AJC > Sports > Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2008 > May
May 2008
Home ice huge in the Final
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Well, I guess word got out. Thanks, Kincade. At the end of June, I’ll be leaving the AJC to be the national hockey writer for the Sporting News. It’s an exciting opportunity for me and my family and it allows us to move closer to home in Detroit. If you know a good real estate agent in Acworth, let me know.
I don’t want to make a big deal out of this because, if the rumors I’m hearing are correct, my replacement is fantastic. I just couldn’t leave without thanking you guys for your support and enthusiasm about hockey in Atlanta. The fact that this blog gets hundreds of comments has nothing to do with me, it says everything about your love and passion for a great sport. I’ve had a chance to meet many of you, and it’s always a lot of fun. Heck, some of you are the reason I had food in Montreal while I was stalking Marian Hossa in the hotel lobby on deadline day. So thanks for that.
I’m excited about what we’re going to be able to do at the Sporting News, and expect you guys to at least visit my blog there once in awhile. But I’ll miss Atlanta and the AJC. This is a class news organization with incredible people. It wasn’t an easy decision.
Alright, enough about me. How about some hockey?
I caught game three at TJ’s in Alpharetta. Thanks for the beers, Tim. Glad to see Pittsburgh decide to make a series of this because I was starting to doubt whether or not the Pens could hang with Detroit. How important is home ice? Check out this breakdown from James Mirtle’s blog. There are some great numbers, but here’s all you need to know. In Detroit, during game one, Sidney Crosby played over 70 percent of his 5-on-5 time against Lidstrom. In game three, that number dropped to 46 percent. Now are you surprised by his jump in production?
Horrible news out of Vancouver about the death of defenseman Luc Bourdon. If you haven’t yet, read this Iain MacIntyre piece in the Vancouver Sun: “Remembering the real Luc Bourdon.” It puts a very human side to the story, especially when you read a quote like this from Guysma Hache, Bourdon’s youth hockey coach: “I don’t know if you know Shippagan. It’s a very small city - only 2,500 people. We are a French community. The kids around here, they dreamed to have a chance to see Luc Bourdon bring the Stanley Cup here. He was a hero. That was the dream of a lot of kids… I lost a good friend today. I lost one of my sons.”
You knew this would happen soon enough - Doug Armstrong is back in the league running a team, this time in St. Louis. And in a class act by a class organization, according to the Post-Dispatch, the Blues extended the contract of current GM Larry Pleau through the 2009-10 season. Pleau will work with the Blues, but he’ll be in position to stay close with his wife who is battling cancer.
NHL GMs have been in Toronto for the combine and, for me, the most interesting thing is to follow prospect Nikita Filatov. He’s the wildcard of the upcoming draft and if he can convince teams he’s willing to come to the NHL, he’ll go pretty high. I know the Thrashers like him, but they’re still leaning towards one of those defensemen. The Thrashers No. 3 pick is also generating interest from other teams and Don Waddell hasn’t completely ruled out trading it. But nothing serious right now. According to the National Post, Filatov has turned down huge offers from the Russian Super League and he hopes that proves to the NHL he’s serious about coming over.
The Wolves jumped out to a 1-0 series lead in the Calder Cup Final. Bryan Little scored the game winner and he continues to have a strong playoffs. He’s the real deal, you guys should be excited about the play of Little and Ondrej Pavelec. Although I still think Hedberg comes back next year. I think it’s safe to say you can pencil Little in as a No. 2 center next season.
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Lever would love a return to Atlanta
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You know, for a town that isn’t exactly a hockey hotbed, I’m finding a surprising number of coaching candidates who have connections to Atlanta. The latest? Hamilton Bulldogs coach Don Lever. I spoke with Don yesterday, he was kind enough to take a few minutes out of a Canadian holiday to talk some Thrashers.
First some nuts and bolts. Lever hasn’t officially been contacted by the Thrashers other than some cursory e-mails between his agent and the team. He has one year left on his contract with Hamilton, but would be allowed to leave for an NHL head job. He’s very interested in this job and not just because he’s ready to be an NHL coach.
