AJC > Sports > Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2008 > February
February 2008
Hossa to be re-evaluated today
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You’ll have to excuse my brevity on this blog. I have a story to write and plane to Boston to catch. That was a nice enjoyable home stand, right?
In a unique schedule twist, the Thrashers have back-to-back afternoon road games. Look for Johan Hedberg to get the start against Boston and for Kari Lehtonen to come back against Pittsburgh. I’m sure you already saw this, but Marian Hossa suffered an MCL sprain while making his Pittsburgh debut. I just got off the phone with Pittsburgh GM Ray Shero and he said he couldn’t say with absolute certainty that Marian wouldn’t play against the Thrashers on Sunday, but it was most likely. He said the injury was a grade 1 MCL sprain and that he’d be re-evaluated today. “We’ll see how sore he is,” Shero said. “I would say he’s out for Sunday.”
Shero said he was really hesitant to trade two players off his roster in Christensen and Armstrong for Hossa but Don Waddell made it clear that it would be a deal-breaker if they didn’t include those two. “That was tough,” Shero said. But that’s the reason why Pascal Dupuis was sent the other way. Shero had been interested in Dupuis anyways, regardless of a Hossa deal, and insisted that Dupuis be included since the Penguins were giving up two roster players.
Lastly, I was overwhelmed with e-mails from Colby Armstrong fans in Pittsburgh. I interviewed a couple for the story, but wanted to share some that I didn’t use. Here are a few snippets of the e-mails:
“…We’re still reeling from the loss here. He was more than just a Penguins player, you know? He was the kind of guy that made us feel like we were along for the ride with him. He did radio shows and interviews for the Pittsburgh media, and he was well known for his sense of humor. His personality is what will be missed more than anything - Army is one of those guys that you want to have around regardless of whether he’s producing or not.
The fact that he’s not the most skilled guy on the bench also added to his appeal in a strange way. He worked hard for every point he got, and - especially to the youngsters - it felt kind of like if he could do it, maybe we could too….”
“…He is an amazing guy, he is a great hockey player but I can’t stress enough what he brings to the locker room. Now, obviously I have never been into the locker room but I have read many of interviews and articles, and of course seen a million youtube videos. Sidney Crosby has so much on his shoulders at all times and I can only think that having Colby as his roommate helped Sid keep things light…”
“… I have to admit there was outrage followed by misty eyes when we found out about the trade. And you know a player is special when it outrages fans that their team aquired probably the best winger in the league in exchange for a guy who probably won’t break the 20 goal plateau in his career.
I got the chance to expirence the Winter Classic in person this year, and although the Crosby shootout goal was unbelieveable, I truly think Armstrong’s first period goal captured the feeling of the day…”
“…When my wife was pregnant, we put Colby on our names list without a serious commitment to it. But it turned out that our son was born about “20” minutes after Colby’s overtime goal to beat Florida on Feb 22, 2007. So we named our son Colby Andrew…”
Hard to top that one.
A new mayor for Blueland
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
First things, first. You guys are going to love Colby Armstrong. Love him. I’m already hearing fantastic stories about how he treated fans in Pittsburgh and April Fools Day jokes he pulled on teammates. Chris Thorburn said Armstrong’s sense of humor is legendary in Canada. I sat down with Armstrong this morning for a few minutes for a Friday feature I’m doing on him, and he was great. But I’m saving all the good stuff for my story, and the best stuff isn’t for public consumption. So the blog gets the shaft in that department. I will say this - if you’re a Pittsburgh fan, and have a minute for an interview today about Armstrong and what he meant to the fans there, please e-mail me: ccustance@ajc.com. If you spend a few moments on the Atlanta Thrashers message board, there are some great stories from fans who talk about Armstrong. One told about how he bought a bunch of pizzas for some college kids waiting outside in line. Another about about kids crying when the Hossa trade was announced. He is a glue-guy, and this team needed some glue. A lot of it.
Somebody asked yesterday in the blog section if Angelo Esposito was the player the Thrashers tried to trade up and get in last year’s draft and the answer is yes. The Thrashers had him rated in their top eight, and when he started to slip, they scrambled to try and get a pick to grab him. They were willing to move their first-round pick in this year’s draft to get him, which is saying something considering how deep this draft is. Instead, now they have him and two first-rounders. It’s funny how quickly things can change.
Don Waddell will start Armstrong and Christensen on the same line, hoping their familiarity with each other helps ease the transition. Eric Perrin will be on the left wing as the third player on that line. The third line will be Slava Kozlov, Bobby Holik and Bryan Little. Little said he’s fine with the move to the wing, saying it’s actually less responsibility than center. We’ll see how it goes tonight. Mark Popovic, Steve McCarthy and Brad Larsen will sit.
More deadline day fallout: I know Waddell is being hit pretty hard for not trading some of the other UFAs. I asked him about that today, and he said that the offers of draft picks just weren’t significant enough for the players being moved. In his opinion, there is more benefit for the organization to keeping those players around and at least trying to be competitive these final five weeks or so than getting some draft picks in future drafts. If Cristobal Huet (21-12, 2.56, .916) only fetched a second-rounder, I’m guessing the bounty for Johan Hedberg (13-10, 3.30, .896) was well south of that. And Zhitnik’s salary makes him nearly impossible to deal. So that leaves Bobby Holik. It’s hard to say what you could have gotten in return for him, but evidently it wasn’t enough.
