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
Dark in the 400s
February 28th, 2011
11:32 am
Frosty the snowman: 400 has been draped off all season to make Phillips look less empty. If that’s the goal, they should also drape off 300.
JT from Columbus
February 28th, 2011
11:34 am
I say good move on Bergfors. He cannot even hit the net with a shot. Every shot he took yesterday missed.
litz
February 28th, 2011
11:44 am
Per the Thrashers website, Stuart has indeed signed his contract.
Tom
February 28th, 2011
11:44 am
Bergfors was the walking dead this season.
Dudley has been trying to trade him since the 1/3 mark and there were no takers. When a team is desperate to score and they bench a scoring forward you know the guy has issues. He essentially had Kovy’s defensive game and a 1/3 of his offensive skills.
If Bergs had turned around and played a team game, he could have been something. Rammer tried to turn him around. Cajoled, benched, shifted lines, with very little success.
But look at what is happening. Rammer and Duds have said they want a gritty team. They are signing gritty players and getting the skill guys longer contracts.
I am not upset by todays actions at all.
World Be Free
February 28th, 2011
11:46 am
JT-I totally agree with you, good buy and good night. The biggest negative about this deal was Bergfors’ importance to the Kovy deal, not his disposal. Those Bergie $30 t-shirts in the Team Gear Store just went on sale!
ZAvalanche
February 28th, 2011
11:46 am
The more I think about this trade the more it grows on me. Looking over his career he has been consistently healthy, doesn’t post huge numbers (except for that 2000-01 season with 31 goals) but can be counted on to post between 10-15 goals and is generally pretty solid as a defensive forward. Look for him on the PK and he will be out a lot in situations where we are trying to protect a lead. Welcome to Blue Land Radek!
Tom
February 28th, 2011
11:49 am
Florida is clearing the decks. Wideman traded to Washington.
I always thought GMs avoided trading in the same division.
World Be Free
February 28th, 2011
11:51 am
The odd thing about Bergie going to Miami? They talked about getting tough, hence trading skill to Chicago for Skille. So this is against the grain for what they want. Wideman gone now too.
Zoomo
February 28th, 2011
11:52 am
I doubt we acquired Dvorak to re-package him. Agree this was all about getting a guy who will do battle in the corners and get the puck. The guy is a “pain in butt” type player.
Really like that aspect of Wheeler’s game so far. Big dude, will battle, nice skiils, good skater. As much as I liked Pevs, I gotta admit that Stuart (now that he’s signed) and Wheeler for Pevs and Boris looks like a great deal right now.
Zombie Steve
February 28th, 2011
11:58 am
Can’t say enough about the play of Cap’t Ladd lately. He’s dragging this team toward a playoff spot.
Smoothie
February 28th, 2011
11:58 am
WBF – I have a feeling Bergy won’t be in Sunrise long. He’s gonna be trade bait this summer at the draft, you watch.
Also, I would not be surprised to see Dvorak get a 2 year deal to stay here this summer as Dudley is quite familiar with his game from his time as GM in south Fla. This will make us much tougher to play against. Too little too late probably, but Bergy was a definite bust.
Dark in the 400s
February 28th, 2011
12:03 pm
Zombie Steve:
Dragging this team toward a playoff spot? Have I been missing something since Xmas? The last thing we’ve been doing is going toward a playoff spot! Unless you have a really short attention span and can only go back to 7pm last night.
Mike
February 28th, 2011
12:04 pm
According to Kevin Allen…Atlanta claims Rob Schremp on waivers
Smoothie
February 28th, 2011
12:04 pm
Looks like we took a flier on Robbie Schremp off waivers. We went from schrimps to Schremp!! Where’s Detlef??
World Be Free
February 28th, 2011
12:05 pm
Smoothie-you are probably right on with that assessment of Bergie and where he may or may not be this summer. I think we saw enough of him this season in person to know he was not a Dudley kind of player.
Alan R.
February 28th, 2011
12:06 pm
Dudley knew what he was doing when he got rid of Bergfors. Schremp is an improvement.
Zoomo
February 28th, 2011
12:08 pm
Schremp’s plus/minus numbers in the AHL and NHl…ummm…not too good.