He played in Atlanta during the last season the Flames were in town and he said he has vivid memories of then-Flames GM Cliff Fletcher gathering the team before the playoffs that last year and making it clear to the team that something drastic needed to happen if the NHL was to stay in Atlanta.
“It was put very plain to us that if we were going to save the franchise, we’d have to go far in the playoffs,” Lever said.
You know how that story ends, but Lever said he still keeps in touch with the Flames in the area like Tim Ecclestone and Eric Vail. Speaking of which, who is up for watching some Stanley Cup finals at Tim’s sports bar TJ’s in Alpharetta?
The connection doesn’t stop there. Lever’s daughter Caitlin played college softball at Georgia Tech and will be playing on the Canadian Olympic team. She’ll be finishing up her management degree at Tech this fall.
So what are Lever’s qualifications to be the next Thrashers coach? He led Hamilton to a Calder Cup Championship in 2007 and has a ton of NHL experience as an assistant. He was an assistant in St. Louis for two years (the Blues went 80-54-22-8 in that span) and spent 12 years coaching in the Buffalo organization.
One of the knocks I occasionally hear about the Thrashers is that there aren’t enough former NHL players in the organization. Lever would bring that to the table. He played in 1,020 NHL games, scoring over 300 goals in that span.
Here’s how he describes his coaching style: “My style is to adapt to what you have. If you have someone like Ilya Kovalchuk, you have to let him go loose. You don’t want him to be trapping. You have to be sound in your own end, I think it’s all about the type of team you have. I’d love to have an offensive-type team but you’re still not going to win if you don’t play in your own end.”
Around the league: Had this New York Times story sent to my e-mail, and thought it was pretty interesting. With Detroit set to take on Pittsburgh in the Finals, this story wonders: Is Hockey Fixed? It does seem to be an ideal matchup for the league, but I laughed at one of the comments that suggested that the NHL wasn’t capable of such a conspiracy.
I know we’re late to the party on this one, but I haven’t blogged since the Hurricanes announced that Peter Laviolette is coming back as head coach. I know there were people close to the Thrashers who thought Laviolette was the favorite to be the next head coach if Carolina didn’t bring him back. At least that’s one person we can cross off the list. Interesting sidenote: Carolina raised ticket prices ten percent despite not making the playoffs for the second consecutive season. I wonder if the season ticket holders there are as angry as they were in Atlanta when that happened here?
Steve Schrader at the Detroit Free Press points out that Penguins are the natural enemy of octopi. I had no idea. Yahoo’s Ross McKeon suggests that this Red Wings team is just as good as the Detroit teams from the late 1990s. That’s a pretty bold statement considering those teams were loaded with Hall of Famers.
Darren Eliot weighed in on Marian Hossa’s fine playoff performance. Eliot said Hoss and Sidney Crosby are perfectly suited to play together and that Marian is having a great time during Pittsburgh’s run. “Winning always makes things easier,” Hossa told Eliot and SI.com. A baby on the way means I won’t be able to leave town for the Finals since my wife would kill me if I was in Pittsburgh when the baby arrived, but I’m hoping to catch up with Marian and Pascal Dupuis this week on the phone for a story. I’m really looking forward to it. Sounds like they’re having a great time.
Pierre LeBrun breaks down how the Penguins went from one of the worst teams to one of the best.
Responding to your comments from last blog: Good active discussion late in the week, nice work.
Draft dandy: I stand corrected. I said Pavelec was the first Thrashers second-rounder to make it to the NHL. DD points out that Luke Sellars beat Pavelec to the punch. Thanks for keeping me honest.
Mark: I hear everything you’re saying about Filatov. The Thrashers need defensemen, and there are some good ones at the top of the draft. Taking Filatov would be a HUGE risk, and there is a lot on the line this draft for the Thrashers. But if they did take Filatov, that would mean they are absolutely convinced he’s a difference-maker. And that would also mean they did their homework on how tough it will be to bring him over. I still think it’s a longshot.
