AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2008 > January > 05 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USBe wary of opening the checkbook for Hossa
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jeff Schultz
Marian Hossa came to Atlanta in a somewhat unorthodox way. He was an NHL superstar who had just signed a new contract with his snow-belt team in Ottawa, only to get shipped south when circumstances forced the Thrashers to take bids for the distraught Dany Heatley.
Marian Hossa’s exit from Atlanta wouldn’t be nearly so unorthodox: He is an impending free agent, and he wants to play for a winner.
But before general manager Don Waddell drops to his knees, opens the checkbook and implores Hossa to stay, he needs to realize something: The Thrashers are a .500 team partly because of Marian Hossa.
Through 42 games, Hossa is second on the team in goals (14) and points (36). Those numbers are decent, not great. The pace of 27 goals and 70 points pales when compared to last year’s 43 and 100, respectively. He has four power-play goals after scoring 31 the past two years. Shot totals and shooting percentages are down.
And how is it one of the NHL’s best two-way forwards is a minus-10 — worst among the team’s forwards?
What the Thrashers have right now is not Hossa-like. What the Thrashers have is Hossa Lite.
Hossa acknowledges his production is down. But he says he feels fine physically. He denies feeling any pressure from the contract status.
“I have a contract to play now, so there’s no reason to feel pressure,” he said Saturday.
He might want to start.
The NHL trade deadline is Feb. 26. If Hossa does not sign a new contract in the next month, Waddell will start weighing trade offers. He said Saturday that he won’t let the deadline pass and risk losing Hossa without compensation after the season. Bottom line: Sign or be gone.
“We’ve had as much dialogue as you can have,” said Waddell, who had three face-to-face meetings with Hossa’s agent in December. “Now it’s time. We need to hear if there’s a deal there to be made.”
Waddell is showing some urgency. Hossa, not so much. That says something.
He says his focus is not salary but the direction of the team.
What does he want to see?
“Consistency,” he said. “Basically we are around a .500 team, and that’s not good enough. I believe we can be better, but we have streaks. This is a big decision. If you’re signing a long-term deal somewhere, you want to make sure the team will win more. But we just go up and down like a roller coaster.”
When asked about the possibility of being traded, Hossa said: “I understand that’s a possibility.”
He said that with little emotion. He says everything with little emotion. The only time he bristled slightly was when he was asked if he felt he needed to produce more this season to justify a big contract. “I’ve been in the league for 10 years, so teams know what kind of player I am.”
There is little question that Hossa will hit it big in free agency, even with a down year. He would be the most sought-after player on the open market. He turns only 29 next week. When he’s on, he’s still one of the best.
The problem: He’s not a difference-maker right now. He hasn’t been for sometime. Go back to last season. Hossa banged his knee when he crashed into the boards against the New York Islanders on Jan. 26. He returned that game to score his 31st goal, but his production dropped significantly thereafter. After scoring 31 goals in 51 games (one every 1.65 games), Hossa managed just 12 in the past 31 (one every 2.58), including three in the past 12 (one every four). Then came the playoffs: no goals, one assist, minus-six.
This season: 14 goals in 39 games, one every 2.79.
We still see flashes. Hossa will fly down the right wing, using his speed and strength to hook around a defenseman and drive to the net. But those scenes are the exception.
The Thrashers have other significant issues: goaltending, defense, neutral-zone play, forechecking, grit. But the biggest is an offense overly dependent on Ilya Kovalchuk. They are 4-13 when he doesn’t score. Hossa is supposed to make a difference. He was barely visible in Friday’s 4-3 loss to Carolina except during penalty killing — and penalty killers don’t make $8 million a year.
Hossa played in the All-Star Game in Dallas last year. This year the game’s in Atlanta, and he might not make the cut. If he still ranks among the league’s elite, this would be a good time to show it, because right now the team is average, and he isn’t much better.
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By Smoothie
January 5, 2008 8:19 PM | Link to this
Jeff — you’re dead on about Hossa. It’s time to pee or get off the pot!
In your infinite wisdom, do you see any realistic trade options out there for the Thrashers before the deadline rolls around?
