Thrashers

By Russ

February 7, 2007 02:19 PM | Link to this

Now offer Coburn (and a mid-round pick if you need to sweeten the deal) for Leopold and Turgeon from Colorado.

By Jim

February 7, 2007 02:44 PM | Link to this

Good game last night. Pretty even. Still would prefer to see Coburn up here and Devo anywhere else.

By sisu

February 7, 2007 02:49 PM | Link to this

I would like to see Coburn traded…but I don’t think that will happen.

By Al

February 7, 2007 02:54 PM | Link to this

As a Chicago Wolves fan, let me be the first to say NOOOOOO!!!!! He doesn’t want to be here, and we don’t want him here. Get another team to take him off our hands.

By Moberg

February 7, 2007 03:17 PM | Link to this

Why is it that you people in Chicago dislike Coburn so much? I’ll bet the same people that take the time to publicly bad-mouth the poor kid will be the first to jump on the band-wagon when he’s one of the NHL’s premier blueliners.

As much as I’d like to see Devo succeed, I have to agree with those who say his play is slumping lately. I have no idea why Vish is sitting. He hasn’t been the greatest lately, but I don’t think he should be sitting.

Since the boys in blue sucked it up on the homestand, here’s to hoping they can pull together for a respectable road trip. Should be some great high scoring, fast paced games, seeing how The Thrash tend to play to the level of their opponents.

Go Blue!

By sisu

February 7, 2007 03:18 PM | Link to this

Al, do you think he will play in games?

I know the coach doesn’t care for him…

By Daniel

February 7, 2007 03:27 PM | Link to this

Read rumor that says the team is looking at Derek Armstrong from LA or Petr Cajanek from STL. Thoughts anyone?

By Jsmooth

February 7, 2007 03:27 PM | Link to this

This is not good news unless DW is about to pull the trigger on a deal. Coburn is no worse than Sutton nor Devo, yet Hartley is too scared to go with young players with better reflexes and quickness.

Sidebar: was Samsonov really waived by les Habs yesterday? Who thinks we should sign him and use him as protection when we decide to trade a couple of wings for a 1st line center?

By luckydog

February 7, 2007 03:44 PM | Link to this

I love this team but I see us being in 2nd, maybe 3rd place in the SE within 10 days. We can’t win in regulation and the only way we’ve stayed in first is all the early points against the Craps and Panthers, plus the loser points.

Craig or other experts: Is it just me or does it look like whenever we’re on the PP the other team really charges the puck and often disrupts the flow before we ever set up? And when we’re on the kill it looks like we retreat very quickly to a box 4 and allow them to set up more or less at will? Would this be a coaching strategy, lack of quickness and puck skills, or am I just seeing things?

By Bob

February 7, 2007 04:12 PM | Link to this

Well, lookie lookie. Moose gonna see some ice and Kari will get some rest, thank you, Bob. Nice excuse though for his recent mismanagement “I was trying to get him to see what it was like”. Whatever, at least he’s getting with the program and getting Moose some work, hopefully he follows it up and gets Moose every 6th or 7th start till the end so Kari stays fresh for the playoffs, when he will start every night.

It’s funny how the Chicago fans don’t want our top prospect back. If someone gives us a decent center for him, pull that trigger in a heartbeat, Fiddler.

By Brendan

February 7, 2007 04:13 PM | Link to this

Russ, do you think Coburn might be in the lineup for the Aves when we face them on Thursday?

By Lee

February 7, 2007 04:16 PM | Link to this

Hey double C, any news on the trade front?

By JP

February 7, 2007 04:28 PM | Link to this

Al….whats with Coburn and Chicago. First I have heard of unrest there.

By Tom

February 7, 2007 05:17 PM | Link to this

Al,

I am not a big Coburn fan, but he did season a bit when he was up here.

Give him another try and keep us informed of his progress.

By Tony C.

February 7, 2007 05:52 PM | Link to this

I actually thought DeVo played one of his better games of 2007 last night. Also, the team should be well aquainted with the idea that yes, the refs are not going to win or loose the game…only the players have sticks.

