Sports Columnists

By John

April 20, 2006 12:01 PM | Link to this

Bondra, Mellanby, Modry, McCarthy, Savard, Dunham, and Hnidy I believe are free agents. I think you have to resign Bondra, McCarthy and Savard. I would still like to see the captain back for one more season too.

Would love to see Colburn up and maybe a big free agent defenseman next year. Not sure about a backup goalie, I don’t know if I think Garnett is the man.

Waddell is staying for now, but surely this will be his last chance….

By Mr. Moose

April 20, 2006 12:13 PM | Link to this

Dunham was pretty good until the Washington game-never been a pasi fan. They do need Bondra, Savard and Mellanby and add another defenseman. The goalies from the Gladiators are too young to face NHL shots. Atlanta Spirit should move the Hawks out of town and sell them. They are a poor draw, the NBA as a whole is a bad product with a bad reputation now that they’ve played the race card in the MVP selection (A white guy from Dallas or Phoenix)and they do not cater to their paying audience, in my opinion. thrashers have a promising future if they keep the farm club stocked with promising young talent-ala the Islanders of the 80’s and the Devils of the 90’s. Statistically, the Hawks have been eliminated from the 2007 season-56 losses! Unless they plan on winning 13 additional games next year, sell the team cut your losses Spirit LLC-put it in the Thrashers. The Thrashers are more exciting and have a better chance of winning than the Hawks. NBA is just plain boring. Devils may be the dark horse to win the Cup again.

By Rawhide

April 20, 2006 12:14 PM | Link to this

Yes, axing Don would be a mistake. Who would you bring in to replace him?

If I were in his position last winter I, too, would have guaranteed a trip to the playoffs. I mean, what else would you want your GM to do….doubt your teams abilities?

We should not be throwing Don overboard in a knee-jerk reaction to our heartbreak this week.

Besides,….look at it like this……Billy Knight seems to be able to keep his job and look at the product that he places on the court. A decade with no playoffs for the Hawks?…….Compare that team to the Thrashers and tell me which one has the better chance to soar for the next 5-6-7 years.

We need a solid back-up to Kari and at least one SOLID puck-handling blue-liner.

GO THRASHERS!

By Mark

April 20, 2006 12:22 PM | Link to this

The back-up goalie is a given. And until the last couple of weeks, I thought we needed a good, solid defenseman. But the addition of McCarthy seemed to bring out the best in Sutton —- he sees what a good defenseman can do now and maybe he’s ready to do it.

I’d like to see Melanby play one more year so we can give him a proper farewell — but I’d also like to see the Thrashers bring back Pasi next season for a proper farewell — NOT to play, just to say goodbye. Savard dropped off late, but I’d like him back. Use the Bondra money for another “new-NHL” defenseman.

By Russ

April 20, 2006 12:51 PM | Link to this

I have been one of the people that has been saying Waddell must go for a long time, but now that I see your logic I have to completely change my point of view. You are right, as long as the Thrashers are at least better than the Hawks he should get to keep his job. This makes it OK that they have not qualified for the playoffs in six seasons of existence and that even though he sat on the rules committee last summer still seemed to have no idea what type of d-men would thrive in the new NHL. Also, he does have some talented offensive players, but very few that actually play both ends of the ice and his star goalie is available roughly 50% of the time. All that can be forgotten because Atlanta more than any other city seems to not only settle for, but embrace mediocrity. Maybe since the Thrashers were considerably better than the Hawks Waddell is in line for a long term contract extension including a hefty raise. Please…

By kevin

April 20, 2006 01:29 PM | Link to this

Russ, I don’t think it can be said any better than your post. To stock this team with slow aging defenseman (Modry, Devries) along with big immobile defenseman such as Hnidy and Sutton when you know the rule changes coming was a huge mistake. This is the mediocrity city, it seems to just be in the hunt gets you a pass from the media here.

By GOB

April 20, 2006 01:41 PM | Link to this

Not sure if you guys realize it, but with the salary cap, and Atlanta’s history, top notch defensemen werent exactly lining up to come to Atlanta. Sure, Scott Niedermayer would have been great to get, but guess what, if he doesnt want to play here, he cant help the Thrashers.