I’m sure we’ll hear more details about the inner-workings of the Marian Hossa trade as time moves on, but ultimately it came down to three concrete packages of players - the deal with Pittsburgh and offers from Montreal and Ottawa. To me, that’s interesting because in those three teams, you have a trio battling in the Eastern Conference, and as of right now, they’re all within two points of each other (Montreal - 77, Ottawa - 78, Pittsburgh - 79). In getting Hossa, the Penguins not only landed a superstar, but they prevented the Habs and Sens from getting him. There’s some value in that, and Waddell no doubt, was able to get a little more value playing those teams against each other.
Final thoughts from Montreal
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Montreal — While my plane outside in wintry Montreal thaws, here are some final thoughts on what was an exhausting, stressful but fun four days in Montreal.
On the trade: I think Don Waddell did pretty well in the package he got for Marian Hossa. The trade goes from a B to an A if Esposito turns out to be as good as some people think he can. There were a lot of varying opinions from insiders in Montreal. Nobody is denying his talent, but there are concerns about a drop of production in junior and that he was cut three times by Team Canada for the world junior championships. But there are people who felt like he might have a crack at playing on one of Pittsburgh’s top two lines as early as next season, so we’ll see. I think Colby Armstrong is exactly the kind of player this team sorely lacks and he and Christensen are very affordable. Waddell said that Pittsburgh sweetened the deal in the final moments, but wouldn’t specify what the sweetener was. He did say getting the first-rounder was crucial to the deal. People love this upcoming draft, especially the top seven. Maybe Waddell can package his two-first rounders into the top part of the draft (unless, of course, the Thrashers end up in the lottery).
Ultimately, I don’t think you can fully judge this trade until you see who the Thrashers acquire this summer in the salary slot vacated by Marian Hossa. If they finally address the defense with that $7 or $8 million, not to mention the money coming off the books with Bobby Holik and Steve Rucchin’s expiring contracts, the Thrashers could be significantly better entering next season. If the Hossa money isn’t spent, well then, it’s open season for the critics.
I know you guys are sick of hearing it, but I want to pay Marian Hossa one last compliment on how he handled the whole situation, especially from my perspective. He essentially game-planned the weekend in Canada while meeting with Waddell on Friday. Waddell said they decided to face the media head on, and they did. Hossa stood in front of his locker in Toronto and stayed until every last question was asked. Then in Montreal, he came out in the hall after practice on Monday and patiently answered every question from a mob of media. He was kind enough to take my call, literally minutes after he found out about the trade, and later came down to the hotel lobby to answer questions for a few TV journalists, including a Slovakian station, who had waited a long time down there to get a clip. He could have easily turned his cell off the moment he found out about the trade, and ducked out the back of the hotel and really, everyone would have understood. Class act.
Now you guys. Unbelievable effort on the blog yesterday. We shattered every record, from page views to comments. The Thrashers blog found itself in the ‘Most Popular Stories’ box on ajc.com, a place usually reserved for Britney Spears, tornadoes and Signing Day. All we were missing were comments from Chipper Jones. Nice work and I really appreciate the interaction.
Montreal closing in on Hossa?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Update: 3:30 p.m. — The Thrashers traded Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis to the Penguins for three young players right before the trading deadline. What follows is Craig Custance’s blog written earlier today.
Montreal - Good morning. The craziness starts today. I’ll post everything on this blog in the comment section as I’m hearing it. Montreal seems to be the serious front-runner for Hossa, and I wouldn’t be surprised if something is close if not done. I’ll let you know for sure ASAP. Ottawa was seriously in the mix last night, so we’ll see what happens. In the meantime, what did you think of the Boyle and Prospal deal?
Everybody accounted for at practice
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Montreal - Just a quick update to let you know that practice is going on right now, and everybody is on the ice. Same with Montreal. So nothing brewing just yet.
Hossa offers heating up
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Toronto - It’s wild up here in Toronto. Huge crowds around Don Waddell and Marian Hossa this morning after the morning skate. Waddell officially admitted that signing Hossa before the trade deadline wasn’t an option. “No, I don’t believe so at this point,” he said. But we already knew that, right?
For me, the most compelling thing was that Waddell said the trade offers are starting to get interesting. He’s been saying that the offers for Hossa weren’t doing it for him, but now that’s changed.
“They’re getting interesting,” Waddell said. “We expect it to heat up even more.”
I asked if the recent losses have changed his stance on trading guys like Bobby Holik and Mark Recchi before the deadline and he said no. Other than Hossa, the Thrashers have no plans on being sellers at the deadline. You have to wonder if that will change if the team turns in another performance tonight like they did in Carolina and New York.
I’ll give you more updates as they come.
Hossa rumors: Distraction or excuse?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
So, how big a distraction do you think this Marian Hossa situation is for the Thrashers? Bobby Holik called it a cloud that keeps moving with the team, although he said it wasn’t a black cloud. Slava Kozlov has said in the past that he thinks it’s a distraction to the team and Hoss. When I asked Mark Recchi about it after the game last night, he refused to say the Hossa rumors were a distraction.
“That’s an excuse. No. Obviously, we’d like to know one way or another, but we’re not in this game for excuses. We still have to go play, we’re still fighting for a playoff spot regardless of if Hossa is going to get traded or isn’t going to get traded. He’s part of our hockey team right now. He’s not letting it affect his play, why should everybody else?”
Todd White also refused to use the Hossa situation as an excuse for the poor performances turned in the last two games.
“There are not too many teams who aren’t going through some type of rumors right now. As professionals we have to realize that and play hard every night,” White said.
I followed up by reminding him that not every team is going through rumors involving their best player.
“No, but every team has somebody wondering whether or not they’re going to be traded or somebody is going to take their spot. There’s uncertainty with every team, obviously we have a big uncertainty.