I’d love for The Kid to post a shutout…looks like that may bethe only way Le Thrash win in regulation…anyway-I thought that the team looked a lot better last night.

LET’S GO BLUE !!!

By Barry

February 7, 2007 05:56 PM | Link to this

I personally was impressed with Coburn’s play. Yea he started off a bit shakey but the more games he played up here the more confidence he seemed to gain and more settled in he seemed. I have high hopes for Coburn and hope he sticks with this organization. He’s got good size, decent on break out passes out of the Thrashers zone, and the fact that he can skate and skate well for dman his size is good. We need those types of dmen in the new NHL. Unfortunately he’s the odd man out and only player really with options for the minors. I would love to see Waddell move someone like Sutton, Vish, XLB, or DeVries in a deal to bring us a center and or dman and bring Coburn back up before the year is over.

By michael

February 7, 2007 06:13 PM | Link to this

Wadell has stated several times that Coburn is not going to be traded. I read that rumor about Armstrong and Cajanek, and it is what it is a rumor. As far as either one of those guys coming here, no thank you. Whoever mentioned Turgeon, do you really think this team needs another Rucchin? According to tsn.ca, now that the canes have all their defensmen healthy they are looking to trade. Will they beat us to the punch on the player we need?

By dj

February 7, 2007 06:26 PM | Link to this

Bob, there is no doubt in my mind BH must have read your posts yesterday and decided to play the moose. You idiot. It’s back to back games with a goalie starting 15 straight by then. You give him a quick break. It’s not b/c you said it. Also, since you made a comment about the pk sucking last night w/out jpvj, how were they when he was there? How many games has he lost for this team this season, I cna think of 4 off the top of my head. Do me a favor and move out of atlanta.

By Tony C.

February 7, 2007 06:31 PM | Link to this

Hey I got this from the NHL…thought yall might like to participate:

Cajanek rumors?? Ugh. Please no.

Samsonov off of waivers??? He doesn’t seem to be taking the transition to the “New” NHL well….who knows though He’s Russian, he might get off playing on the same team as #17 and Slava-Matic…Of course he did play with Kovalev in Motreal…anyway, I’d say samsonov is an iffy pick-up at best…I think Sim’s faster, and it’s not like Samsonov has been lighting the lamp with anything close to consistency.

LET’S GO BLUE !!!

By RatDog

February 7, 2007 09:12 PM | Link to this

They do really need to give Lehtonen a rest. Whoever said on the other blog that they saw Lehtonen with a bandage on the ankle last night, may be on to something. Mabye that’s why he struggled in that Devils game, Craig reported last week that even the Devils noticed Lehtonen was struggling. Hossa looks like he’s playing hurt too.

Hartley overplayed Lehtonen early in the year and wore him out, then he had to play Hedberg 6 or 7 games straight while Lehtonen got straight again.

Hartley has a history of mismanaging players, it’s what got him in trouble in Colorado. You’d think he’d learn from his trouble there. He also had a thing against rookies.

At least the power play looked a little better last night. Hartley needs to get the penalty kill in order though, that is killing this club.

By Brendan

February 7, 2007 10:13 PM | Link to this

Tony C., I’m already a member. And I encourage all other bloggers to join. I’ve been a member since the lockout ended. Not all polls are advertised. But if you check in on the site on a daily basis, you can usually find some. You get to tell the league what you want to see. (More fighting, less fighting, choice of games on Versus, rule changes and how well you like them, scheduling concerns, All-Star balloting, etc.) Yes, some of the questionnaires are a bit long, like “rank your favorite sports and how likely you are to buy merchandise from each. Then why.” But, there are non-marketing polls, too. Check out Tony’s link.

By Brendan

February 7, 2007 10:28 PM | Link to this

I wanted to ask the blog which UFA defenseman, or defensemen, (plural,) you’d like to see DW try to package in a deal?

A) Vishnevski, $1.55 million. B) Exelby, $684,000. C) Andy Sutton, $2.0 million. D) Greg deVries, $2.28 million. E) Shane Hnidy, $600,000.

I know, I hear you screaming, “move Popovic.” Mark is only $500,000, and is under contract for next season. We’re gonna need inexpensive blueliners next year. I don’t really believe the trade talk about Coburn. I think he’ll be here next year.