I think this is going to be a reality in the NHL. Teams are not going to be able to build the depth that they used to be able to. Look at the Atlanta forwards. We probably wont be able to keep them all long term. Hossa, Savard, Kovalchuck, and Kozlov will all command too much money to keep. With the cap, NHL teams will be put together like NFL teams. Each team will have 3 or 4 superstars, and then the rest of roster will be filled out with guys that you wouldnt like to see playing as much.

Which defenseman would you bring in, considering the cap and availability?

By Ryan

April 20, 2006 02:05 PM | Link to this

I am atill angry about the Washington game and yes I want to point a finger but here is Reality: You can’t blame Don Waddell for the Thrashers inconsistent play.

The only thing that about DW that ticks me off is that he really seems to ignore that fans and what they have to say.

If players don’t want to come to Atlanta and play than that needs to be addressed…..by getting into the playoffs consistently. Who the heck would want to come to a team that never goes anywhere in the postseason except home. For example, “Atlanta was ok BUT we never really won there”, (Heatley) That about sums it up. I for one was happy with who we got. I just am getting tired of saying there’s always next year.

Lets really make something happen in the off season DW.

By God

April 20, 2006 02:51 PM | Link to this

Right: John Rawhide Mark (mostly) GOB Ryan

Idiots: Mr. Moose Russ kevin

So sayeth me.

By michelle

April 20, 2006 02:53 PM | Link to this

everyone’s always looking to point fingers at the management instead of the people playing the game.

By Thrashy Thrashy

April 20, 2006 02:53 PM | Link to this

Heater shouldn’t run his mouth off about anything. He was traded to Ottawa, ostensibly because of the emotional scars of the accident that caused Dan Snyder’s death. When he makes comments similar to “Atlanta was okay, but we never really won there”, it almost sounds like being traded to a more successful team was really a major factor in his trade request. That’s why fans booed the hell out of him in Atlanta this year. He came across as a spoiled brat who didn’t want to win for the fans that supported him after he killed (not on purpose, of course) his best friend. Heater may actually be a decent guy, but he’ll never live something like that down in this town.

By michelle

April 20, 2006 02:54 PM | Link to this

everyone’s always looking to point fingers at the management instead of the people playing the game.

By Doug

April 20, 2006 02:58 PM | Link to this

I agree axing Waddell is not a good idea, but he made a big mistake by accepting the role of GM of the U.S. Olympic Hockey team when the Thrashers needed him with his mind on them. From January 19 to February 3, the team lost 8 straight and went 3-9 leading up to the Olympics. You have to blame him for that.

By michelle

April 20, 2006 03:01 PM | Link to this

sorry for the double-post there. additionally, thrashy thrashy…i couldn’t agree more.

although i thought it was tacky that fans booed heatley the first time he came back (internally i felt the same way, but i just thought it was p**-poor taste to do that), you definitely have a point there about how he will never live down leaving atlanta from the fans.

the whole town supported him and stood by him as the heart-wrenching incident unfolded before us. i can certainly understand how emotionally-scarring this town and team became, but to leave and turn your back on the town that didn’t turn on you was just as tacky.

imagine where we’d be right now with 2 50-goal scorers. not even worried about making playoffs, we’d be there already!

By Blue Line Willie

April 20, 2006 03:01 PM | Link to this

Being a season ticket holder since the beginning it has been both a very exciting and very disappointing season this year. What we all have to remember is that this was the first year of a salary cap in the NHL and I feel that DW did his best in this environment with the group he had to work with. The way the team played down the stretch, I am sure there were a lot of teams hoping that we did not make the playoffs. I think we would have done some damage given the way we played against some of the top seeds this year.

We can not blame DW for injuries and games missed by our stars. Some different scenarios to think about. Holik comes back a few games earlier; Kari misses 5 less games; some more consistency from our backup goalies; getting off to a better start under the new rules; losing only 5 games in a row instead of 7 in January. If any of these are different and we are a playoff team.

Yes it is frustrating as hell to not be able to go to another home game this year but I have high hopes and expectations for next season and having DW as our GM.

By Russ

April 20, 2006 03:02 PM | Link to this

Well if God himself says I am an idiot then it must be so… Particularly since his post was so well written and backed up by facts supporting any opinions he had that differed from mine.