By Mike
January 5, 2008 8:19 PM | Link to this
He’s obviously not into helping the team anymore. He’s just looking for more money at this point. Trade him. We can put him on the trading block, and clean up in the market right now. We could possibly end up with the one player that this team’s missing to carry us to Sir Stanley, because at this point, with the way that he’s been playing (or not playing depending on how you look at it), he’s obviously not that player.
By Bob-3
January 5, 2008 8:20 PM | Link to this
If Mr.Don Waddell… Would quit being Mr.Cheapo… and spend on these UFA’s instead of the ones we have we could ballon upward.
Why wouldn’t Marian want to play for a winner, I would !!!!!!!
But… As long as We have Waddell and these Sprit, or Spit owners running the show on the Cheap…
You get what you pay for…
I still remember rutherford snydel or whatever his name is on the ice opening night telling the packed house “We are doing everything to bring The Stanley Cup to Atlanta.”
All I can say to you sir is you are a Bald Faced LIAR,you sprit IDIOTS do not care and letting Don Waddell to continue to run the show after 8 seasons of practical failure, meaning NO improvement, since we are reversing over LAST season… Is NUTS !
Hockey may die in Atlanta once and for all and that would be sad, but worthless lying owners will do it everytime no matter what type business they own.
By Russ
January 5, 2008 8:44 PM | Link to this
I assume Hossa understands that if he was playing like one of the top ten forwards in the league, which he is capable of, rather than a decent second line player, the Thrashers would probably be 5 or 6 games over .500 right now instead of 1 under.
By Tim
January 5, 2008 9:01 PM | Link to this
I’ve been a season ticket holder since the start. I’m off to play a game myself tonight(48 years old). I will not tell anyone how to do their job. Don and Marian are old enough to know. I am about to pull the plug on my season tickets because I’m just not feeling it. No complaints, it’s the free market system and I’m not going to buy the Spirits product if it doesn’t provide me value. Cut the price waaay back and it might even out. Otherwise…see ya!!!
By Jeff Schultz
January 5, 2008 9:42 PM | Link to this
SMOOTHIE: there will be no shortage of teams interested in Hossa before the deadline. The trade price for “rental” players has gone up significantly the last two years (consider what the Thrashers gave up for Keith Tkachuk, Nashville for Forsberg, etc.). The problem is that what these players generally bring in return is a combination of draft picks and prospects. It’s hard to get frontline or NHL-ready players because the teams acquiring the likes of Hossa are in the playoff race and don’t want to hurt their current roster.
MIKE: I don’t blame Hossa at all for possibly wanting to test the market. And by the way, I believe him when he says this isn’t just about money, but it should take something extra financially to dissuade a guy from testing the waters.
BOB (HARTLEY?): If Hossa thinks he can find a better team to play, one closer to a Cup, I agree — that’s his right. He’s got leverage.
By Tony C.
January 5, 2008 9:52 PM | Link to this
Wow Schultz!
Not often do you deign to speak about our lil hockey club-but so far, this season, you’ve been on the mark with your views.
Nice piece.
I say send Hoss out west for somebody who’s motivated. And #1 pick this year & next year…or a #2,3,or 4 D-man and a #1 pick
it’s a shame because the real Hoss could be really making us a buyer in the pending trade deadline instead of a seller.
GO BLUE !!!
By Thrasher Ryan
January 5, 2008 10:07 PM | Link to this
Marian WHO???
By R. Stroz
January 5, 2008 10:23 PM | Link to this
As I have stated previously, Hossa is playing not to get hurt. Hossa isn’t lowering his shoulder while driving to the net, isn’t using his size to push thru multiple defenders,…etc. In general, Hossa isn’t playing with a pair.
Hossa isn’t going to start playing to his capacity until he has a guaranteed signed long term contract. Until then, we get to see Hossa extra lite.
Do the Thrashers really want a player that exhibits such selfish unprofessional behavior?
Hossa, by his own choice, is nothing more than trade bait.
