AJC > Sports > Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2005 > December > 01
Thursday, December 1, 2005
An ‘oh wow’ trade
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I know this will be a third day in a row without a Thrashers’ top, but forgive me. There’s not a whole lot to say. They’re playing well and mostly healthy, except for the usual goalies. I’ll return to the Thrashers tomorrow.
It’s not often that a blockbuster trade comes around and even rarer when they wow you. Last night I was watching my NHL Center Ice package when somebody on TSN, I believe, came on and announced that there was a blockbuster trade.
My attitude was, “Wow me.� When I heard Joe Thornton had been traded, I nearly fell over. That was a pretty big stunner, especially with all of the drama surrounding whether he would re-sign in Boston this past offseason. He did and his contract, with its $6.33 million average, was, I believe, the fourth largest signed by a forward after the lockout (Jarome Iginla, Vincent Lecavalier and Ilya Kovalchuk all average more).
I know that in the preseason I had picked Boston first or second in the East and right now they’re floundering. What do you think of the trade? Do you think it will awaken Boston from its losing ways? Do you think the Sharks, who lost in the seventh game of the Western finals in 2004, got the better of this deal? San Jose (which sent Marco Sturm, Brad Stuart and Wayne Primeau in the deal) was struggling, too.
Does this suddenly make them one of the best teams in the west or is their blue line too weakened by the loss of Stuart and Mike Rathje, who signed with Philadelphia before the season?
