Got confirmation of something I suspected, and that’s the fact that Erik Christensen is most likely out for the season. Don Waddell wouldn’t come out and say he’s 100 percent done, but doctors don’t want him skating for the next ten days. That means he’d be off the ice until March 30th, and that would leave only the final three games.

At that point, there’s no reason to get him back out there. Here’s what Waddell had to say: “He’s probably not going to play the rest of the year. I’m not saying 100 percent, but it doesn’t look like it.”

But Waddell said he saw enough of Christensen for him to feel good about him being one of the top centers going into next season. “There’s a job there for him,” Waddell said. I know it was brief, but did you like what you saw enough from him to feel good about penciling him in as a top two line center? I think ideally, you bring in a free agent to center a top line with Kovalchuk and then let Christensen and Little compete for the second line job. I still think you could put Little on the wing and it’d be okay. I’m assuming Todd White will be the No. 3. But let’s get through this season, right?

I know most of you have weighed in, but what are your early thoughts on Boris Valabik? Obviously, it wasn’t the start he was looking for, although he didn’t get a ton of help from teammates. I seem to remember Slava Kozlov coasting behind the play when Carolina had a 2-on-1 in which they scored. Kozzy has done that a couple times now recently. The team isn’t rushing to judgment on Boris. “We’re committed to playing him,” Waddell said Thursday morning. “Even as the game went on you could see him doing more things, more confidently with the puck. We’ll stick with him.”

For a Sunday story, I’m picking a few Thrashers who still have a lot to play for. Who would you say these final couple weeks are most important for? I’m thinking you start with Kari Lehtonen. He doesn’t want to go into another summer on a bad note, not to mention the fact that there are going to be contract negotiations. Bryan Little is another one who would like to play well down the stretch and cement his spot next season. To a certain extent, Mark Recchi too. Which player do you think as the most to play for the rest of the season?

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