Fair enough. I’ve asked Don Waddell a few times if the Hossa deal is a distraction and each time he’s said no. But I asked again last night to see if he changed his mind in light of a bad performance.
“I don’t know if it’s Marian or the whole trade deadline,” Waddell said. “I hope not, these guys are pros, they’re going to play somewhere, here or in another city. We have a lot of business to take care of including another game before the deadline. We can’t let that game slip by us.”
So what do you think? If it’s not the pressure surrounding the deadline, how else can you explain the pitiful performances the Thrashers turned in the last two games in the midst of a tight Southeast division race?
Sundin on the move? TSN is reporting that Toronto’s Mats Sundin met on Thursday to discuss his future with the team. According to Darren Dreger, Cliff Fletcher asked Sundin for a list of teams he would play for although he never officially asked him to waive his no-trade clause. This is important because people in the Thrashers organization believe that teams may be waiting to see what happens with Sundin before aggressively pursuing Hossa. So this is a situation to be monitored tightly. It helps that Saturday’s game is in Toronto, now doesn’t it?
Yesterday, Waddell described the trade market for Hossa as cautious: “Things always happen when you’re forced with a deadline. I think teams are cautious, we’re not the only option out there. Teams are looking at multiple options.”
Practice report: The Thrashers practiced today in Toronto, and Hossa sat this one out too since he’s still bothered by the flu. The plans for him were to get a light workout in off the ice.
Marian Mythbusters
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
First let’s get this out of the way. Marian Hossa participated in the morning skate here in Raleigh. He’s still a little sapped from the flu, but he was there. So, let’s play a round of Marian Hossa Mythbusters, shall we?
Myth: The Canadiens received a shipment of Marian Hossa hockey equipment in Habs colors.
Truth: Yes, there was a shipment of Hossa equipment to Montreal in blue and red. But it was a shipment for his brother Marcel. In Rangers colors.
Myth: Valtteri Filppula said on his Facebook page that he’d been traded from Detroit to Atlanta in a deal for Marian Hossa.
Truth: It was a fake. Filppula has contacted the Red Wings front office to alert them that somebody is using his name on Facebook. Actually, it’s fairly common for people to do that, which is pretty scary. More than one of the Thrashers has said people have used their names online, and had conversations with friends and families posing as them. Hey, that’s a story.
Myth: Mark Recchi and Marian Hossa were spotted at Hartsfield-Jackson getting on a flight to Montreal this morning.
Truth: This one is my favorite because I was e-mailed this tip while I was watching Hossa and Recchi skate past me at the skate this morning. That being said, I will admit that I was consciously looking for Hossa at the airport this morning, especially in the long security line. It was something to do, anyways.
Myth: Hossa caught the flu from Sasquatch.
Truth: Actually, I’m pretty sure that one is true.
Waddell: Nothing on the table I’m considering
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s a sinking feeling when you pull into the players parking lot in Duluth and Marian Hossa’s car is gone when everybody else is practicing. But, turns out, Hossa is just the latest casualty in the flu bug being passed around the Thrashers locker room. I’m pretty sure it started with Niclas Havelid and has now made its way to Hoss. But if the other players are any indication, it’s a quick-hitter and Hossa should be back on the ice for the morning skate on Thursday. Either that, or he’s traded.
Spoke with Don Waddell last night. First, it looks like not every edition of today’s story got a quote from him concerning guys like Bobby Holik and Mark Recchi. I added the quote for later editions and Waddell said: “I’m looking to keep all those guys. We have to deal with the Marian situation, but we don’t want to delete.”
Now that seems pretty conclusive, but then he followed it up with: “There are not that many players out there.” He didn’t expand, but that leads me to believe that there might be a lot of value in being a seller, so if Waddell is swept off his feet for another player, who knows?
But the most interesting thing from my conversation with Waddell is in regards to Hossa. He continues to say that keeping Hossa is a viable option, especially considering the offers he’s getting in Naples. He’s standing firm on his stance that he wants a player back who can help the Thrashers win games this year. He hasn’t mentioned specific players, but some of the names we discussed yesterday seem like a good place to start: Jonathan Cheechoo, Valtteri Filppula and you can add Chris Higgins to that list.
But right now, those looking to add Hossa to their team aren’t coming strong enough for Waddell’s taste.
“The talks are started, but I can tell you nobody stepping to the plate and saying, ‘I’ve got to have this guy right now,’” Waddell said. “Right now, there’s nothing on the table that I’m considering.”
If Forsberg really isn’t coming back, that helps Hossa’s price. But the situation to watch is Mats Sundin. If Sundin gets traded, then the attention turns to Hossa. Until then, teams might be in a wait-and-see mode.
Lastly, i know there are reports that Waddell would grant a team a 48-hour window to negotiate with Hossa and his agent, but I’m still being told that the Thrashers still aren’t at a point where they would grant that. Not right now, anyways.
Alright, I have to head downtown, big staff meetings today.
Dupuis looking for long-term deal
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Well, Bobby Holik is on to us. I wrote a story for Wednesday about some of the Thrashers not named Marian Hossa involved in trade rumors, and Holik is on the top of that list. I asked him about the possibility of going to a contender, or even back to New Jersey who could be on the market for a veteran center.
He refused to even consider the possibility. “There’s nothing to think about,” he said. “It’s something you guys are cooking up in the backrooms of these arenas and putting out there. That’s all it is.”
So let’s see, what else can we cook up? Pascal Dupuis was saying after practice today that he kept hearing his name bounced around for three weeks last season, and nothing happened. Then the moment it got quiet, he was traded. So maybe, if we don’t talk about Marian Hossa for a couple of days, a deal will get done. Not that I want this whole ordeal finalized or anything.
