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
World Be Free
March 1st, 2011
7:50 am
Red Light-man that Hossa trade is looking real ugly. Yes to Laich too, much much else available on the UFA market this summer.
Looks like it will take a trade to get us a top 6 forward. Somehow I think Bogosian will become the focus of any deal to bring in assets. Ypu all know I am against trading Bogo, but any chance to radically change the makeup of this team will involve Bogosian, especially when summer comes and current saleries come off the books.
It all depends on whether Dudley has the checkbook and guts to radically change the team. We already have alotta $$$ tied up in defense, more if the team resigns Oduya long term. Then again, Oduya may become the centerpiece in making a smaller deal that could bring in a #6 forward. But that’s not radical change. Think about it.
glovesave29
March 1st, 2011
7:52 am
Bergie’s gonna HATE playing in slow-it-down Florida system. He will be moved at the deadline again next year, along with his tag of being a malcontent. It’s a shame when people throw away talent and opportunity. Not sure we can blame Duds for the way he turned out, saying there was a lack of due dilligence, as he never had this tag when he was a Devil.
Player to be named later
March 1st, 2011
7:52 am
HookyBob-these owners sleep like babies, they will get what they want in the end. And don’t think for a moment they give a heck about us.
GaVaHokie
March 1st, 2011
8:27 am
Ladd Litts Wheeler
Kane Antro Stewie
Dvorak Thorsy Maxwell
Boulton Stapes Schremp
I sense a lot of line shuffling coming tonight… Defense needs to play lights out tonight while they struggle with forward chemistry.
World Be Free
March 1st, 2011
8:32 am
Hokie-it would great to get Stewart on the 3rd line and keep him there. He does not deserve 2nd line minutes, in my opinion.
Not Blind
March 1st, 2011
8:34 am
East Point Bob,
The other night when I saw Schremp’s name on the crawler I told the wife I would claim him in a heartbeat. I was really surprised and happy when I saw that we got him. IMO he has been very productive for NYI and I think waiving him was dumb but I don’t know their situation.
Modin is gone !!!! yahooo ! I am glad Dudley has made the moves he did. Getting rid of the coasters. I am ready to see the Thrashers become a more physical team. The soft way they have played lately allows the other team to make pretty plays instead of worrying about being hit by a freight train.
Alan R.
March 1st, 2011
8:59 am
Schremp could mix it up a bit. He’s got pretty good hands, and is killer in shootouts.
Schremp > Bergfors
Stan Drulia
March 1st, 2011
9:02 am
East Point Bob – sorry to offend or annoy you. I do post hockey related things on here occasionally, I just can’t help but to try to lighten up the gloomy situation that is our Thrashers right now. It bothers me to no end when “fans” like LAC and Sage and whoever else say the same negative crap over and over and over. Just getting out some of that frustration and trying to have a little fun in a not-so-fun situation. Again, not trying to annoy or take away from the awesomeness of this blog… I read it everyday and respect it completely.
Stan Drulia
March 1st, 2011
9:07 am
And for the record – I sarcastically used the word “punk” because last week LAC went nuts and threatened someone on here all Dirty Harry style by seriously suggesting along the lines of “Wanna do something face to face, punk???”. I just found it hilarious.
Not Blind
March 1st, 2011
9:13 am
It’s too bad Antropov didn’t get moved. His paycheck is way too high for what he actually delivers. Some of these vets need a substantial pay cut on their next contract or else let them walk.
Hockey Biltong
March 1st, 2011
9:14 am
ZAvalanche- I know a lady who makes biltong and droe wors[dry sausage] and boere wors[farm sausage ] that is excellent! Contact Tiller if you need to reach me. She could make it and send it to you!!!
So tonight it starts with Montreal…I am really hoping that we carry this mission off successfully and I am WAY curious to see what the line configs will be. Subtle changes were made to be sure, but just like the unheralded arrival of Peverly, who soon proved to me that RD has a good hockey eye, I am looking for a good mesh with very good results…see you all tonight!!!
Cliff Fletcher
March 1st, 2011
9:19 am
east point bob-love talking hockey, but i was attacked by 1 or 2 bloggers for taking a stand on an issue that i thought was important, so i responded, not to be outdone or intimidated by anyone. i have never attacked you and will not start today.
i agree with you on schremp, i think he carries the stigma of being a high draft pick that did not pan out. boris valabik will carry the same cloud over his head until people just see him as a hockey player, not a top 10 pick struggling to make the game. i hope schremp brings the islander work ethic here, we could use it. expectations can be very emotional, especially with hockey execs that overestimated a player’s worth.
Alan R.
March 1st, 2011
9:19 am
Not Blind – It’s not like we can’t afford him or anything. I’m going to chalk Antropov’s year up to him having a “down year,” and look forward to a resurgence next year by him. We know what he’s capable of, but we should also remember that he did have major hip surgery last year, and that sort of thing is hard to recover from.
Smoothie
March 1st, 2011
9:38 am
Stapes deserves Antro’s minutes right now. Give Timmy some PP mins as well. At least he moves without the puck and can get to a loose puck in the corner / along the boards.
@not_CThorburn
March 1st, 2011
9:43 am
Ok, now I’m convinced. Jimmy Slater was the glue holding this team together. Him and the McRib.
Chris
Alan R.
March 1st, 2011
9:56 am
I won’t dispute that, Smoothie. Stapleton has better agility than Antropov does currently.
All I’m saying is, cutting bait on someone like Antropov now, after major hip surgery, isn’t a good idea. We know what he’s capable of. He needs rest, not a change of scenery.
I’ll eat these words if he sucks next year (without surgery).
Rawhide
March 1st, 2011
10:10 am
OK gang…now that we’ve had a night to digest all the deals that went down yesterday and in the weeks leading up to the deadline…the question I have for you is, “Did Dudley do right with deadline deals?“
kracker
March 1st, 2011
1:12 pm
As time goes by, we can play 6 degrees of separation and probably make most any trade look bad – or pretty good. All you can really do is judge the players and the teams involved at the time of the trade. Also factor in the motives of the GMs: acquiring picks, salary dump, playoff push, etc..
Brendan
March 1st, 2011
2:01 pm
Red Light, re: 6:36 AM post, it hardly seems like the Thrashers got equal value for either Kovalchuk or Hossa. Makes me think that the old saying is true, “You can’t replace a (supply superstar’s name here). Then don’t grow on trees.” When we look at a Cormier, an Angelo Esposito, an Oduya, or a Colby Armstrong, seems like we could have gotten them some other way … than to give up a Tier I player.
Brendan
March 1st, 2011
2:09 pm
Red Light, Atlanta might be able to compete for Jokinen, out on the open market. But, as always, there’s a time when to fold your hand, and know that you’re beat. I wouldn’t anti-up or go ‘all-in’ on a Jokinen type. Richards, either. In my view, Brad Richards was never worth $7.8 million. I understand why then Tampa Bay GM Jay Feaster made the move. The team was facing its 1st year under the cap, and wanted to keep its corps together. So, to put its ‘commitment level’ on full display, it promptly gave Richards the THENNN ‘league maximum’ contract. In fairness to Richards, he was coming off a Conn Smythe trophy playoff campaign. So, an argument can be made about salary.
Call me crazy, but I’m eager to see our newest Thrashers in action, especially Ben Maxwell.
Brendan
March 1st, 2011
2:34 pm
Red Light, I kinda like Curtis Glencross. What do you think???
R. Stroz
March 2nd, 2011
2:22 pm
LAST
Rawhide
March 7th, 2011
10:17 am
R. Stroz – Nope.