’t been yet in this thread) it was good to see Ben go. I would have been happy with a bag of pucks after that Toronto game when his last name changed from “Eager” to “Dover”.
World Be Free
January 19th, 2011
3:04 pm
Tom-I have no issue with Oduya.
My had a Canadian buddy in Buffalo – used to tick him off when I referred to Canada as “the 51st state”. All in good fun though, he’s a beer drinking buddy-naturally!
Red Light
January 19th, 2011
3:21 pm
Brian Burke on Beauchemin: “We have never offered him in a deal,” Burke said. “We believe in him.”
Darn!
Rawhide
January 19th, 2011
3:51 pm
Per C-Viv tweet: “#Thrashers could recall a forward as precaution with injuries.”
No word on which one as of yet.
Joe McGrath
January 19th, 2011
4:15 pm
When is it going to happen? When will I read the headline “Thrasher’s acquire ____________ and ____________ from the __________for draft picks” I’m currently frustrated watching these guys. Is it lack of desire? Lack of depth? Jimmy Slater, Evander Kane and Matt Modin get hurt and it all goes to pot? Really? We need 2-3 veteran players to make it through “The Push.” The Atlanta Thrashers should win the SED, not squeek in against the Flyers.
World Be Free
January 19th, 2011
4:16 pm
Are we recalling Bourret?
Joe McGrath
January 19th, 2011
4:31 pm
Sorry for the sad sack attitude on my part lately. I have Center Ice and I guess I watch games every night and I’ve contracted SWF(Stable Winning Franchise) syndrome.
Red Light
January 19th, 2011
4:40 pm
Joe McGrath…Here Ya Go! Whadday think?
Thrashers Acquire D Eric Brewer, F Patrik Berglund and F Adam Cracknell from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for F Nicklas Bergfors, D Paul Postma and F Nigel Dawes.
Note: This is a mythical trade and is not factually based.
ThrasherTim
January 19th, 2011
4:42 pm
The guys are definitely banged up. How long since Buff scored? I think it’s no coincidence that he’s gotten up slowly from some board spills almost every game and his scoring has declined at the same time. Kane has gotten up slowly from some hit almost every game for a couple of weeks too. Red Light asked on one of the blogs if we were concerned Kane only has 7 goals in his last 34 games. I’m concerned. But I’m concerned about scoring across the whole team. During the solid play in Nov., we had essentially the same lineup every night. Right now, it’s piece-meal. Boulton on the 3rd line? An all rookie 4th line?
Lack of depth is an accurate statement. We basically have 4 rookies on the team in Cormier, Burmistrov, Stewart (1st full year) and Machacek. Kane and Bergfors are 2nd year guys and Little and Peverly have only played 2-3 full years too. Boulton doesn’t have much skill and Antropov (IMO) is still making his way back from injury – and isn’t that speedy anyway. So who does that leave as “veteran forwards”? Ladd and Thorburn.
Time to recall Nigel Dawes? Or is Stapleton coming back? I know the Coach likes Stapleton’s hustle but 0 points in 10 or 11 games isn’t going to help us either.
World Be Free
January 19th, 2011
4:48 pm
red light-wishful thinking, that would be a good trade!
Always a huge Brewer fan
R. Stroz
January 19th, 2011
4:52 pm
Well we’ re just over half way through the season and Modin is at 7 goals and 28 games. At this rate, he’s running on the under side of the 14 goals and 56 games.
littlemsmonk
January 19th, 2011
6:33 pm
I haven’t seen this in the last day or so but I was seeing comments regarding the possibility of the Thrashers obtaining Brent Seabrook. I do admit that the people that were posting “Eager for Seabrook-straight up!” really gave me a chuckle. Now back to reality. I’m not saying that another trade with the Hawks couldn’t happen, but I seriously doubt it. The Thrashers received a nice chunk of the Blackhawks players (no jokes now about how technically Eager couldn’t play) and I doubt that they would be willing to part with one of their star players now. There’s a reason that we refer to the Thrashers as “Blackhawks South”. The Blackhawks penalty kill was ranked something like 27th in the league last time I checked. They aren’t about to make it even worse by trading away one of their best defensemen. So, you guys may have to look other places in order to tweak your team. Not to mention, any team that did get Seabrook would more than likely have to shell out at least 5 mil a year for several years in order to keep him. No doubt the Blackhawks will have to shed some weight in order to do just that.
