Trade deadline comes day after Thrashers finally find a way to win
Today the news wires and twitter feeds will be buzzing throughout the NHL world as yet another trade deadline day is upon us. And with that, just as I do every trade deadline day, I will turn the blog over to you the cyber-reporters of the hockey blogosphere to report and discuss in the comments section below the deals from around the NHL as they happen.
As always, AJC Thrashers beat writer Chris Vivlamore will be on the job bringing us any news of trades involving the home team. You can follow him on twitter –>HERE<–.
Today’s player swap- meet comes just a day after our Thrashers managed to pull off only their second win in the month of February. Trailing 2-0 entering into the third period, Captain Andrew Ladd injected life into the team with a power play goal just 53 seconds in. Then, the Thrashers unleashed their secret offensive weapons on the Leafs…Tim Stapleton and Ron Hainsey.
Ron Hainsey celebrates his game-winning overtime goal Sunday evening with his teammates. The win was only the second this month for the Thrashers (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Stapleton, who was placed on waivers just last Saturday, tied things up with 4:36 remaining in the third. It was his first goal of the season and only the fourth of his NHL career. Hainsey then finished off the dramatic come back with a goal halfway through overtime.
I would call yesterday’s outcome a big win for the Thrashers, but after losing five straight and nine of the previous ten games in the month of February…really any kind of win is big. We’ll take what we can get in Thrasherville these days.
Not to be overlooked here is the fine play of Chris Mason…not just in the win Sunday but also Friday night after coming in to relieve Ondrej Pavalec to start the second period against Florida. Mason stopped all 25 Panthers shots he face in two periods of play and overtime then turned aside 22 of the 24 shots faced against Toronto. That’s a .959 SV% to help his team net three points over the weekend.
So as we enter into NHL Trade Dealine-A-Palooza 2011, both Atlanta and Toronto sit at 63 points after playing 63 games. Ninth place Buffalo is two points ahead of them but have a pair of games in hand while Carolina remains in eighth place with 67 points.
Is the win enough to get this team back into the playoff race? I dunno, but yesterday’s hero seems to think they’re still in the thick of it.
“[The win] puts us four away and, hey, we are in business here”, Hainsey said after the game. “If we are getting any further away the we are going to have problems. We are back in it”.
Honestly though, I think they’re gonna have to slice off a few more Ws in the coming week or so before the Thrashers are really “back in it”,
As far as being “buyers” or “sellers” today, we’ll have to wait and see. However, General manager Rick Dudley did tell C-Viv before the game yesterday that he’s expects to be actively pursuing trades today. So maybe a deal or two in the offing for the Thrashers.
Time will tell just what, if anything, will come of such pursuit. But if Dudley could get anyone to take… say… Fredrik Modin off our hands for the remainder of the season, then that would be nice.
And with that, I now turn this little online hockey forum over to you and the trading begins.
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323 comments Add your comment
Ray
February 28th, 2011
10:25 am
If they move Nik, my middle daughter will be pretty upset because she’ll lose one of her best friends. There’s really no tactful way to explain to her that’s the best move for the team to make.
Alan R.
February 28th, 2011
10:31 am
Mark Stuart. 3yr/5.1m signed here.
Alan R.
February 28th, 2011
10:34 am
That’s all as per @TSNBobMcKenzie, @PJFoleyExaminer, and @CraigCustance. Averages to $1.7M/yr.
Russian
February 28th, 2011
10:35 am
**to Alan R**
Great deal. Oduya and Hainsey should pick up their staff.
World Be Free
February 28th, 2011
10:36 am
Nice job Dudley, I think Stuart has been a nice addition, likes to throw the body and drop the gloves. Makes the Boston trade look pretty darn good right now.
A2B
February 28th, 2011
10:37 am
Id actually like to keep Antropov and get another winger for him to feed by trading our Dmen. Ladd-Little-Wheeler is going to be a force to deal with because they all hustle and have speed. If we can get Antro a good winger to feed it frees him up. Last year people were so afraid of Max that it let Antro slip in the middle uncontested a lot and get some good looks. If we use teams that we are rumored to be talking to, a line of Kane-Antropov-Hemsky sounds pretty good as well and thats a fun top 6 to watch on a nightly basis. Also, keep in mind the guy rushed back from surgery because the team needed him badly so he sacrificed a lot be there, so dont discount his bad play for being lazy.
