Thrashers

By Russ

December 2, 2005 05:06 PM | Link to this

I probably wouldn’t have picked Havelid to be their best defenseman at the beginning of the season, so in that regard I am surprised. However, considering the “talent” Waddell has tried to pass off as a blue line it didn’t take much to climb to the top of this mountain of inferiority. Havelid has been very solid though, unfortunately he can’t play 60 minutes per game, which means the likes of Modry and DeVries get to see the ice occasionally. The penalties they are constantly taking is due to the fact that they are slow and always out of position. Once they are beaten they are probably better off taking the penalty than giving the opposition a great scoring chance. It’s a pretty sad situation when the best you can say about most of your defensemen is “at least they know when to take penalties to avoid great scoring chances”.

By Thrashy Thrashy

December 2, 2005 06:35 PM | Link to this

I vote for more ice time for Exelby. He’s got that Canadian grit!!!!!

By Brendan

December 3, 2005 12:29 AM | Link to this

I’ll go ahead and say “yes, he will make the Swedish Olympic team.” Havelid had a decent showing in the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals vs. New Jersey. I was excited when I’d heard we’d acquired him, and only gave up Kurtis Foster. I loved that Havelid is fourth-highest paid defenseman.

That’s how good GM’s build winners. They get decent players and don’t overpay them.

But truthfully, I’m not really sure how much Havelid is making.

Greg deVries brings an offensive aspect to our blueline. I like that he often “pinches up” to keep the play alive.

But it’s also true that he doesn’t have the speed he once did, and has trouble keeping up. It results in penalties. And penalties are killing this team.

I believe deVries is making $2.25 million. If Ottawa could have kept him for $1.2 million, they probably would have.

The Thrashers next six games are very winnable games, starting with Anaheim.

4-1-1 would certainly bolster spirits, not to mention get the Thrashers over .500 again. I think the last time it happened was the third game of the season, when the Thrashers finished annihilating the Capitals in successive nights. 2-1 was our record.

By ehordi

December 3, 2005 10:05 AM | Link to this

Braydon Coburn will be our best D man oneday. Until then, guys like Havelid can easily sit atop this heap. Modry looks lost. Sutton is not the Sutton of two years ago, Exelby still hits anything that moves, DeVries is solid. We rarely use Hnidy. ..

It’s better than the days of Tamer and Staios I guess.

http://www.thrashersfrenzy.com/forum/index.php

By TonyC

December 3, 2005 05:02 PM | Link to this

yeah. Modry should be limited to PP time or 3rd line D. Sutton, man what to do about this guy? Maybe if coach can convince him to always play like it’s the 3rd period in a blowout against toronto! I don’t know why Excelby isn’t given more ice time he seems like the blueliner that acts like a D-man consistently. DW should be vilified for getting all these SLOW guys when he was on the competition commitee and knew that the game was going to become faster…..

By JB

December 3, 2005 09:55 PM | Link to this

Good post again Brendan…..I wish you would post something I could argue with……although 4-1-1 is something Id say no way to........Ill go ahead and say it…..Our defense is just god awful…..Plus-Minus has never meant a whole lot to me. It is just an excuse tool these young GMs and player agents use to negotiate with(much like On Base Percentage in baseball).

I judge a defensemen by how hard he goes in to the corners and his positioning…..How hard he can make it on a star center. Penalty minutes should be small..That means you got beat and put your team a man down….most importantly…..how fast and often do you grab a point starting odd man rushes..That is very important. Speed is the name of the game on the blue line now…Right now we are thin..We need to get better via a trade