Yeah, I just heard someone say, “Why can’t DW re-sign some of these UFA’s, like Hnidy or Exelby? It probably won’t be thaaat expensive.” Good question. He just might. But if doesn’t get them re-signed, then they are lost for absolutely nothing. I’d be surprised if Don can re-sign Andy Sutton. But at the same time, I doubt he’d try to move him at the trade deadline, unless we got a pretty solid return along that blueline. Don has said he has no interest, whatsoever, in Eric Brewer. The Blues haven’t traded him yet. He’d only be owed $1.0 million left on his current contract, or thereabouts. I think it’s close to the same deal with Sutton. So maybe Don really is telling truth, “why move Sutton, a guy who knows our system, for a newcomer, at the same salary?” Then again, I have a long history of misreading Don Waddell and his intentions.

By Bill

February 7, 2007 10:35 PM | Link to this

I think you will see a deal by this weekend, the trading deadline is getting close should be a lot of activity within the next week,Kozlov looked bewildred last nigh in the shoot out, he didn’t do anything that was tricky, also Kerri looked tired in the shootout he has been playing alot I would have started the Moose last night.

By Bob

February 7, 2007 10:44 PM | Link to this

Brendan, it’ll be hard to move Vishnevski or DeVries, but if The Fiddler can do it, then he’s done quite a good job, assuming he gets a good center in return.

Vishnevski and a 2nd round pick for a good offensive center would be great.

Then, when he quits fiddlin’, he can package another 3rd or 4th rounder and a prospect for Veeshknovskee from the Kings to come in and QB our PP.

RatDog, Hartley was chased out of Colorado by the players that were sick of his tactics there. Not that I’m pining for Forsberg, but it makes me wonder if he’d want to come play for Bob again. As I recall, it was the younger players that bridled under him, mabye Tanguay, and the vets didn’t like being rode hard by Hartley.

Roy loved to play every night and was up to it, he had many years of experience by the time Bob was coaching him.

I too remember reading CC write an article or blog about the Devils commenting that Lehts was fighting the puck in that game against them, mabye something CC heard up in the press box from their guys.

By Bob

February 7, 2007 10:50 PM | Link to this

Bill, traditionally, you want to bring a guy in when you have a good stretch at home so the Coach can work him into the system at home practices and not while traveling on a long trip.

My guess is The Fiddler waits till the trade deadline. To be fair to him, his hands may be tied by the ownership situation.

I concur re. Lehts, he’s wore out, but he did play a heck of a game last night, but wasn’t himself in the shootout. But Buffablow is pretty damn good in the shootout.

Buffablow looked good again tonight against Ottawa, that was a fun game to watch.

By Lee

February 7, 2007 11:04 PM | Link to this

Luckydog your analysis of the PP and Pk situation is dead on and I agree ten fold. I think it is defenitely a coaching issue. They aren’t aggressive enough on the PK right off the bat and they need to find a way to set up the PP. The old dump-and-chase isn’t workin

By Brendan

February 7, 2007 11:08 PM | Link to this

At this point, Bob, I’d take what Don can get. If these players are to be lost, for absolutely nothing, I’d settle for more 3rd round picks. Maybe ONE of them could click. It would only take one (1) to have been worth it. After all, they’ll be lost for absolutely nothing (unless re-signed as UFA’s). I wasn’t even thinking that he could snare that elusive Center for which we’ve all been clamoring.

I suspect the Center would require surrendering a 1st round pick, maybe Kozlov, and probably “sweeteners” of some sort. In that regard, I’m looking at Slater, Sim, Hnidy, Popovic, maybe even deVries. DeVries does bring ample playoff experience to whichever team lands him. And at his pro-rated salary, it’s far from the worst pick up a Western Conference GM could make, if his “missing piece” of the Stanley Cup puzzle is a 3rd pairing blueliner capable of playing 13 minutes, (when called upon,) and who has playoff experience.