You have to think Peter Forsberg removing himself from consideration only helps the market for Hossa. The Patrick Marleau injury probably means we can remove his name from consideration, but Waddell could turn his focus to a guy like Jonathan Cheechoo during talks with the Sharks. Yes, I know he’s struggling this season, but he’s only two seasons removed from a 56 goal season. Plus he’s only 27.
Interesting read by The Falconer, where he breaks down some of the younger players Hossa could net in a deal with interested teams. Of all the players he mentions, I think the most intriguing is Detroit’s Valtteri Filppula. It’s highly probable that any discussions with Detroit are centered around Filppula. He turns 24 in March and continues to get better in Detroit. He has 16 goals this season and is playing about 16-17 minutes a game for the Wings, mostly at center.
I still think a slight complication will be Hossa’s seemingly strong desire to go to free agency. If teams felt like they had a great chance of signing Hossa, they might be willing to pay more for him. But if you’re a team like, say, Dallas - why would you pay the big price Waddell is asking now for Hossa when you can just sign him in July? Oh yeah, you want to win this year. But some teams might rather show some patience and then make their pitch for Hoss this summer.
Speaking of Dupuis, he did say that Waddell has been in touch with his agent about staying with the Thrashers beyond this season. He’s scheduled to be a free agent on July 1. His top priority is a long-term deal that gives him and his family some stability. He’s married with two kids. “It’d like if it could be here,” he said. “But [a long-term contract] is what I’m looking for.”
No practice, but plenty of rumors
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
No practice today, which to a NHL beat writer is kind of like a snow day.
So now the waiting game begins. Really, it’s only a matter of time until a trade is made, whether that’s Don Waddell strengthening the troops for a stretch run or a Hossa deal - or both - is up to Waddell. If the Thrashers weren’t on the road before and after the GM meetings, I’d be down there right now. But convincing my pregnant wife that I needed to be on the road for two straight weeks wasn’t a discussion I could win. So we chase rumors from home and not the beach. Oh well.
I know Scott Burnside is down there and I look forward to his reports on ESPN. I know he thinks a Hossa to San Jose deal for Marleau is the most logical. We’ll see.
To me, the most logical solution is trading Hoss for a huge bounty of draft picks and prospects, then making a second deal for a player who can help this year. I would say, it’d make sense for that second deal to center around a guy like Tomas Kaberle but reports from Toronto say that he isn’t necessarily eager to waive his no-trade clause. Same thing with Rob Blake. The L.A. Times is reporting that Blake wants to finish his career with the Kings and has no interest in waiving his no-trade clause.
I’m sure these players are being sincere, but as one player recently told me, it’s all one big negotiation when it comes to the no-trade clause.
Speaking of Marleau (we were, weren’t we?), Larry Brooks speculated in his Sunday column that Marleau might be used in a trade to lure Olli Jokinen away from Florida. If the Sharks pulled that off, it’d be pretty impressive. If you click on that link, you’ll also see that Brooks thinks the Rangers should make a play for Bobby Holik. That might go over like a lead balloon to Rangers fans, who enjoy booing Holik, but Holik would certainly help any contender. But I honestly can’t see Waddell dealing Holik right now. He’s playing as well as anyone, and is one of the few big bodies on the roster who goes into corners and comes out with the puck. And by few, I mean only.
Other things floating around today… Peter Forsberg decision expected by Tuesday at the latest (Philly Inquirer), Sergei Federov interested in going back to Detroit (News and Free Press)… Tampa Tribune shoots down the rumor that Dan Boyle gave the Lightning a list of ten teams he’d accept a trade to.
Hossa hasn’t ruled out summer return
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Naturally there was a crowd around Marian Hossa here in New Jersey after the morning skate. Watching the crowd, somebody mentioned aloud how well Hossa is handling this situation, and the constant questions in each city and I agree. And today there was a nice little scrum surrounding him. He was asked to respond to the “slim” comment from today’s AJC. And he reiterated that feeling, although this time he made the point of saying, “I never said I can’t return this summer, I like it here.”
Interesting stuff, and this is such a huge decision for the Thrashers. If you talk to five different people around the arena, you get five different opinions on what the Thrashers should do. Everything from, they should trade all their UFAs with trade value for the best prospects and draft picks to keeping Hossa and letting him walk. I’m starting to think the riskiest play is keeping Hossa because if you keep him and this team still doesn’t make the playoffs, wow, that would be rough. I think this will be debated until something is done. And rightly so.
Blues raising tickets too: One of the most interesting items from the notes network that relates to what is going on here comes from St. Louis. Jeremy Rutherford is reporting that the Blues will be raising prices 3.5 percent on average for tickets. Apparently owner Dave Checketts tried to raise prices in 2006, but the backlash was so high, he had a change of heart and ended up lowering ticket prices eight percent.
But he’s trying it again.
“This is something that we’ve thought through carefully … certainly much more carefully than our first round (of increases),” Checketts told Rutherford. “We thought long and hard about this. This takes us a step in the right direction without really hurting people, I think.”
I think the fact that the Blues made a nice splash in free agency last year, adding Keith Tkachuk and Paul Kariya, helps his cause a little more this time around.
Prospal goes off - I’d heard about this from a couple other writers, but I hadn’t heard the follow-up from Torts. On Tuesday against the Canadiens, Vinny Prospal scored two goals and then went off on during a post-game interview on the local TV feed that was also piped onto the scoreboard at the St. Pete Times Forum. In the interview, Prospal calls the game one of his career highlights because he felt like he stuck it up someone’s backside. That someone being Torts, who moved Prospal off the top line with Vinnie Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis. Here’s what Tortella had to say about it afterwards.