By geechee

April 20, 2006 04:41 PM | Link to this

What does the word guarantee mean? The guy publicly guaranteed that the Thrashers would make the playoffs. He freely made this guarantee on his own. He was not coerced into making this statement. Was he doing this just to BS fans into buying tickets? When a company guarantees a product or service and the guarantee is false, that is fraud. Are they now going to refund some ticket money?

By Brendan

April 20, 2006 05:53 PM | Link to this

Mark Bradley, I can follow some of your logic. Truly, I can. But as for what “everyone around the Thrashers” say, well … WHAT ELSE ARE THEY GOING TO SAY?? WE SUCK, and HAVE SCREWED UP ROYAL, WE’RE NOW TOO OLD AND TOO OVERPAID AND TOO COMMITTED TO 3-YEAR CONTRACTS TO CHANGE DIRECTIONS?

That’s not gonna happen. There’s no way anyone at the Thrashers is going to give you that kind of candor.

But your article does touch on something important. Many of the “pieces” of the Thrashers Stanley Cup puzzle are here.

That’s actually true. Kovalchuk, Hossa (Think Heatley, taken 2nd overall in 2000), and Lehtonen are pieces of a Championship-calber team. But all those players represent draft picks that were made in the top three overall selections, that well, frankly, anyone could have come up with, had they bothered to open the morning edition of any major newspaper in North America on draft day.

And you know it. C’mon. Admit it. That’s the truth. By Aunt Bertha has never seen a hockey game in her life. In 2001, I asked my Auntie who the Thrashers should pick with that 1st overall selection. She read the paper, and said, “Seems like this Russian fellow, Kovalchuk, is high on everyone’s list.”

Well gee, Auntie. That was a pretty good idea. And that’s what Don did. I’ll credit Waddell with turning down Montreal’s five-player offer in exchange for passing that top pick to the Habs. Thank God for small miracles. The Habs had nobody at that time, except for Jose Theodore.

Don Waddell has landed two (2) players into the starting lineup of the Atlanta Thrashers beyond the 30th overall selection in seven years of drafting. Every other DW pick, beyond 30th, playing for Atlanta has been a “call up” situation.

Okayyy, wait. I cannot recall if Darcy Horidichuk (Phoenix) was a “call up” situation, or actually made the roster. Hordichuk still plays in the NHL, as well as Tommy Santala and someone else on the Columbus Blue Jackets, whose name escapes me now. But he’s a “hanger-on” there, on the 4th line. That’s it, for players Don drafted into the NHL from beyond 30th overall. And truthfully, what do we care if they’re in the NHL, but not playing for Atlanta?? Unless, we got somebody good, whose contributed to our team, in a trade. That would be “acceptable.”

Coburn, 8th overall from 2003, and Valabik, 12th overall from 2004, and Alex Bourret, 16th overall from 2005, are 1st round picks that have yet to materialize on the starting roster. Ohh, Coburn played in those early Capitals games in the first two or three games of season, but he was promptly sent down thereafter. And he wasn’t “recalled” all season. Instead, Popovic got the call up.

Allright. I’m done bashing Don’s drafting. It’s not like he’s done nothing but junk as GM. His trade deadline acquisition of Steve McCarthy seems pretty good. The trade that brought Marc Savard here was a steal. Definitely, his best move as GM.

As for the Heatley trade, time will tell. I guess the best kind of trades are ones that benefit both teams. But uhh, I wouldn’t mind stealing a player or two in a trade deal that is so decidedly one-sided, that it sends Don Waddell straight off to the Confessional after its consummation.

I’d love for his new handle to be “Don, the Thief.” Or “Absconder Don.” Or “Don, the Snake.” OR the “Notorious D.O.N.”

Fine by me. It hasn’t happened yet. But a fool can dream.

Mark, the reason you don’t fire Don “now,” resides in the fact that this team is entirely “over-committed” to the “two-year window of opportunity” that Don morgaged us to the hilt for.

There is good news, however. The “yesteryear” free agents Don bought are “playoff tested.” Bondra’s been to a Finals. Kozlov’s won a Cup. Mellanby has been to a Finals with Florida. Holik wan a couple of Cups with the Devils.

And now, guys like Stefan (former 1st overall selection from 1999), Slater (30th overall pick, 2002), Lehtonen (2nd overall, 2002), Sutton, and Exelby have experienced a playoff race, along with Kovalchuk, too. This is a good and positive thing.