Brendan: I think this Finals matchup will be good for ratings, at least as far as hockey goes. The Conference Finals ratings were up 14 percent over last season. Although, I have no idea if that’s good. I guess it’s better than lower ratings.
Falconer: I think you and I are on the same page regarding the Thrashers drafts. Average. I’d love to do a good concrete analysis of their free agent signings, any suggestions on how to quantify success or failure in terms of money spent?
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Are Waddell’s draft woes overstated?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I received an e-mail complaining about Don Waddell’s perceived inability to draft and it said that only eight (or maybe it was nine) players he drafted are in the NHL and was wondering why I’d never included that fact in a story.
The fact is, I wasn’t sure if it was a fact. So I started going through the Thrashers drafts to figure out how many Don Waddell draftees played in the NHL last season. Even created a spreadsheet (e-mail me if you want a copy). And after some serious data entry, I discovered that of the 81 players drafted by the Thrashers since 1999, 16 played in the NHL last season. The total amount of NHL games played by Thrashers draft picks is 2,962.
I stared at my screen, and realized that this exercise told me exactly nothing. Is 2,962 good? Is it bad? Is it average?
So I decided to dig a little deeper with help from The Internet Hockey Database and Hockey-Reference.com to compare those numbers to the other most recent NHL expansion teams: Minnesota, Nashville and Columbus. I was sure the numbers would prove that Minnesota and Nashville had much stronger drafts. It wasn’t quite that clear. Here’s what I found:
Drafted players (since 1999) who played in the NHL this season:
Columbus (22.5 percent): 18 of 80 draft picks
Minnesota (21.5 percent): 14 of 65 draft picks
Atlanta (19.8 percent): 16 of 81 draft picks
Nashville (14.8 percent): 13 of 88 draft picks
Total NHL games played by all drafted players since 1999:
Atlanta: 2,962
Minnesota: 2,890
Nashville: 2,754
Columbus: 2,615
If the Thrashers kept every player they drafted who played in the NHL this season, this would be the roster:
Forwards:
Ilya Kovalchuk
Dany Heatley
Bryan Little
Jordan LaVallee
Brett Sterling
Jim Slater
Colin Stuart
Darcy Hordichuk
Derek MacKenzie
Simon Gamache
Defensemen:
Braydon Coburn
Boris Valabik
Tobias Enstrom
Garnet Exelby
Goalies:
Kari Lehtonen
Ondrej Pavelec
Notes: Pavelec was the Thrashers first second-round pick to make it to the NHL… Had the Coburn trade never happened, the Thrashers could boast a young top pair of Coburn and Enstrom, two players taken in the same draft (2003)… Only one Thrashers draft pick has played more NHL games than Patrik Stefan’s career total of 455: Ilya Kovalchuk (466).
Conclusion: Trading Heatley and Coburn, and both circumstances were unique, really changes the core of this team. These draft results, while not better, are at least on par with similar teams. What are your thoughts? Is there a better way to analyze quality?
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Hossa finds another gear in playoffs
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
First, let’s talk some on-ice hockey. Those Penguins are looking really good. A Detroit-Pittsburgh finals seems inevitable and both teams look capable of winning the Stanley Cup. The amazing thing about the Penguins is that they seem to find different ways to win each night. We know all about Crosby, Malkin and Hossa - but how ‘bout that defense? Philly had 18 shots last night. That’s it. Shoot, I’ve seen 18 shots on the Thrashers before I had my laptop unpacked in the press box. That’s a heck of a performance.
And how about Hoss? He scored the game-winner last night and added an empty-netter. That’s five goals in the last four games if you’re keeping track. He’s also been dominant on both ends of the ice and I think it’s safe to say that the Penguins aren’t 11-1 (the best playoff run since the ‘83 Oilers, and that team wasn’t so bad now was it?) without Marian. It also begs the question - would Montreal, who came pretty darn close to landing Hossa, still be around if they made the deal? And, let’s say the Penguins don’t win the Stanley Cup and Hossa walks this summer, is that still a good deal for Pittsburgh?