By CooterMcGrudder
January 5, 2008 10:46 PM | Link to this
Schultz stick to what you know….jocksniffing and nosepicking u stink I wouldn’t wipe my enemies taint with your rancid garbage of mouthspew
By R. Stroz
January 5, 2008 10:47 PM | Link to this
If the Thrashers could get assurances from Cherepanov, the Thrashers should trade Hossa to the Rangers for Cherepanov plus another first round draft pick. Hossa would love to play in the lime light of New York with his brother.
By BigBill
January 5, 2008 11:05 PM | Link to this
NEWS FLASH…….
Just back from Time machine visit to game VS Buffalo…
Buffalo 6 Atl 2.
Holik shoots puck in his own goal, not once but TWICE !
Klee feeds perfect centering pass towide open Vanack for a goal, Zit makes perfect pass to Stafford for goal and Ryan Miller becomes FISRT goalie to score twice in a game, sending two clearing shots past a STUNNED KL for his first game winning goal ever.
Look for yet ANOTHER SOFT Listless effort from a team on the way DOWN !
By Hey Cooter
January 5, 2008 11:07 PM | Link to this
Hey CooterMcGrudder, stick you your 14 year old girls and moonshine OK !
By CooterMcGrudder
January 5, 2008 11:14 PM | Link to this
I like boys, but you were right about the moonshine 1 outa 2 ain’t bad just ask meatloaf
By Sam
January 6, 2008 12:23 AM | Link to this
I like Hossa, but I am sick of his whining about whether or not he is sure he is playing for a winning team. Remember the playoffs. He went silent. He would have a right to complain if he was contriubting what Kovy is doing this year. Recently he said Alanta was great, but he wouldn’t mind a little snow. The other night in the VERSUS brodacast, he said the team “thinks they are better than they are”. The writing is on the wall. He has one foot out the door. He needs to be honest with DW and tell him he whether he wants to stay or move on. He owes us that much considering he has not played well enough to earn the $$$ he is cashing in on now.
By Meat
January 6, 2008 8:20 AM | Link to this
Dump the b******* and package that bipolar nut job between the pipes with him - use the so called GM as a bow. His is the first head that needs to roll at this point.
Why is it that this place settles for crap? Braves, Hawks, that laughing called football team and now this? At least in NY we’re passionite - here no one cares so the owners just look to collect ticket money.
How about calling for heads with passion? At least hockey fans draw the sabre, now it’s time to use it - off with Dud Don’s head and bye bye to 18 and 32.
I also bagged my season tickets - screw this!
By Meat
January 6, 2008 8:20 AM | Link to this
Dump the b******* and package that bipolar nut job between the pipes with him - use the so called GM as a bow. His is the first head that needs to roll at this point.
Why is it that this place settles for crap? Braves, Hawks, that laughing called football team and now this? At least in NY we’re passionite - here no one cares so the owners just look to collect ticket money.
How about calling for heads with passion? At least hockey fans draw the sabre, now it’s time to use it - off with Dud Don’s head and bye bye to 18 and 32.
I also bagged my season tickets - screw this!
By Meat
January 6, 2008 8:20 AM | Link to this
Dump the b******* and package that bipolar nut job between the pipes with him - use the so called GM as a bow. His is the first head that needs to roll at this point.
Why is it that this place settles for crap? Braves, Hawks, that laughing called football team and now this? At least in NY we’re passionite - here no one cares so the owners just look to collect ticket money.
How about calling for heads with passion? At least hockey fans draw the sabre, now it’s time to use it - off with Dud Don’s head and bye bye to 18 and 32.
I also bagged my season tickets - screw this!
By T-Bone
January 6, 2008 9:56 AM | Link to this
Schultz, you’re right on with your article. Hossa’s been a different player since that injury last January. He shows flashes of the Old Hossa, but just that flashes. And this year, the flashes are fewer and far between. I can’t imagine a professional of his stature dogging it this long, (almost a year now). Package him now before the rest of the league realizes he’s just not the player he used to be. Colorado’s in dire need of a forward with Sakic and Smyth out and at least that gets him into the Western Conference.