“”We’ve had enough distractions,” Torts said to the St. Pete Times. “I pick up the paper (Wednesday), did the Tampa Bay Lightning play? It’s a team sport and I’m pretty happy with how our team played as a team. Team, that’s the operative word.”
Great stuff. I now expect Bob Van Dillon to get players to rip Thrashers coaches during his intermission interviews on the scoreboard at games.
Morning skate report: Everybody was out there except Mark Recchi, who skated yesterday during an optional practice. Like I mentioned yesterday, Johan Hedberg will start in goal and I don’t anticipate any other changes.
Hossa doesn’t see an extension before deadline
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Interesting chat with Marian Hossa today. He was very forthcoming about the realities of the current situation. As you’ve probably read in the story, Hossa said the chances of him signing an extension before the trade deadline are “very slim.” I imagine that’s the closest he’ll come to saying, there’s no way he signs before the deadline.
He still hasn’t ruled out signing with the Thrashers down the road, but he understands the ramifications of not doing it before the deadline. It puts the ball in Don Waddell’s court, because Waddell has been maintaining he’d like to sign Hossa to an extension before the deadline. It doesn’t look like that is going to happen. So, now Waddell heads to the GM meetings on Sunday with a decision to make.
Don’t be surprised if Waddell at the very least tries to sweeten the current offer of 5-years, $35 million that’s been on the table for awhile before trading Hossa. Because I do believe, he’d much rather extend him than trade him, but like Hossa said, “what kind of miracle is going to happen right now?”
We’ll run a full Q and A with my interview with Hoss in the paper. Hossa also wanted to make it clear that just because he doesn’t expect to sign before Feb. 26, doesn’t mean he’s ruled out an eventual deal with Atlanta. He’s just not ready to make that commitment right now.
Guess who else is getting expensive?: I told Kari Lehtonen that he’s driving his price up with his play lately, maybe the Thrashers should have tried to get a new contract done with him while he was doing his conditioning stint in Chicago. He’s a restricted free agent, and every performance like last night means more zeros in that deal. I’m sure he was paying close attention to the contract Henrik Lundqvist just signed with the Rangers. Lundqvist got a six-year deal worth $41.25 million and he was set to become a restricted free agent on July 1 like Lehtonen.
Now, Lundqvist is certainly more accomplished than Lehtonen and was strong in the playoffs last year, something Kari can’t say. So I don’t think that deal necessarily sets the market for Lehtonen. But if you look at their numbers this year, Lehtonen’s strong play lately is starting to make the comparison a little stronger. Lundqvist is 24-21-5 with a 2.37 GAA and .906 save percentage. Lehtonen is now 13-14 with a 2.72 GAA and .917 save percentage. His save percentage since the All-Star break is sick, something like .960. I’ll crunch the numbers later. So are you ready to commit to Lehtonen long-term? If the Thrashers announce a five-year deal with Lehtonen, would you be cool with it?
Let’s not forget the effect this has throughout the organization. From what I’m hearing, Ondrej Pavelec is getting stronger as the season goes on in Chicago after struggling slightly with the adjustment to playing every day. He’s 19-8 with one shutout overall this season. But in February, he’s 4-1 with a 1.81 GAA and .903 save percentage. If you’re convinced Kari Lehtonen is your man going forward, why not deal Pavs for some help down the stretch? Or does Kari’s puzzling lack of focus at times and injury history make you nervous about doing that?
Speaking of the goalies, with back-to-back games, they’ll split duties this weekend. Johan Hedberg will go on Friday and Lehtonen on Saturday.
Kovalchuk update: Like me, some of you have noticed that Ilya Kovalchuk doesn’t seem to be dominating games like he was during the first half of the season. He’s got two goals in his last ten games, although he had a couple good looks last night. I’m sure it’s a combination of two things: The knee and the fact that teams are clamping down on that line as the season tightens up. Don Waddell said that the knee is certainly a factor: “There’s no doubt it’s slowing him down. But most guys would have missed three or four weeks with that injury. Medically he’s cleared to play, he’s playing with a brace. Is he 100 percent? Obviously, he’s not 100 percent. He won’t be 100 percent until the year is over.”
And Kovy? “It’s one of those periods where I’m struggling, but the team is playing well. That’s the most important thing.”
Hossa misses optional skate
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You want to send the Thrashers beat writer into a panic? How about running a morning skate where the only two people not on the ice are Don Waddell and Marian Hossa. Today was an optional, and Hossa was the only player to skip it, opting instead for an off-ice workout. Everybody assured me that it was indeed an optional, and Hossa will play tonight. Ilya Kovalchuk and Slava Kozlov didn’t skate very long either, so I guess it really was an optional. But I’m like you guys, looking for any sign that something is up.
So do you really think this will be Hossa’s last home game with the Thrashers? They hit the road for a five-game road trip starting Friday in New Jersey. They don’t return until after the trade deadline, and if you think the rumors are crazy now, the last two Thrashers games before the deadline are in Toronto and Montreal. Yeah. Let’s hope this is settled before then.
Speaking of Montreal, I’m getting eye witness accounts of Don Waddell’s scouting trip to Tampa last night. And as one person who saw Waddell last night said, I doubt he was there to see the Lightning. Before feeding the rumor mill even more, I will say this. Last year, when Don was just the GM, he made numerous trips to Tampa. It’s a quick and easy flight, etc. It’s one of the reasons he signed Eric Perrin, whose play he appreciated in those scouting trips. But it also means he’s now seen Montreal twice in the last ten days. Do with that what you will.