Other former Thrashers news: Braydon Coburn, who missed Tuesday night’s game, vows to return - just as soon as he can open his eye.
Now it’s Daniel Briere getting ripped for a lack of performance in the playoffs, not Hossa. Ryan Dixon, with the Hockey News, said that Briere is disappearing when it matters most.
Thrashers update: Not much has changed on the Thrashers front. Yes, there’s uncertainty about Don Waddell’s role but that said, I’ve been told he will be running the draft, he is running the coaching search and has full authority to hire the next head coach, with ownership approval. The Thrashers would like to keep the coaching search as discreet as possible as this e-mail from Bruce Levenson confirms: “[Waddell] is running a very private process and neither he nor ownership will comment on individual candidates during that process.” Now that doesn’t stop me from talking to the possible candidates and those who I’ve spoken with have said they haven’t been interviewed. Waddell has said that the plan is to do all the interviews around the same time, so they aren’t at that point yet. Expect two or three candidates to ultimately get interviewed when the team gets to that point. The team also continues to deny the rumors that former Vancouver GM Dave Nonis has been contacted or that there is interest there. One name you’re not hearing, who would be a good option is Kevin Cheveldayoff. The Thrashers already have a good relationship with the Chicago Wolves GM, and they could do a lot worse than bringing him into the fold in Atlanta. He’s a bright hockey mind, well respected in the league, and was a finalist for the Phoenix job last year.
Hartley’s options: Bob Hartley has spent most of May in his Montreal cottage but between now and when he starts running his summer hockey camps, I’m sure he’ll be fielding a lot of phone calls from potential employers. “It’s going to be interesting,” he said when we chatted the other day. But, boy he’s looking good right now, isn’t he? In fact, I’d say he joins Ron Wilson as the best candidate on the market right now. Whether you liked Bob or not, his success with the Thrashers and Colorado is undeniable and it certainly doesn’t hurt his cause that the Thrashers went in the tank this season after he left. I think he’d be a great fit in Ottawa but I want him in the Southeast so I can deal with him eight times a year. I can’t be the only one who misses quotes like “no more Romper Room.”
Mellanby to Vancouver: We knew that Scott Mellanby wanted to stay in the game under the right role, and sounds like he got it in Vancouver. The former Thrashers captain was just hired as a special assistant to new Vancouver general manager Mike Gillis and the hockey operations department. I think that’s a great hire, and it’s too bad that the Thrashers and Mel never could get on the same page to work something out.
The big hangup with the Thrashers was that Mellanby wanted to stay in St. Louis with his family especially while his children were in school. Evidently that wasn’t an issue with the Canucks since Scott will still work from St. Louis. “The bottom line is Mike [Gillis] wanted me to be involved and after speaking with him and meeting with him, I wanted to be involved,” Mellanby said by cell on the way to the airport. “My role will be a little more defined as we go along.”
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Gearon: Support coming, not replacements
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Panama City Beach, FL — You know, you try to get away for a few days and naturally, that’s when rumors start flying. The weather has been great here in Florida, thanks for asking. What? You don’t care? You want to know about Don Waddell’s future?
Here’s the latest. I spoke with Atlanta Spirit Co-Owner Michael Gearon this morning from my lovely white plastic chair overlooking the ocean here at The Chateau (only two roaches so far, not bad. And no, I’m not kidding). Like I blogged before, I spoke to Gearon at the Billy Knight resignation presser earlier this week where Gearon talked about a possible expanded role for Don Waddell and more help for the Thrashers front office.
I gave you guys the heads up, and started prepping for a more in-depth story upon my return from Florida on Monday. That’s when I started getting calls from people wondering if Waddell was asked to step down as GM. I’ve already thanked friend, and respected colleague Scott Burnside for that.
Gearon said via cell this morning, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Waddell has not been asked to step down from his post as general manager. He called any reports that say otherwise “completely false.”