By dbot
January 6, 2008 10:33 AM | Link to this
Excellent article, Jeff. I’m glad to see someone pointing out the elephant in the room. Hossa is just not bringing a top-tier game to Atlanta. Whether its injury or effort, let’s cut bait and get something in return.
The only problem with picks/prospects that I can see is that Waddell/AS aren’t interested or can’t afford to go thru a “rebuilding” period again. Waddell needs to show success now - which means we might not get full value for Hossa.
By Brendan
January 6, 2008 11:52 AM | Link to this
Jeff, thanks for another insightful article. You are spot on with Hossa and his stats. Right now, I want to ask Thrasher fans something. Ready? “Are you ‘comfortable’ with an $8 million cap hit, for the next four years, for Marian Hossa?” If you answered, “no,” then you should consider embracing a trade to be made by Waddell. Or even, gasp, that the money ($8 million for a future Hossa contract,) to be BETTER SPENT in free agency this Summer.
By Barry
January 6, 2008 12:16 PM | Link to this
There is something definately wrong with Hossa this year. Last year me and my buddy was talking many times the great plays Hossa would do and to quote my friend “Hossa is an animal.” I can’t say Hossa has been that way this year. I don’t know if it’s confidence or he’s tired of trying to do everything himself and wanting the rest of the team to step up before he decides to follow instead of lead. I like Hossa as a person and a player, but he’s not showing much heart or urgency this year to help Thrashers get above .500 and stay there. Maybe if Waddell can trade Hossa for some lesser players and hopefully turn right around and trade for a capable player to fill Hossa’s role with another team with the freed up money..might be worth trading him. Not sure how all that works.
By gsubeatwriter
January 6, 2008 12:17 PM | Link to this
hit the nail on the head Jeff, maybe Hossa should signe before he cost himself some more money.
By Brendan
January 6, 2008 12:25 PM | Link to this
Russ, that is SUCH A GOOD POINT! Guys like Hossa and the Captain, Bobby Holik, always talk about “consistency.” And yet, they’re two of the most inconsistent players on the roster. Was last season an abberation of Hossa’s abilities?
My feeling is … no. That’s how good he CAN and SHOULD play. So, HE is being INCONSISTENT. And his -10 plus/minus rating just might be a career low and an indicator that he is on a downward spiral. His playoff numbers, aside from one season, are nothing to write home about. Point of fact, Marian Hossa never led the Senators when Ottawa needed him to be their leader. That is, when it mattered the most.
Could the same be said of Yzerman in Detroit? Or Sakic in Colorado? Or Lecavalier in Tampa Bay? Or Iginla, in Calgary?
Marian Hossa has been an outstanding power forward in this league. But he’s never put on a team on his shoulders and carried them. Perhaps he came close to that last season. The leader of the Atlanta Thrashers is Ilya Kovalchuk, the player who should be Captain.
Okay, one last thought on Hossa. He’s been in the league long enough to choose his next team. He never chose Atlanta. He got traded here. So, I won’t “boo” him when he leaves and plays for someone else next season. I just hope, for Hossa’s sake, he’s found the “magical team” that will whisk him away to Stanley Cup land, while accommodating his newly inflated contract. To be fair to Hossa, if I had the opportunity to land a $40 million contract, for the next five years, I’d want to be sure I didn’t get hurt to jeopardize that. Except that, playing not to get hurt in the NHL is the surest way to have that happen. Hossa expects a “pass” from all 30 GM’s out there, courting him. Sadly, he’ll probably get it. He’s going to be the highest paid Unrestricted Free Agent this Summer.
Well, unless he agrees to sign NOW with the team where he is traded. But even so, how does Hossa KNOW, for sure, that his next team won’t get sold or experience a coaching/GM overhaul, in the duration of his next contract? Answer: He doesn’t. He couldn’t possibly. That’s the THING about the “new NHL.” With the cap, things change. Teams will go up and down rather quickly. This year’s Cup winner/finalist may be next year’s ABSENTEE from the Playoffs. Huh? Well look no farther than the 2006 Carolina Hurricanes/Edmonton Oilers Finals, if you doubt that. Neither team participated in the 2007 playoffs. The Anaheim Ducks are a fraction of the team they were when they won the Cup last year. Cellar dwellar/last place finishers like St. Louis (2006) and Philadelphia (2007) are right back in the hunt for the Cup now. Would Hossa have ever considered these venues for his next team, last year? That’s the point. No one can predict the future. Hossa’s “best guess” for a Cup contender could be WRONG and the team dismantled and rebuilt while he endures it. Unless Hossa’s next team is the Red Wings or Devils, few teams can truly boast perennial contendership.