I’m not sure what we’ve get in return for deVries, in a “one-for-one” exchange, but whatever it is, it’s got to be better than NOTHING. By the way, Kozlov is also “unrestricted” this Summer. I don’t especially want him to leave, (he’s gotten us plenty of shootout success and corresponding points in the standings,) but if Don feels he can’t re-sign Slava this Summer … ANNND he feels trading Kozzie can bring the “big name” center to town, who knows if that’s not precisely what he’ll do.

By michael

February 7, 2007 11:14 PM | Link to this

Bob, did you not read the article that was up after the last lost to philly? Foppa said that the thrash was definately a team he would consider. He also had high praise for Hartley.

By michael

February 7, 2007 11:17 PM | Link to this

Brendan, I have heard on several occasions Don say Kozzy will not be involved in a trade.

By Brendan

February 7, 2007 11:36 PM | Link to this

I hope that’s true, Michael. I want Slava re-signed this Summer, if possible. Hey, how much do you think it’ll cost DW to do it? He’s at $2.3 million right now. I’m thinking it’s got to be up in $3+ million range, if not more. I don’t really know how “Shootout percentage” factors into contracts. But considering that points are won and lost in shootouts, I would think the player who has a high percentage rate can ask for, and get an ARBITRATOR to agree, that he needs to be PAID well for it. And once those awards come out, the UFA’s will demand the moon and stars. Good thing the cap is going up, huh?

By Bob

February 8, 2007 12:41 AM | Link to this

Michael, that’s good that Foppa said that, I wonder how much of that was simply because he truly is a class guy. Hartley was chased out of Colorado and the word was that he had lost the players, only thing I ever heard was the vets were fed up, mabye Foppa wasn’t one of them.

Today’s paper has some high praise from Roy about Hartley. I remember that story about Roy breaking a TV in Hartley’s office after Hartley had yanked him from a game. Roy was a heck of a competitor. Didn’t he get his hat handed to him in some fight by someone? Can’t remember who.

By R. Stroz

February 8, 2007 12:56 AM | Link to this

Although I never thought there could be a pansy as bad as Stefan, DW brought in Kapanen for Stefan. It’s time DW realizes Kapanen is too soft to move anyone on defense, not productive on offense, and incapable of winning an adequate percentage of face offs. Put Kapanen on waivers and hope someone takes him.

By Cam

February 8, 2007 06:37 AM | Link to this

Coburban has been overated ever since DW laid eyes on him. No upper body strength, prefers to play the puck. Include him in a trade soon but history suggests if Waddell will do anything it’s be too little, too late! Thrashers are very much “one and out” material and may start playoffs from 3rd place in division.

By Joey

February 8, 2007 07:34 AM | Link to this

I was watching the Red Wings vs. Coyotes on FSN detroit last night and they mentioned that Don Waddell was attending the game scouting players. I thought that was interesting and that I’d pass that along.

By Russ

February 8, 2007 07:49 AM | Link to this

For the record, I just threw out the Coburn trade as something I would do if I was in DW’s shoes…I have seen no rumors linking Coburn as part of a trade. Michael, I see Turgeon as a polar opposite of Rucchin. Rucchin is basically a defensive center at this point in his career…Turgeon I think still has some play-making ability left, but doesn’t play much defense. I would basically look at Turgeon as a rental player that if we were lucky enough to catch lightning in a bottle might be able to center Kovy and click with him better than Rucchin has…and if not he is cheap and an UFA at the end of the season so you aren’t out much. The big piece of that trade would be Leopold… a legitimate top four d-man to add to the two currently on the roster. I am not arguing that there isn’t a need for a play-making center…but I think a d-man has to be the top priority heading towards the trade deadline. Looking at how the Thrashers stand vs. the rest of the NHL in GF and GA it is clear this team has a lot more trouble keeping the puck out of their net than they do putting it in the opposing one.

Regarding the PP and PK problems: I think the personnel is there for the PP to be better. I have been saying all season that Kovy should be playing a wing on the PP, not the point. Hartley moved him around vs. New Jersey and the result was three PP goals. Since then he has been back on the point and the PP has not produced. In my opinion I don’t see the PK getting much better without changes to the roster…I just don’t think they currently have the players to be a good penalty killing team.