What hasn’t changed is the possibility that Waddell’s role could expand into a different position with the Atlanta Spirit and that the Spirit plans on bringing help in the Thrashers front office. On Wednesday, Gearon said they weren’t yet at the point where they had specific titles in mind. Could I see a day where Waddell is Bernie Mullin’s replacement and another GM Is brought in? Absolutely. But Gearon said any additions to the front office is to make sure the franchise has “the right support mechanisms” in place for Waddell, not to replace him.
As for Don, he said he’s in scouting meetings all day today although I’m still hopeful of getting a couple minutes of his time. I’ll let you know if I do. Oh, and if you hear from Bruce Levenson, tell him to call me back. I’ll have my cell at the pool.
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Gearon: More holes in hockey
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Interesting stuff this afternoon from Atlanta Spirit co-owner Michael Gearon Jr. He addressed the media about Billy Knight’s resignation but I showed up to talk some hockey. He said ownership was in the process of evaluating things on the hockey side, but he has serious concerns. “There are greater holes in hockey right now than basketball,” Gearon said when prompted to talk about the Thrashers.
I asked him if Don Waddell’s role would change and he said they are considering it. The ownership really respects Don’s ability to manage an organization and Gearon said Waddell’s role could expand in their organization in that capacity. If that’s the case, they might bring somebody else to help out in hockey operations.
“That’s something we’re focused on. We don’t want to spread Don too thin,” Gearon said.
That could mean a promotion for Waddell within the Atlanta Spirit and a new general manager for the Thrashers, although Gearon didn’t go that far. But it sounds like Gearon and the Atlanta Spirit are determined to bring in more support on the hockey side of things.
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Philips Arena atmosphere no surprise
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Well, finally got the AHL story in the paper today. Something about a local basketball team exceeding expectations kept pushing it back. My brother, who moved to Atlanta a few years ago, is officially on the Hawks bandwagon and bought me tickets for tonight’s game, so I’ll be there. I’ve heard the atmosphere is unbelievable, and that people are surprised about how Philips Arena has rocked during the home games against the Celts.
But seriously, are any of you guys? This may be a bandwagon town (let’s save that debate for another time, shall we?) but Atlanta knows how to come out for an event. The NHL playoffs last year proved it. Philips Arena was LOUD during games one and two, and the players still talk about that atmosphere. And look at how this town came out for the NHL All-Star Game. And now, the Hawks are an event, so I’m not the least surprised that it’s a great atmosphere. I’m looking forward to seeing it first-hand tonight.
As for the Wolves story, I tried to be even-handed about it. I’m sure some people weren’t crazy about it, but I tried to get as many voices in there as possible. In talking to Don Waddell about it, he said he could make a good argument for the Chicago relationship as well as a good argument against it. And he’s right, you could. I just tried to put some things on the table and let you guys make the decision if it’s good or not. I think Kevin Cheveldayoff put it best when he said: “It’s very subjective, you can look at it different ways but that’s why it is unique. Not every way is right, sometimes it’s going to work and sometimes it’s not. People tend to, when you want to write about the positive stuff, find everything that has worked. When they want to write about the negatives, write about what’s not.”
That sums it up about as well as anything I could say.
Things are quiet news-wise on the Thrashers front as you might expect this time of year. Don Waddell has waited this long to hire a coach, so look for him to wait until all the AHL/NHL playoffs are over to make sure every possible candidate is weighed. I’m hearing that Providence (AHL) coach Scott Gordon could be in the mix, so add him to the names that are being thrown around. Gordon was named the AHL’s most outstanding coach in April.
I’ve been focusing this week on a training session in the basement of the AJC where we’re brainstorming for ideas on how to become a better paper. Personally, I think it’s a simple solution: More hockey. Right? I’ll try to hop on the blog more often next week when I’m between training sessions.
But how ‘bout these NHL playoffs? I told you Johan Franzen is the best player in the game. At least I meant to. And Pittsburgh looks pretty darn good. I know one thing I’m not hearing right now: Marian Hossa is underachieving in the playoffs. Three goals and eight points in eight games is pretty good production. If he continues that pace and the Pens make it to the Stanley Cup or win it, the demand (and contract) for Marian is going to be huge this summer.
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