Mike
February 28th, 2011
12:09 pm
I’m really liking the moves today and I have a feeling we aren’t done yet.
Schremp’s +/- isn’t that great, but when considering the Team, hopefully that stat will improve this season. Plus he is only 24 and an RFA this summer, so another guy there is a good chance we are going to resign.
Thrashfan
February 28th, 2011
12:10 pm
Schremp will be great .. in Chicago!!!!
Thrashers27
February 28th, 2011
12:10 pm
Does Schremp play on the wing? He’s listed as a center. Even though we’re down, Corms, Burmi and Slates, I don’t think we need more centers.
kj
February 28th, 2011
12:10 pm
Schremp, -19 and 28 hits in 45 games. You sure we didn’t get SHEMP???
Alan R.
February 28th, 2011
12:12 pm
kj – He’s -19 on a bad team, and has more hits than Bergfors does in 79 games with the Thrashers (8). I’m happy.
Thrashfan
February 28th, 2011
12:12 pm
What time is the trade deadline?
kj
February 28th, 2011
12:12 pm
This just in: Stapleton for Larry and Moe!
kj
February 28th, 2011
12:14 pm
Alan R. – Just that I thought we were building on a theme of tough to play against guys and then you see his numbers? Granted, NYI suck so I’ll give the guy a chance. Only 12 PIM’s too so he’s either very responsible with his play or doesn’t get involved? We’ll see.
Darius
February 28th, 2011
12:15 pm
Thrashers trade for sponge bob squarepants
World Be Free
February 28th, 2011
12:15 pm
Trade deadline is 3PM EST
World Be Free
February 28th, 2011
12:16 pm
Shremp was a high draft pick and a bust at first, kind of rekindled his career on Long Island, still a 4th liner at best. He’s a body.
Michael B. Shapiro
February 28th, 2011
12:19 pm
Robbie Schremp, small (5′10″), light (184), and -19 on the year in 45 games. Just the center we needed for the playoff push. WTF?
Sorry to see Bergie go. I know that he’s been in Rammer’s doghouse all year. Healthy scratch, rotated down to 4th line, but he has so much potential if he’s on the right line. Wish him well even if it is in Sunrise.
Dvorak’s numbers have dwindled, but he has averaged 1/2 point a game over his career, and is an “even” player over the career as well.
Time will tell, but it feels like a rental.
Won’t miss Rissmiller, but then again everyone out of Chicago this year has been invisible.
Got my fingers crossed for 19 games (and hopefully more).
Smoothie
February 28th, 2011
12:22 pm
Schremp could have value as trade bait seeing as how he’s a RFA. Don’t be surprised if he’s flipped in another deal later today as a sweetener for a team that’s lacking depth at C.
Dark in the 400s
February 28th, 2011
12:23 pm
Smoothie:
How can someone we got for free become trade bait 15 minutes later?
kj
February 28th, 2011
12:23 pm
I can’t find his face-off stats but I have to believe Duds got Schremp primarily for that after getting rid of Pevs?
World Be Free
February 28th, 2011
12:28 pm
Noon update-sounds like the price of available talent is pretty steep right now, too steep. The bargain tags may not come out until 2:30 PM or so, if at all.
ZAvalanche
February 28th, 2011
12:32 pm
Smoothie:
Schremp was taken off of waivers, if somebody wanted him they could have had him (though I will concede that I don’t know the waiver rules for the NHL). The only reason I can see us picking him up is because trading him will increase cap room for another team.
Acer
February 28th, 2011
12:35 pm
Smoothie, nice idea. The CBA doesn’t allow it though.
LAC
February 28th, 2011
12:38 pm
Oh WOW, Gee Whiz, Devorak & Rob Schremp, Stanley Cup Here we come !!!!
More like First overall draft pick here we come.
Just making my point dudley has NO CLUE and is a BUST as GM. First year or not, he is TERRIBLE ! 23 year old for 33 year old, after saying he would NOT do that. So dudley, you fit right in with LIAR waddell, You Sir are a LIAR as well to all The GREAT Hockey fans in Atlanta, you want to hurt this franchise, not help it !