Also, Michael Garnett and Adam Berkhoel being “pressed into service” allowed them both to see what it’d be like to play in the bigs. That’s probably a good thing. Garnett is probably the odds-on favorite to be the back up next year. Let Turple, Pavelec, Tarkki, and Berkhoel challenge him. Dunham is likely lost to free agency, as is Shields, unless he retires.

Okay, Don drafted Garnett in the 2nd round. If he makes the starting lineup next year, he’ll be #3, of Don’s picks beyond 30th overall, over seven (7) years, to crack the starting lineup. The other two are Garnett Exelby and Pasi Nurminen, who was sadly lost to a career-ending injury while playing for his Finnish National team.

Okay. The Thrashers should have, and would have, been a playoff team this year, without all the injuries. Well, for $38.4 million, I should hope the team at least makes the playoffs!!! LOL.

Allright, who wasn’t injured this year??? Bondra was. Holik was. Stefan was. All of our goalies were. Savard is often cited as “injury-prone,” but he played all 82 games. Don’t forget that. He was second on the team with penaty minutes. Don’t forge that, either.

Next year, the Thrashers should make the playoffs with something close to the same roster. Savard may be the biggest “missing piece.” Bondra can probably be re-signed. Kozlov, I think, will opt to return. Savard can be re-signed, but Don will likely have to low-ball him, and extend the length of the contract, allowing Marc to look at the “guaranteed money” aspect of the deal, rather than the “salary-per-season” amount.

If not, Marc will probably go to the highest bidder. Good luck to him.

That’s not Don Waddell’s fault. Or is it? Name for me what PREVENTED Don Waddell from signing Savard back in December, at a discount??? Ohhh riiiight. That whole “we don’t negotiate during the season policy.”

And, pray tell me, what prevented Don from signing Heatley AND Kovalchuk back in 2004, to longterm deals???

Bueller? Bueller??? Bueller???

For that matter, what prevented him from signing both of them on July 22, 2005??? Ya know, signing Kovalchuk at that time, to 6-years, $33 million, was a very real and feasible option not pursued by Don Waddell. Instead, Kovalchuk and his agent, Jay Grossman, Esquire out of New York, got to hold our GM hostage for his failure to act sooner, and as he should have, by making Ilya his #1 priority.

Nope, instead, Don made Bobby Holik his #1 priority, signing him to a 3-year, $4.25 million-a-year contract on August 1st. “How on Earth does the 35-year old Bobby Holik become GM Waddell’s TOP priority?, when he hasn’t even inked Heatley or Kovalchuk yet?” Ya know, the foundation and roof, respectively, of the Thrashers’ figurative house?

Priority #2 became signing Peter Bondra. That floundered for a long while. Bondra later became priority #4. All while priority #5, Kovalchuk, sat and waited for Don to treat him like the bonafide “superstar” that he is. He was, arguably, the most prolific winger in the NHL at the time. Some still think that.

Priority #3, Dany Heatley, then “requested” a trade. Don could have denied this trade, letting Dany playing in Europe, while he commenced a “bidding war” over Heatley’s overwhelming talent. But no. Don is a “nice guy,” and wanted to help Dany. Plus, let’s be honest about this too, Don wanted to DISTANCE HIMSELF from the Snyder tragedy as quickly as possible. He might have “jumped for joy” when Heatley made the trade request, as “trading the driver” is a knee-jerk reaction to dealing with the tragedy.

Don held all the cards, as Dany Heatley was a “restricted free agent.” What does that mean? It means no other NHL team can sign Heatley without Don and the Thrashers getting the right to match the offer or get compensated with a series of 1st round draft picks. That situation would continue until Dany Heatley turned 27, at which time, Heatley could become an “unrestricted free agent.” But that was three years away.

Don could have waited until the trade deadline and shopped Heatley then. But the team that got Heatley couldn’t have him play this season, because of the “re-entry rule.” Heatley would have to clear waivers. And that wouldn’t happen. Someone else would claim Heatley, and the trade would have been pointless for the team that negotiated to get Heatley’s services, as far as this season was concerned. Heatley would have to wait to play for his new team next year.