I’m hearing some griping about a season-ticket price increase. Waddell declined to comment on it this morning, but we’re tracking that down today. Shoot me an e-mail (ccustance@ajc.com) if you’re a season-ticket holder and you got your packet, I’d like to chat.
Alright, I have to cut this short because of the GM conference call. I’ll try to make up for it with more commenting.
Price of rental players is high
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’ve got to say, today’s post-practice session with Johan Hedberg was easily the funniest thing I’ve ever seen at a practice. The Cartoon Network showed up to shoot a feature for one of their kids shows, Dynamite something or another. After practice they dragged Moose back on the ice, and filmed him as kids and others threw everything imaginable at the goalie, trying to get something by him. Moose was kick-saving rubber chickens, and blocking food that exploded when it hit him. One of them tried to throw a stuffed Moose past him, but he made the save. It was funny, because he was determined not to let anything in goal. And yes, I’m easily entertained.
Kudos for Kovy: Ilya Kovalchuk was named the pro athlete of the year last night at the Atlanta sports awards and said it was a fun experience mingling with other Atlanta athletes. He said he got to meet and chat at length with guys like Brian Finneran, Morten Anderson and Josh Smith. Kovalchuk was honored to win the award, although I’m sure he has his eyes set on bigger things this sesason.
Where’s Don? Waddell wasn’t at practice this morning for the second consecutive day. I got him on the phone, and asked him where he was. He joked that I’m sure we’ll read about it in the daily news stories in the morning because as we’re learning, his appearance in other arenas sparks tons of rumors. But it sounds like Don is out scouting again. He’ll be on a media conference call on Wednesday afternoon with a few other GMs like Brian Burke, Ken Holland and Paul Holmgren since I’m sure I’m not the only writer doing a set-up piece for the GM meetings. I’ll let you know if he says anything earth-shattering.
Prices for rentals high: Your Thrashers GM did say that the prices for rental players is sky high right now, one of the reasons you aren’t seeing many trades. It’s also why he thinks we’ll see more trades like the one between Carolina and Ottawa where both teams try to address their weaknesses. But as for trading UFA’s, Waddell said this: “If I’m a team that’s trading a UFA, where last year you’re happy getting a first and third round pick, now you’re saying that’s not good enough.” The other thing to factor in is this: The coming draft is widely considered much stronger than last year’s draft. In the Thrashers case, they didn’t mind trading a first rounder they assumed would be late in the first of an average draft. This year it’s not the case. I’m guessing if the Thrashers do part with their first-round pick, they’ll get a player back who will be in Atlanta well beyond this season.
No lineup changes: Not that you expected anything coming off a win, but there won’t be any lineup changes for the Washington game. Kari Lehtonen remains in goal.
Carolina retooling for stretch run
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
First, it’s good news to hear that Richard Zednik is in stable condition after his neck was cut by the blade of Olli Jokinen’s skate. What a scary situation to be in, I don’t know how you come back from an injury like that.
The Thrashers bumped the start of their practice back an hour this morning, I’m assuming because of Casino Night. From all accounts, it was a great event. The players seem to enjoy it and based on some of the pictures I saw, the fans enjoyed it too. Nobody was puking on the ice today, so I guess the partying was done in moderation. I understand it raised a ton of money, including a $12,000 bid to travel with the team on a road trip. I’ll have a total for you when the dust settles.
Carolina retools for the stretch run: Nobody said winning the Southeast was going to be easy. Washington won last night to knock the Thrashers into third, setting up Wednesday’s showdown with the Caps. But TSN.ca is reporting that Carolina shipped defenseman Mike Commodore and forward Cory Stillman to Ottawa for d-man Joe Corvo and forward Patrick Eaves. Corvo will help Carolina’s pedestrian power play and Ottawa picks up some flexibility for the summer since both Commodore and Stillman are UFAs. I’m guessing these are the types of trades we’ll see right now since every team is basically in the hunt. Teams will try and find a trading partner where a deal can help both sides right now. Don Waddell remains busy trying to add a player. Before the Lightning game he said he spoke to four or five general managers on Friday night alone, showing that the chatter is non-stop. It was interesting to see that Dallas Stars GM Les Jackson had a spot reserved in the press box on Saturday night, but I believe he was a no-show. It’s the second time in recent home games that somebody from Dallas was supposed to be at a Thrashers game.
Canadiens arrested in Tampa: Did you see this? The Tampa Tribune is reporting that a pair of Montreal Canadiens were arrested last night in Tampa. Ryan O’Bryne and Thomas Kostopoulos were arrrested after O’Bryne allegedly stole a lady’s purse. The purse was returned to its owner, although it was missing twenty bucks. In case you’re wondering, O’Bryne is making $590,000 and Kostopoulos nearly $1 million. The Montreal media will undoubtedly have a field day with this, I’m curious to hear what the explanation of the players will be.
Kovalchuk up for award: Ilya Kovalchuk is a finalist tonight for Pro athlete of the year and Sports Person of the Year at the Atlanta Sports Awards. If I remember correctly Marian Hossa won it last year, so the Thrashers will be vying for back-to-back winners. He’s up against Chipper and Joe Johnson.
Waddell completely shoots down Montreal rumors
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Marian Hossa rumors to Montreal refuse to die. Maybe this will help kill them. This morning, Don Waddell addressed the rumors that started when he attended Sunday’s game in Montreal, and, well, I’ll let Waddell do the talking:
“The glass broke in Montreal on Sunday afternoon. We [Waddell and Montreal GM Bob Gainey] both happened to walk in back for a cup of coffee at the same time and Marian Hossa’s name never came up in the discussion. We were talking about his team looking so good… That was the extent of it.”