Alan R.
February 28th, 2011
10:38 am
As per @TSNBobMcKenzie
FLA trades Dvorak to FLA for Bergfors and Rissmiller.
TO ATLanta
Rawhide
February 28th, 2011
10:40 am
Panthers trade Dvorak to Atlanta for Rismiller and Bergfors, per Mike Ross on XM’s NHL Home Ice!
Acer
February 28th, 2011
10:41 am
Ugh…that trade with the Panthers is just ugly. The 3 year deal with Stuart gets a thumbs up.
A2B
February 28th, 2011
10:42 am
So now how does that shake up lines? Does that bump Stewart down to third line and Dvorak fills in there win Antro and Kane?
Alan R.
February 28th, 2011
10:43 am
I see the deal as acceptable. Bergfors played his way out of here, and Dvorak could help us down the stretch.
I think we also got a 5th round pick. Not horribly bad. Tallon did his ol’ buddy Dudley a favor by taking Rissmiller off our hands.
ThrasherTim
February 28th, 2011
10:44 am
I really doubt Bogo gets moved, especially with his more solid play of late. We need to give this kid a chance to shine….HERE.
LAC
February 28th, 2011
10:44 am
Devorak, for Bergfors and Rissmiller, This guy has 7, count them 7 goals !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bergfors has 11, and more points, WTF is this trade about ? This DOES NOT help Atlanta. Not ONE BIT !
And you guys are dishing me because I believe dudley is a BIG DUD. He is NOT helping the team he is destroying it. Devorack is a UFA and will NEVER resign here, so we give up Bergfors for a 19 game rental. Just great dudley, just proving my point you ARE NOT GM worthy at all !
Mike
February 28th, 2011
10:48 am
LAC….Why wouldn’t Dvorak sign here? With all the other contract signings, what’s to say he won’t buy into being here? Also, everything can’t be based on stats. New scenary…better chemistry with line mates..and his stats can quickly catch up to Bergies.
Alan R.
February 28th, 2011
10:49 am
Bergfors was not considered a valuable asset. Goals is all well and good, but Bergfors has the physicality of a soggy donut. He did not fit this system, or this team.
What’s telling is the return we got for him — it indicates that he wasn’t considered a valuable asset by any scouts that watched him play.
Thrashers27
February 28th, 2011
10:50 am
Hell musta froze over, because I gotta agree with you on this one, LAC. Dvorak is exactly what Dudley said he wasn’t going to do.
“We won’t do anything to take away from our chances to make the playoffs this year. We also won’t trade for a 35-year-old player either.”-Dudley
Dvorak is 33 and his numbers are weak.
Tom Lysiak
February 28th, 2011
10:50 am
Well, Duds technically kept his word. Dvorak is only 33.
Joe Friday
February 28th, 2011
10:50 am
Ok, that trade makes no sense. Bergfors has RFA years left, had a sweet contract for a cap strapped club and Dvorak is UFA this summer and is not a great help to us.
There’s another move to be made by Duds, it’s obvious that he’s going to move either Oduya or Hainsey. Either one of them straight up for Penner?
A2B
February 28th, 2011
10:51 am
Per ESPN- Antropov was just asked to have 5 teams listed that he’d waive his no trade clause to be dealt to, so hes out soon as well it looks like.
tonyb
February 28th, 2011
10:51 am
By far and away the worst trade of the Dudley era. He says we are not going to trade for 35 year old guys, and what does he do. He trades for a 33 year old guy with 7 goals on the years. Sorry, but this is a Don Waddell type move.
Tom Lysiak
February 28th, 2011
10:51 am
Typing at the same time Thrashers27 was….
LAC
February 28th, 2011
10:54 am
Bergfors 11 goals 19 assists. -11.