Or, Waddell could have waited until the June 2006 Draft, and traded Heatley to St. Louis, who has just won the Draft lottery, and will draft 1st overall, to select Phil Kessel, and, potentially, more of St. Louis’ draft picks.

Oh, but wait. Dany Heatley was damaged goods. Or some would have had you believe that. I never believed that. Not for a second. And the Senators knew it, too. Dany Heatley became the 1st member of the Ottawa Senators to score 50-goals. Heatley had an MVP-like season in Ottawa, enjoying the kind of season that can only come from playing on Daniel Alfredsson’s line!!

Okay, I hear you screaming now. What about Hossa and deVries. Didn’t Don do well to get them?? Yes! He did. Hossa is one of the 20-best players in the world. Greg deVries brings an offensive aspect to his position that many D-man don’t.

So, what’s the problem? Well, in addition to having to face Heatley four-times a year, at a minimum, the problem is that Hossa costs a lot. So does deVries, for what he brings to the table. In the 3rd year of Hossa’s contract, he’ll make $7 million. Ohh, I hear some obscure rule states that Hossa only counts as $6 million against the cap. Well, fine. Then he got paid $5 million this season, but it counted as $6 million against our cap, if the $7 million season also counts as $6 million versus the cap. The alleged rule being some “average cost of the contract” that hits the cap equally, per year.

That’s how that works. Allegedly, supposedly.

But anytime you pay a player that kind of money, you’d have BETTER MADE a sound cap management strategy to accommodate it. Preferably one whereby “balance” existed between your forward lines, your defense, and your goaltending. Pfft. Mark, does it “seem” like that’s what Don Waddell did??

Bueller?? Bueller?? Bueller???

Atlanta has two players pushing $7 million-a-year, and NEITHER ONE is a goaltender. What’s more, the blueline is woefully deficient. Look at our “Goals Against” this year. There were 275 of them. You cannot seriously advance the notion that it was all the goaltender’s fault, can you? How ‘bout all those stupid penalties, that resulted in 5-on-3 situations? Don’t blame the goaltender. Blame the guys in the box. And lay a “fair share” on the blueliners, too. Sutton and Modry come quickly to mind. The Thrashers gave up an average of 3.32 goals-per-game.

Our best defenseman is Nick Havelid. And he’s 33!!! This team is not young. In fact, it’s one of the oldest teams in the National Hockey League.

And why is that, Mark Bradley?? Answer: Because Don Waddell cannot draft beyond the 1st round, he has to reach out to free agency and trades just to fill-out a roster. And anytime you do that, you wind up “overpaying” for it.

Welllllllll. What’s the payroll of this team, Mark Bradley?? Yep, MAXED OUT. $38.4 million, roughly. You can thank Jay Grossman, Kovy’s agent, for that one. Kovy signed a 5-year deal for $32.5 million. Don could have landed him for 6-years, $33.5 million, easily, had he acted quickly, instead of making Kovy priority #5, behind Holik, Heatley, and Bondra TWICE.

That’s like getting a FREE YEAR of Kovalchuk. It would have pre-dated the Rick Nash Deal, 5-years, $27 million, that made all the other GM’s mad. And nearly got Columbus’ GM, Doug McLean, “persona-non-gratta.” McLean is famous for overpaying talent, driving up the costs for other clubs.

Now, Lehtonen could be a holdout. Nothing stops him from doing that. Although, it’s not adviseable, considering how much time he’s missed due to injuries. The last thing he should do is hold out for more money. And the team’s maxed out, anyways. You can’t get blood from a stone.

Anyway, that’s the job Don Waddell has done. A new GM has no choice but to follow the “schematics” left by Don Waddell. The Thrashers are overcommitted.

Nobody will take Holik. And who really wants to trade Kovalchuk, to bring the “balance” that this team doesn’t have over its four lines, defensive corps, and goaltending?

All things to think about … as we ponder Don Waddell. Hopefully, McCarthy will be a keeper. Then we could point to something Don’s done recently to trumpet to the Heavens.

By Brendan

April 20, 2006 06:06 PM | Link to this

Uhh, I just want to apologize for the length of that post. But “discussing how GREAT Don Waddel is” … pushes one of my “pressure points.” The result is the dissertation above.

Mea culpa.