Me: Have you talked to [Gainey] since?
“I have not talked to him since. Honest. I haven’t talked to him since. I’ve told everybody who has asked me along the way, my first priority is to sign Marian Hossa. If we ever get to that point where we’re not going to sign him, trust me, the world will know.”
Waddell also questioned the wide-held belief that the Thrashers will be subtracting at the deadline. He said signing Hossa will come down to (as we’ve heard a million times) Hossa’s faith in the future of this franchise. One of the ways, Waddell suggested, to improve those chances would be to make a significant addition through a trade in the coming days.
So, how will they make the playoffs?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
OK, it’s not exactly Chipper on a blog — you guys see that? so cool — but I thought I’d check in with a topic for the hockey bloggers.
I wrote a story for this morning’s paper breaking down the Southeast Division based on the premise that the Thrashers need to win the division to make the playoffs.
That’s what I’ve been thinking, just from looking at the standings. Four teams in the Atlantic Division have more points than any team in the Southeast. Four teams in the Northeast Division have as many or more points than everybody but Washington (57 points).
Buffalo gets one more point and nobody from the Southeast would be in the top eight, were it not for the fact that the division leader has to be.
And in case you blinked last night, the Southeast Division leader is now Washington. That’s a team that was in last place not that long ago before making a coaching change and watching Alex Ovechkin go nuts.
But then this morning after the skate, Don Waddell shot down my premise. Not directly aimed at me or in an antagonistic way, but enough to where I thought I should revisit the topic.
So here I am.
He says he thinks two teams will make the playoffs out of the division. They always do, he says. His idea is that in the stretch run at the end of the season, when everybody is playing division opponents, teams are going to pile up some points.
(And conversely, I’d add, some teams in these other divisions should lose some ground, since they’ll be playing each other and unable to gain points from outside the division.)
He made a point to say that the Thrashers are still gunning for the division — that they’re not hoping or planning to sneak in under the wire. But his prediction was interesting to me. I’m curious what you guys think. Is he right? Do you see two teams making the playoffs from the Southeast Division?
Oh, and Kari Lehtonen is back in goal tonight - why not? And Ilya Kovalchuk said his knee is doing just fine — having had no problems in the game on Tuesday, other than adjusting to playing in a brace.
Kovy: I’m 100 percent
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
On Super Tuesday, the candidates aren’t the only ones politicking. Ilya Kovalchuk is working Don Waddell hard to let him play tonight. Kovalchuk skated at the morning skate and looked great. Afterwards, he said he was 100 percent. If it was up to him, he’d be out there. He was planning on meeting with trainers after the practice, and ultimately doctors will have the final say. But after seeing Kovalchuk out there this morning and talking to him, I’m convinced he’ll be out there tonight.
Don Waddell said it was a game-time decision, but later in the interview said there isn’t a big difference if he plays tonight or Thursday considering the nature of the injury. Since he’s basically said Kovalchuk will play Thursday, then I’m having a hard time coming up with a reason why Kovalchuk should sit tonight.
In the middle of Waddell’s scrum, Kovalchuk emerged from the locker room into the hallway, and he was smiling and nodding his head towards Waddell, showing he was okay. Don’s reaction to Kovy? “Keep, walking. Keep, walking.” Waddell said Kovalchuk has been lobbying to get back in there since the injury happened.
Fins face off
We’ll see Kari Lehtonen and Antero Nittymaki tonight in goal in my favorite rivalry of goalies from Finland.
I asked Kari when the last time he beat Nittymaki and the best he could come up with was a tournament in Finland when he was 15. Kari hasn’t beaten Nittymaki on North American soil.
Marty Biron is coming off a shutout, but that didn’t matter. Here’s what coach John Stevens told Tim Panaccio of the Philadelphia Inquirer: “I looked at it as Atlanta seems to bring out the best in [Nittymaki’s] game. This allows Marty to get right back in net at home. Marty’s game is really sharp right now.”
More trade talk
I mentioned it in the comments section of yesterday’s blog, but Don Waddell told me yesterday that there was no trade talk at all between him and Montreal GM Bob Gainey during Waddell’s trip to Montreal.
“We never even talked about any kind of deal,” Waddell said. It was strictly a scouting assignment, which Don tends to do during Thrashers off days. It just happened that this one was in Montreal and the media up there was all over it.
That said, Waddell talked a little today about the possibility of a Hossa deal. Signing Marian is still the priority but he did say he’s getting calls from other teams, but for now he’s fending them off.
Here’s what he told me yesterday about those Hossa trade talks: “Teams will call, that’s as far as it’s gone. I won’t allow it to go any further. The No. 1 goal is to still sign him.”
This morning, he said the interest is coming more from the Western Conference than the East, which I thought was interesting although not surprising. And as we know, Hossa isn’t the only one drawing interest, although Don said he’d be real hesitant to deal a guy like Bobby Holik because this is his time of year.
If you haven’t noticed, Holik’s play has really picked up lately. Lehtonen was saying the same thing yesterday: “This is his third year he’s here, and every year it’s the same thing,” Lehtonen said. “He steps his game up so much after the New Year’s and I think he’s been great.”
Trade for Montreal’s Ryder?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ilya Kovalchuk didn’t practice this morning, although that’s not a big surprise. He was at the practice facility this morning and seemed to be walking fine, although he was wearing a knee brace on his injured knee. He’s supposed to be re-examined today or Tuesday and I’m waiting to chat with Don Waddell today for more of an update and his status for the Philly game. Waddell wasn’t at practice today, and was allegedly spotted in Montreal scouting the Habs-Rangers game on Sunday.