Devorak 7 goals 11 assists +2
Devorak is 33 years old. Remember just the other day we were told by dudley, no 35 year old rentals… Well this is a 33 year old rental and this guy will NOT help Atlanta in ANY way and will
likely just coast the rest of the season and get out of here. TERRIBLE trade, You DON’T TRADE Young players for OLD players who have nothing to offer and Devorak has NOTHING to offer. best news today would be a dudley stepping down and admiting he is a complete FAILURE !
Former AIZ-er JD
February 28th, 2011
10:54 am
“Rick Dudley says he’s committed to building a championship team over the long term and he doesn’t want to sacrifice youth for “a 35-year old player” as he put it.”
Hmmm… How old is Dvorak? (34 next week) How old is Bergie? (24 next week). I hate this move. I can’t understand why we didn’t get more for Bergfors. I know he was “hated” by the orgainIzation. But come on! I know you could have gotten more than this for him.
Big thumbs down on this one.
World Be Free
February 28th, 2011
10:56 am
The thing I don’t like about hte deal is having Bergfors in our division for years to come. Dudley and the boys must have just looked at the guy and totally given up. Making the Kovy deal look worse. I am an optimist, but I have to be on the fence with this one. The market for Bergfors must have been real bad to make this deal. I like Dvorak though.
Alan R.
February 28th, 2011
10:56 am
Our PK is 77.3%. Dvorak helps that. A lot.
Smoothie
February 28th, 2011
10:56 am
“Oduya and Hainsey should pick up their staff”
Russian’s typos are priceless. Hainsey’s “staff” is still smacking Jean Sebastien Gigeure square in the face.
da' boomer
February 28th, 2011
10:57 am
another ASG/Waddell screw up & oversight – http://predators.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=554195
how much marketing mileage could they have gotten out of this? the grandson of the most loved hockey figure in atlanta..idiots!!!
and the kid is pretty good, too..
ThrashDawg
February 28th, 2011
10:58 am
There has to be more coming that will make this trade make more sense. This is kind of hard to figure without more coming.
kj
February 28th, 2011
10:58 am
I think that probably tells you what the rest of the league thinks about Bergfors – too soft and not responsible enough in his own end. I think what we gained was more of a two way player at the F position and we need that BADLY. I think this move helps, not a lot, but helps.
Thrashers27
February 28th, 2011
10:58 am
I read Dvorak was coveted by other teams, so maybe duds has something else brewing.
Could also be that Duds realizes Bergfors is not gonna pan out and is cutting his losses.
Interesting day so far.
Joe Friday
February 28th, 2011
10:59 am
Let it shake out, don’t knee jerk, he’s got move left to make and let’s see where the lineup stands at the end of the day. But it sounds like they want to make a run yet this year . . . that’s the only reason you bring Dvorak in as a rental
Frosty the snowman
February 28th, 2011
10:59 am
Got free tix to the game yesterday. I noticed the 400 section was draped off? Are the owners not offering those cheap tix anymore? are they tring to force people to buy more pricey seats?
As far as the Dvorak trade, another grinder. 33 might as well be 35.
I am not impressed with Kane, the only good thing I have seen from him is the goal in Edmonton, the kid is all lip.
Smoothie
February 28th, 2011
11:00 am
Do y’all watch much hockey? Bergy is a puscatore and Dvorak does everything a 3rd line player should do at the NHL level: skate hard, hustle after loose pucks, kill penalties, score 12-15 goals / year, backcheck, battle in the corners, not be a big fat vijayjay a la Bergfors. Let’s face it, Dudley and Rammer gave him enough rope to hang himself but in the process he destroyed his trade value. Once again we see that Waddell gets fleeced in a trade as the Kovy deal is gonna end up netting us Cormier and whatever we get for Oduya.
ZAvalanche
February 28th, 2011
11:00 am
Not a fan of this move…..
ThrasherTim
February 28th, 2011
11:01 am
I don’t understand the vitriol on the Dvorak trade. Bergfors hasn’t scored in forever and was basically playing 4th line minutes. Admittedly, I don’t know Dvorak’s game but he has to play grittier than Bergfors. You add him to the 2nd or 3rd line to cycle the puck more and a more responsible 2-way forward. Maybe he signs for 2 more years at $1MM or something. With Bergfors, he basically had one move….shot from the right hand circle.