By Hotrod

April 20, 2006 06:16 PM | Link to this

We need to keep most this team together for next year.

My stomach can’t take another 3-8 October waiting for the chemistry to gel.That was painful.

This is a good,exciting team.

I heading over to the Gwinnett Arena next week to support our future Thrasher’s. Go Gladiators!

By Hotrod

April 20, 2006 06:34 PM | Link to this

Brendan, I am sorry, but I could not resist. The dissertation stats:

Characters with spaces: 12,570 Characters: 10,423 Words: 2,188 Lines: 121 Paragraphs: 47

By God

April 20, 2006 06:39 PM | Link to this

And he forgot to say “Amen” after he thanked me.

And Russ, I don’t need stats. I’m God.

By BirdDawg

April 20, 2006 07:26 PM | Link to this

Bradley,

Don Waddel sucks. He’s ruined this team’s chances for being good for many years by bankrupting the salary cap for next year. How the hell are we going to sign all of the guys who are going to go to greener pastures?

He’s also ruined USA Hockey.

His mouth wrote checks that his brains couldn’t cash, and now he needs to go.

Goodbye, Don. Thanks for screwing up our team, never come back!

By Tony C.

April 20, 2006 07:32 PM | Link to this

I spoke with #25 today. He was very kind to let a fan rattle off for a moment, thanked me for my support and said that he feels “very good” about next year….But I got the feeling that he was saying the right thing because we were in a public space, and that he is super p!ssed.

P!ssed that he has tee-times instead of morning skates to fill his late spring. P!ssed that he has to “say the right thing” to a fan.

I have been one of his many detractors on this blog, but the past month of his play, along with the look in his eye during our conversation has shut me up. Should they have some stability in net, and the addition of some mobile non clutch-and-grab D-men, I believe that we’ll see springtime hockey in ATL next year.

I talked to a man who seems like he’s anxious to do something about it.

GO BLUE!!!

P.S. After the McCarthy deal, I have relented in the DW bashing….let’s see how the draft goes, and the FA shuffle over the summer. The league says everybody gets a lil bit more cap room to play with, I believe there may be some real progress.

By Jeff

April 21, 2006 10:17 AM | Link to this

According to a poll in this week’s SI, Waddell is one coach removed from being the worst coach in the NHL. In my humble opinion, when smoke such as that exists, there is nearly always a fire.

By B. Thenet

April 21, 2006 02:30 PM | Link to this

Some counterpoints to Mark Bradley’s comments.

1. Don Waddell spent around $13 Million dollars more this year than last, the team had 11 more points and ended up IN THE SAME POSITION AS LAST YEAR. That is more than $1 million dollars per point improvement in the standings. It is unacceptable.

2. If this was the first, second, or perhaps 3rd year that the Thrashers season was marred by goaltender injuries I could understand. However how can a team that has massive goaltender groin injuries every season continue to keep almost the exact same training staff every single season. Heck the only reason we found out about the root cause of Lehtonen’s groin problems was when the team finally decided to allow someone outside the organization to take a look at him.

At this point in the franchise, you have to give DW the lions share of the blame for the chronic goaltending injuries.

1. In his post season comments Don Waddell has said he doesn’t need to do much to the defensive corps. A comment like that borders on gross incompetence, and shows that DW still does not understand what an NHL caliber defenseman is. I mean he gave up a 2nd rounder for Ivan Majesky…IVAN MAJESKY!!!

2. The “it could only get worse if we change” argument is silly. Could it get worse with a new GM, perhaps. However does anyone who follows this team trust Don Waddell to make the right decisions with RFA(Kaberle, Brunette), or UFA(every defenseman and goaltender signed by the Thrashers as a UFA has been awful, Havelid was traded for and Nurminen was drafted) signings?

The one thing DW has going for him is that he is a genuinely nice guy. He has been an outstanding ambassador for the game in Atlanta. But for hockey to make the next step in Atlanta, we just might need someone else to get us over the hump.

By Ben

April 22, 2006 01:42 PM | Link to this

I just keep going back to the whole Stefan thing. The press in Canada said that he had a HISTORY of head problems. Even more damning the entire org. has a low GF. What the Thrash needs to do is trade Garnett for a blue-chip D-man and draft some speedsters. I think we can all agree that what the Thrash need is speed.