Runner,
Yes. Chicago does seem so small at times. That’s why I try to stay nice and sweet (most of the time anyway.) My reputation is a clean one. I find that it’s easier to be a good girl. Less drama. Can’t say that for everyone here. Let’s just say that there are some gals here with a little “mileage” on them. Hey, some guys don’t mind or they may even like it!
SomaAtl95
January 19th, 2011
9:13 pm
Official Thrashers Tweet:
Atlanta Thrashers (Official Site) >> Thrashers Recall Forwards Nigel Dawes and Tim Stapleton from Chicago (AHL)
World Be Free
January 19th, 2011
10:54 pm
little – no chance Seabrooke comes here, he is part of their core and one of the best defensemen in the league. Maybe someone else on their roster but not Brent, sorry to say.
littlemsmonk
January 20th, 2011
12:08 am
World Be Free- That was my point. Thrashers aren’t getting Seabrook. Blackhawks are going to do everything in their power to hold onto him. Trust me when I tell you that Stan Bowman will be punched in the snot locker by some pissed off Blackhawks fan if that happens! It was just more than mildly amusing to read all of the “trade ideas” that people had on this board. The “Eager for Seabrook” one was side splitting!
World Be Free
January 20th, 2011
7:44 am
little-they those posts are funny, just wish we would get some real trade information, prospective deals instead of the rumors that are floating around. But, those rumors could have a positive effect on the players. Most players don’t want to move in the middle of the season unless they are lucky enough to get traded to a contender. Motivation comes in many forms.
Smoothie
January 20th, 2011
9:50 am
Here’s hoping that Dawes and Antropov don’t end up on the same line again! Those two did not mesh very well last October. Modin-Antro-Dawes and Modin-Slater-Dawes were unmitigated disasters for the mosts part. Hmmm, what is the common theme in these line combos? Okay, with Modin on the shelf, what are your line combos du jour? I’ll go with:
Ladd-Pevs-Bergy
Kane\Antro-Litts-Stewy
Boults-Antro\Corms-Stapes
Dawes-Cormier\Burmy-Thorbs
Time for Burmy to get some pressbox time with Bogey to gain some perspective and eat as much as he can at the buffet. I reckon the boy has lost 10 lbs of weight over the course of the season and he can no longer muscle other forwards off the puck or protect the biscuit like he did earlier in the year with a stronger body and fresher legs.
Rawhide
January 20th, 2011
9:54 am
I wouldn’t necessarily call tonight’s game against the Lightning a “must win”. However….
Smoothie – Sorry dude. Looks like you get the Ranallo Award today.
Joe McGrath
January 20th, 2011
11:13 am
Unfortunately, I guess Stapleton and Dawes are the only answers we have available right now. But we still need to add Pro League depth, not AHL depth. In the West, Edmonton is the only team not in the hunt. I watched them play night before last and they were horrible, but I did like Dustin Penner and he’s a UFA in 2012–he’s also been in the dog house there for inconsistency, but every Oilers game/highlight I see, he’s getting highlight reel. Would Tambelleni entertain an offer of Kulda, Postma or Welch and a pick for Penner. Maybe. But then we’d need a D man, and the only other Western Conf team I think that will be dealing soon is the Flames (they were freaking horid against their 6-0 loss to Wild last night–they’re in deep do do)and Cory Sorich (UFA after this season) could be had for a pick and a prospect. IMHO we have the best first, and third pairings in the NHL. Sorich combined with Johnny O would make a very stable second pairing.
littlemsmonk
January 21st, 2011
1:33 am
World Be Free- Unfortunately, anybody can start a trade rumor on a blog or in an article and it spreads quicker than a wildfire. I could post that the Chicago Blackhawks were shopping Patrick Kane and wanted to deal him before the end of the week. Within hours people would think it was a fact.
On another note, what do people think of the officiating this season? I just watched the Vancouver/San Jose game and I can honestly say that I was so sickened by all of the non-calls, that there was almost an instant replay on my dinner. It’s always amazed me how officials can be standing right in front of a player that gets beaned with a stick and somehow “not see it.” I’m actually considering just starting to do a shot of Jameson every time there is a non-call in a hockey game. I am a little concerned for my liver, though.
BTW, Nabokov just signed a one-year deal with the Wings.
Mr. Heat Miser
January 21st, 2011
1:14 pm
Absolutely the worst officaited game I have ever seen.