By Bob

February 8, 2007 09:18 AM | Link to this

Who would The Fiddler be scouting on the Yotes? Yanic Perreault? He’s played decent at center after the Phoenix picked him up after the season started. Could he be one stop shopping and QB a PP also?

By Rawhide

February 8, 2007 10:45 AM | Link to this

I’m probably tossing out old news here, but….

I think Vish is sitting because there is a trade in the works. Him plus who FOR who???/ I dunno.

that’s just my gut feeling.

HHmmm,….I wonder if we could tie Kapanen in with Vish for a trade for a good Center?????

By Brendan

February 8, 2007 12:04 PM | Link to this

Don Waddell was in Detroit, huh. I guess he doesn’t have the “Center Ice” package? Maybe it was “nostalgia” that brought him back. Rubbing hands together, maybe he’s worked out a deal for Zetterberg and Datsyuk! Sorry, couldn’t resist.

It’d be more like Waddell to go get Lang. Waddell pays folks to scout for him. This was probably some “boondoggle” scam for free trip to Detroit to see friends.

By Tom

February 8, 2007 12:20 PM | Link to this

Rawhide

Or maybe Vish is sitting because they are showcasing another player.

By Bob

February 8, 2007 12:32 PM | Link to this

Brendan, the Wings were playing the Coyotes, he had to have been scouting the Yotes. Wings are playoff bound, Yotes are probably sellers.

By Bob

February 8, 2007 12:33 PM | Link to this

It is nice to finally be wondering who we’ll get, instead of wondering who we’ll dump at the deadline.

By Hip Czech

February 8, 2007 12:59 PM | Link to this

Maybe the Fiddler can swing a deal for Vernon Fiddler…

By Brendan

February 8, 2007 01:19 PM | Link to this

That’s probably true, Bob. But, if any negotiations were being made that night, it would have been with Ken Holland, lest the Yotes GM made the trip to Detroit, as well. Ya never know, maybe Detroit wants to “tweak” its lineup some. I wouldn’t put it past Detroit to offer some 3rd round pick for Hnidy, or something. I haven’t heard which Coyotes players are being shopped. One could argue, they all are.

By Rawhide

February 8, 2007 01:25 PM | Link to this

Tom, you may be right as well,….we’ll just have to wait and see I guess.

I will go on the record as saying that it would be far better to error on the side of MAKING the big trade then NOT…..if we had built on our great play through New Years by ADDING to our lead,……going 7-2-1 over the past 10 games, maybe I would feel better about the squad as-is……

I will just wait and see with the rest of us, I guess….

By Brendan

February 8, 2007 01:28 PM | Link to this

I still think we could be dumping “surplus” at the deadline. If some 10th-seeded Western Conference team offered a 2nd round pick for Hnidy, or even Vishnevski, it’s something Don might want to at least “think” about. Although, looking at what happened to Buffalo last year, I do have the feeling that Don doesn’t want to part with too many defensemen.

The Atlanta Thrashers are only six points removed from missing the playoffs. That’s a bit sobering. They’re still 11-points over .500, but that’s what?, 94-96 points, at the current pace. That’s still too close for comfort. If this road trip should be an “o-fer,” Don may find himself in quite a spot. Enough to be a “seller?” Probably not. More like a frantic buyer. This HAS to be a playoff year. Well, wait a minute. Not if Belkin fails in his bid. Then, nothing will change if Atlanta misses the playoffs. But, let’s stay positive. Our injured guys are back, time to start playing like it’s October again.

By JP

February 8, 2007 04:48 PM | Link to this

Who all are UFA this summer on the Thrashers?

Who does everyone want to own them and why?

By Brendan

February 8, 2007 07:41 PM | Link to this

The UFA’s are Sim, Larsen, Vigier, Boulton, Exelby, Hnidy, Vishnevski, deVries, Sutton, Kozlov, Mellanby and, maybe Metropolit. I can’t remember if Metro is a UFA or not. Also, Haydar, I think, is unrestricted. Jim Slater is “restricted.” Some sources have McCarthy as “restricted.” But I thought he was under contract for next season, at $775K.