By Jeff Schultz
January 6, 2008 1:04 PM | Link to this
TONY C. — College football’s over (save one game), and the NFL has been over for a while in this town. So expect more hockey columns from here on out.
R.STROZ — I would hate to think that Hoss is doggin’ it to avoid injury but I can’t crawl inside his head. He certainly seems like a more upstanding guy than that. The strange thing is that athletes tend to play HARDER and play through injuries in a contract year, so that they can land the big contract. But maybe he figures the money’s going to be there regardless.
D-BOT — If it comes to a trade, it’s going to be interesting, because like I said above these deals tend to be for picks and prospects. The fact Don Waddell’s job could be on the line this year makes that an interesting dynamic, because I’m sure he wants this team to make a good showing for this year — not next year, if he’s not here.
BRENDAN — Excellent point about Hoss not putting a team on his shoulders. He didn’t need to do that in Ottawa, and he obviously didn’t do it down the stretch and in the playoffs last year. It just seems he’s not built that way.
By Brendan
January 6, 2008 1:26 PM | Link to this
Jeff, that’s exactly right. When it mattered the most, Hossa was a “no show.” Shoot, Tkachuk and Larsen were Atlanta’s playoff point leaders last season. Hossa had one point, while being a -6.
But I’d argue that this ownership is so “smitten” with Waddell, that they wouldn’t fire him, even if the team didn’t make the playoffs. I’d love it if Waddell turned around and said, “Ya know what? Other GMs get a budget of $48-50 million. I quit. I’m going to an organization that CAN spend closer to the cap on Opening Night. And until this ownership “processes that fully,” the next GM won’t do any better here in Atlanta.”
I’d actually stand up and applaud Waddell for having the gumption to say something like that.
By BlueEagle
January 6, 2008 5:18 PM | Link to this
Just back from the game…Hossa must have read your piece and gotten ticked off. He wasn’t bad this afternoon, more importantly, the team played 60 solid minutes of hockey instead of taking their usual break somewhere in there and Hedberg was remarkable in net…PAST remarkable.
Sad that most of our money is going to roster question marks in Lehtonen who needs to step up if he’s going to be the #1 goaltender he’s expected to be and Hossa, who could very likely not be here in the Spring.
By Eileen
January 6, 2008 7:18 PM | Link to this
Hoss must have read the article. He played a nice game. I still have a headache from all of the OBNOXIOUS Buffalo fans in my section!
By stendec
January 6, 2008 9:59 PM | Link to this
Who shook Marian Hossa until he woke up? Good job! Thrashers needed this one after stinking out home ice in last appearance. Moose was loose. Only two goals. Nice job wildlife guy! Play Moose. Keep Hossa scoring. Go on a tear! PLEASE. GO BLUE!
By Smoothie
January 6, 2008 11:18 PM | Link to this
Jeff!! — Way to go boy! Now that’s how you p** off a Slovakian from Bratislava!!! Definitely the best all-around game from Hoss since last fall when he was dominating defensemen at will. Perhaps this is a testament to his desire to stay. Or he’s just posturing so teams from the west in contention will make a good offer for his services. Either way, if we get the best from Hossa this January, the Thrashers will have a shot at the playoffs!!
And how about COLIN STUART!! said with a deep, inflected Scottish brogue! I love Colin Stuart! Wasn’t he the sidekick on Remote Control on MTV back in the day??
By R. Stroz
January 7, 2008 12:19 AM | Link to this
Smoothie a.k.a. Jsmooth - The Colin you’re thinking about is Colin Quinn from Remote Control who is playing at the Punchline comedy club in late February.