Tom
February 28th, 2011
12:40 pm
Is there a way we can put certain commenters on ignore?
Emily Litella
February 28th, 2011
12:42 pm
What’s all this I hear about the Thrashers trading Bergfors and Rissmiller to Florida for Dvorak and “Apique”. I can see Dvorak has a long history in the NHL, complete with stats to look up and everything.
But I can’t find anything on this “Apique” character.
Could it be he’s so bad, so awful, that no one has even bothered to write anything about him and the league doesn’t even keep stats on him?
This is terrible. How could Rick Dudley do such a…..
Huh?
What?
What’s that you say?
“A pick”?
Oh…. it’s Dvorak and “a pick”.
Well, that completely different isn’t it.
Never mind.
Smoothie
February 28th, 2011
12:43 pm
Oooo that’s right, thanks for the correction. Forgot about waiver wire rules prohibiting trades. And just becuz we claimed him before 22 other teams or what not doesn’t mean Schremp couldn’t have value in a trade this summer then. He’s a RFA and he has an actual set of hands so who the heck knows? It may help our hurting bottom 6 line depth.
World Be Free
February 28th, 2011
12:50 pm
Gotta remind everyone that there have been 2 trades today, just 2 and we were involved in one of them. Looks like standing pat is the norm today, though I think you will see more up to 3 PM.
I posted a few weeks ago, believing today was not going to be a banner day. Most of the trade deadline rentals from last season were non-factors on their new teams.
ZAvalanche
February 28th, 2011
12:51 pm
Emily, I had the same feeling when I first heard of the trade. However, after further consideration Dvorak’s stats are what this team needs. +2 in his career (I think that is the right #) is WAY better than -19 for Bergs. Also, it isn’t a paltry +2, he is averaging 18+ minutes a game, takes very few penalties, and is a physical player. Not to mention his 31 goals for NYR, can he be expected to do that again? No. Bergs may end up being good, Rissmiller is a career AHL’er. With the newer rules from the lockout, a defensive O-man becomes that much more important. After more speculation, I think this is a good move.
kracker
February 28th, 2011
12:56 pm
Schremp – how is he for PK duty? Most hockey & sports sites are blocked here at work so I can’t find much of anything, just the text that comes up via a search inquiry is all I can see.
Joe Friday
February 28th, 2011
12:59 pm
Pierre just said there’s a big one about to be announced, keep an eye on the wire, this might open up the flood gates . . . I want Penner
Red Light
February 28th, 2011
1:02 pm
If you don’t like Dvorak, then you don’t like hockey players.
In dealing Bergfors and Rissmiller, Dudley gets rid of two players that he had no intention of keeping next season and sheds $1.9 million in salary this year, and in exchange he gets Dvorak and a fifth-round selection and takes on $1.7 million in salary ($438k for the balance of the season. So, he’s plus $62,000 (as if he really needed to free up space) but gets an excellent role player in Dvorak for the next five weeks.
Now, I agree it looks like strange deal overall because of Bergfors’ age, but the kid simply hasn’t responded and wasn’t part of the long-term plan here. Wouldn’t be at all surprised if he wasn’t playing in Europe next season. Dvorak is versatile and he is much like Thorburn in that he doesn’t take shifts off.
The biggest disappointment is that Bergfors wasn’t the player some expected he would be when acquired. Dudley cut bait and opened up a roster spot.
LAC
February 28th, 2011
1:02 pm
Yes YOU tom !
Red Light
February 28th, 2011
1:03 pm
Klesla from Columbus to Phoenix in exchange for Lepisto and Upshall, who seemingly can stay put for long with any club.
Cliff Fletcher
February 28th, 2011
1:12 pm
Look at that, LAC’s making friends again! How cute!
Acer
February 28th, 2011
1:14 pm
TDLD is boring so far.
Cliff Fletcher
February 28th, 2011
1:19 pm
now, now – whoever is pretending to be me today better stop!
Red Light
February 28th, 2011
1:29 pm
Cliff: Saw you were in town for the game yesterday and you were looking dapper as always! Don’t be a stranger.