And if the leaders in the locker room didn’t believe in Bergfors, this move makes sense.
Mike
February 28th, 2011
11:01 am
The +/- stat is more telling to me than the goals. They are only 4 apart and obviously Bergies wasn’t playing 2 way hockey very well and that is crucial in Rammer’s system. The team keeps saying that each one of them has to give 100% every night and I haven’t seen that out of Bergie.
Also, who has come out and said he is a rental? Stuart could have been a rental, but he has been re-signed. If Dvorak comes here and fits in, why couldn’t we sign him for a another year or so? Remember, we need some veteran leadership even with all the young kids so if we trade away Antro, that leaves us with very few vets next season if we don’t keep Dvorak around at a much lower Cap hit than Antro.
I say we wait a bit before completing judging this trade. Bergie wasn’t getting a lot of interest so I for one am glad Duds moved him.
Zoomo
February 28th, 2011
11:03 am
>> am not impressed with Kane, the only good thing I have seen from him >>is the goal in Edmonton, the kid is all lip.
Not watching the same games as me. Kane has been all motor and guts the past 7 games or so (since healing from the injury). Yesterday’s 2nd goal was all his work.
Hockey Biltong
February 28th, 2011
11:03 am
I reckon Dudley knows what he’s doing.
He needed to get something for a player nobody would touch.Bergfors was openly put in the display window months ago.At least he got Dvorak. I’ll bet Dvorak is happy to at least play on a team that is competing.That perhaps will spark his output, with a fresh start.
da' boomer
February 28th, 2011
11:03 am
i just threw up in my mouth…the kovy trade is looking worse & worse. there better be more coming because this makes no sense at all
litz
February 28th, 2011
11:07 am
I see three things in Dvorak :
+2 instead of -11 (-11!) …
1 Shorthand goal
3 GW goals
That tells me three things …
1) not many goals scored when this guy’s on the ice …
2) he’s a gritty PK guy – guess what we need?
3) he’s a clutch guy, too … can’t hurt to have more than that.
Still – let’s let today play out, he could well be on his way to another team before all’s said and done.
Either way, Bergie’s outta here, and Florida can enjoy his -11.
litz
February 28th, 2011
11:07 am
I should ammend 1) above to state … “not many goals scored *against*”
Thrashfan
February 28th, 2011
11:08 am
Probably I’m watching the same games as Zoomo
da' boomer
February 28th, 2011
11:08 am
how different would we look with hedberg, mcarthur, eager, reasoner in the lineup?
kj
February 28th, 2011
11:09 am
We got what we needed: If you’re an opposing player and going up against Bergfors, you’re thinking “easy night”. Going against Dvorak? Difficult night. He might not light the lamp much but his play in our end just might allow better atacks and counter attacks with our rushing D and guys like Kane/Ladd/Little.
A2B
February 28th, 2011
11:10 am
Why is everyone being so negative about this move? Dvorak can score and hes been on teams that have made stretch runs to get into the playoffs so leadership is important here too. I mean now we only have a few loafers left in the lineup and its all guys that are fighting and working hard. I mean how can you get mad at a locker room that has shifted gears to expecting to make the playoffs instead of just trying to compete to be close.
mark zanus
February 28th, 2011
11:10 am
Well, we did re sign Thorburn! Where would we be without him
World Be Free
February 28th, 2011
11:10 am
Don’t care what we get-to me, Bergfors has been a total bust, can’t skate fast, won’t hit and won’t go into traffic.
Frosty the snowman
February 28th, 2011
11:15 am
***I’ll bet Dvorak is happy to at least play on a team that is competing***
We are in 11th in the east, Fla is 12th only 2 points behind us. They also have a game in hand. How are we competing more than them?
Kane is a overall #4 pick that is a grinder
R. Stroz
February 28th, 2011
11:16 am
Can we dump Modin now?
Rawhide
February 28th, 2011
11:17 am
C-Viv reports that along with with Radek Dvorak, the Thrashers also get a 5th rounder in exchange for Bergfors and Rissmiller.