AJC > Sports > Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2007 > December > 18
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Fill the extra roster spot
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
First, the lines we talked about yesterday were in tact today at the morning skate as were the defensive pairings. So no surprise there. As expected, Kari Lehtonen is in goal. I grabbed him in the hallway this morning to ask about the unveiling of his new goalie mask. Evidently that’s on hold. He’s still waiting for it, and his order became less of a priority for the company after his injury. So those of you waiting for Lehtonen’s new mask will have to wait a little longer.
Besides this being a big divisional game, the Thrashers absolutely need to stop this losing streak. The key in the parity-filled NHL is to limit those losing streaks as much as possible. You’re going to lose games, you’re going to lose some in a row, but you don’t want to get beyond three or four if possible. Now, it’s not like teams are pulling away while the Thrashers are losing, because they’re not. But if you can limit the losing streaks and tread a little water when you’re not playing well, that’ll go a long way.
So let’s talk about roster changes for a moment. Don Waddell has some flexibility and said he might call up a player from Chicago based on what the team needs. Now granted, they need a little of everything, but which player in Chicago do you think could make the biggest impact? Let’s break it down:
Bryan Little - The team hasn’t won since they sent down Little, so maybe there’s the problem right there. We know what Little brings to the table at this point — he’s a pretty responsible player defensively, he’s not afraid to shoot but he was struggling to score. You could bring him back up and hope that a short stint in the minors helped his confidence and focus. Or…
Boris Valabik - The defense is struggling. The Thrashers have trouble clearing opponents from the front of the net. They could use another physical force on the blue line besides Garnet Exelby. Valabik would provide that. But then you’d have two extra defensemen assuming Mark Popovic is healthy (which he appears to be). Wouldn’t you prefer a forward. Someone like…
Brett Sterling - He’s been lighting things up in the AHL, scoring a ton of goals and the Thrashers could use some scoring help. But we know the issues: He’s best suited on the left wing and on a scoring line. Seats taken. Ilya Kovalchuk isn’t going anywhere and Slava Kozlov is probably better of on the second line with Marian Hossa then on the third line with Bobby Holik. So where the heck do you put Sterling?
The others: Let’s see, you could call up Jordan LaVallee to give your forwards more size. He could skate on the checking line. Anyone else? Ondrej Pavelec? Darren Haydar? Which current member of the Wolves do you think could make the biggest impact right now?
