AJC > Sports > Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2008 > September > 18
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Two prospects added to camp roster
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Forward Carter Bancks and defenseman Scott Marchesi did well enough at the Traverse City Prospect Evaluation Tournament to earn invitations to the Thrashers’ preseason camp, general manager Don Waddell said Thursday.
Bancks, 19, plays left wing for Lethbridge of the Western Hockey League, where he scored 15 goals and had 30 assists last season. Marchesi, 25, played with the Gwinnett Gladiators at the tail end of last season after finishing his college career at Sacred Heart in Connecticut.
In other news:
The Thrashers, who had one of the worst defenses in the NHL last season, passed on a chance to claim Anaheim Ducks defenseman Mathieu Schneider off waivers. Every other NHL team passed, too, most likely because Schneider is due $5.75 million.
“We just felt at this point in his career, he’s a good player, but that’s a lot of salary,” Waddell said. “Obviously, 28 other teams probably looked at it the same way. It just wasn’t the fit.”
So, I asked, is this all about a 39-year-old not being a good fit for your team at this stage?
“Age isn’t a big factor,” Waddell said. “We’ve got very good young players competing for a job this year. Under different circumstances, we could have looked at it, but we just didn’t think it was a good fit.”
Seen in the locker room: Colby Armstrong breaking in new skates after learning the NHL would not allow players to wear ThermaBlades, the heated skates that improve on-ice performance by reducing friction between the skate and the playing surface.