Montreal is supposedly willing to move the underachieving Michael Ryder, who was a healthy scratch on Sunday. He’s also an UFA after this season. He’s coming off two 30-goal seasons but only has eight goals this season. But the Thrashers are set at right wing on their scoring lines with Mark Recchi and Marian Hossa, right? Oh yeah.
If the Thrashers end up trading Hossa, and they’re still fighting for first place, it’d make sense for Waddell to make a secondary deal for another scoring winger so this season isn’t a complete wash - Especially with the way the Thrashers have been battling the last couple games. I’m not saying it’s Ryder, but a guy like him would make a lot of sense if Waddell comes to the conclusion that Hossa won’t re-sign, and trading him is the best thing for the franchise.
How about this for a cheap addition on the right side? Darren McCarty just signed a deal to play in the AHL. He signed with the Grand Rapids Griffins after playing 11 games with the Flint Generals in the IHL. He had three goals and three assists in the IHL. C’mon, you wouldn’t like a checking line with Bobby Holik, McCarty and Pascal Dupuis? Alright, maybe not. I was watching too many old Red Wings games on the NHL Network this weekend. By the way, the NHL Network has just surpassed the Big Ten Network as my favorite addition to DirecTV this year. And I’m a guy who watched the countdown clock on the Big Ten Network when it made its debut.
The other hot talk going around the NHL surrounds Peter Forsberg. Tim Panaccio reports in the Philadelphia Inquirer that Paul Holmgren just returned from Sweden and Holmgren chatted with Forsberg. If Forsberg returns, Panaccio is betting on the Flyers winning those sweepstakes. But, that’s a big if. Here’s what Holmgren told the Inquirer: “I honestly don’t have a feel for what his decision will be, and I didn’t get to see him skate,” Holmgren said. “From talking to him, I’m not sure he is ready in his own mind. He doesn’t seem to know if he’s OK.”
The other interesting news out of Sweden surrounds forward Fabian Brunnstrom. The 22-year-old will be a free agent after his season ends and is supposedly on the radar of every NHL team. Maybe all the Swedes on the Thrashers have some pull? He can look at the smooth transition Toby Enstrom made and do the same next season.
Lastly, congrats to Stevie Y for being named the GM of Team Canada for the World Championships. You have to wonder when he’ll get his shot as an NHL GM.
Kozlov won’t waive no-trade clause
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I don’t think anyone was worried about Ilya Kovalchuk’s MRI coming back positive, but it still has to be a relief that there was no structural damage. The team stressed that it was all precautionary and they were right. He’ll still miss both games this weekend, but, knowing Kovalchuk, it’ll be tough to keep him out of the lineup Tuesday. Since I’ll focus the majority of my notebook on an interview later today on Ilya Kovalchuk, here’s some stuff I gathered this morning at the skate you might find interesting:
No trading Kozlov: Since I’m trying to prepare for every possible scenario as the trade deadline approaches, I’ve been trying to gauge who might get dealt if the Thrashers completely fall out of the race and become sellers. Obviously there’s Hossa, and we’ve talked about Mark Recchi and Bobby Holik’s possible value. But what about Slava Kozlov? He’s another veteran with playoff experience and a Stanley Cup. His numbers are down, but he could still be attractive at the deadline. Well, forget it. He has a no-trade clause that extends the length of his contract and he said he’s not waiving it. “I signed this summer, I could pick any team but I like it here. I don’t think I’m going to waive it. I just signed, what? Six months ago?” Kozlov said. But Kozlov also made a good point: In the Southeast, it’s highly unlikely that anybody is going to be out of it by the time the trade deadline rolls around. So this talk of the Thrashers being sellers, outside of any potential Hossa deal, is probably a stretch.
Just plug in Sterls: I chatted for a moment with Brett Sterling, and asked how he handles being the player called up and plugged into Kovalchuk’s spot every time he misses a game. Is there pressure? “I think there is, but at the same time, I can’t come in here and do what Kovy does. I have to fill that spot, try and provide some scoring punch to the team. But as a rookie filling in, you can’t expect to fill that role.” I’ll go on record and say I think Sterling is going to get a goal tonight. You heard it here first. But don’t think I won’t go back and edit this out if he doesn’t.
No easing up on Slater: You’d think now that Jim Slater has broken the goal curse and gotten on the board, people would leave him alone. But you’d be wrong. I couldn’t help but ask him this morning which goal felt better - the one against Pittsburgh or his first NHL goal. Bobby Holik chimed in with: “That wasn’t the same goal?” And so it goes for Slates. “I thought the hounding would stop,” he said. “But I think it’s gotten worse.” It doesn’t help that his locker is right next to Holik’s.
Cross off Minnesota: Alright, so we might not know where Marian Hossa will be playing when the season starts next year, but we know where he won’t. Michael Russo, the great beat writer for the Star Tribune in Minnesota asked Marian Gaborik, Hossa’s close friend, if Hossa would be interested in joining Gaborik in Minnesota. Here’s what he told Russo: “I don’t think he’d want to go to Minnesota anyway. I think that’s impossible. I don’t think he would consider it, and I don’t think they’d have interest either.” There’s also speculation that the Wild might be better off dealing Gaborik this summer so he doesn’t become next year’s Marian Hossa. How about this quote from Gaborik, think it sounds familiar? “I like Minnesota. We’re successful and I’m here right now. But I don’t know what’s going to happen later on. I’m here right now,” Gaborik told the Star Tribune.
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