Thrashers

By Jared

September 18, 2008 6:17 PM | Link to this

Mike, who are those prospects? Are they property of the Thrashers? I don’t think we drafted them did we? Thanks.

By Mike Knobler

September 18, 2008 6:47 PM | Link to this

Both are listed as “signed an amateur tryout.”

By Barry

September 18, 2008 7:24 PM | Link to this

So NHL is banning ThermaBlades? That will make Reasoner very happy (sarcasm).

By da flems

September 18, 2008 7:24 PM | Link to this

Bancks looked very good in the TC tourney. Really hustled his tail off. Good for him to earn a tryout. Maybe he can get a look in Gwinnett when his Jr. career is over. Every organization benefits from hard workers like him. Marchesi didn’t stand out as much to me. But I guess he caught the eye of the powers that be.

By Toby

September 18, 2008 7:28 PM | Link to this

I’m a little disappointed in DW not wanting Schneider. I think we can pick him up along with a pick and he would be a great fit for the team. It’s only a one year commitment and we would get the cap space back in time to sign Kovy. Oh well…sounds like A$G’s wallets are shut.

By Barry

September 18, 2008 7:36 PM | Link to this

Well we are already paying a much younger D man almost 5 mil a year in Hainsey. Waddell is kinda right…doesn’t make sense to take on a 39 year old D man for the same money. Thrashers already have a little bit of logjam at D with Klee and XLB still under contract for this year. We have some very promising and good looking young guys who could take their places and probably eventually play better but we are stuck with those two for another season.

By Sara

September 18, 2008 8:03 PM | Link to this

I think the Schneider thing is easy to read between the lines. Don obviously thought about it - enough that he made a conference call to the owners. And it didn’t go down because it wasn’t considered judicious use of money. Pretty easy to tell who made that call - I mean, if Don didn’t think he was worth the money, why bother asking the bosses?

By Bill

September 19, 2008 12:27 AM | Link to this

Signing Schneider would have been a waste of a lot of $$…don’t get me wrong, he’s a solid blue-liner with veteran experience, but he certainly doesn’t fit into the Thrasher’s plans. Good call on DW’s part…..he’s the kind of guy you’d like to see the Thrash see pick up in January if they’re sniffing the eighth spot in the east.

By Tony C.

September 19, 2008 1:48 AM | Link to this

Also, and I don’t want to hear about the actual cap, but I’d rather save the $ for a playoff rental…or an Oh fudge type revalation about one of the kids and we have to try and patch things up.

Oh, and now that Glen murray is saying he only wants to play for a contender (which I don’t blame the guy on), then not he, but something like that.

or howabout they take the savings and make sure the player’s & coaches facilities are like super bad-@ss.

I heard somebody say that when Wolves recruits came up, they felt like it was “back to juniors” with some of the facilities-fourth hand info, but uh, not so good-wonder why folks don’t want to sign?

Anyway, better ways to spend the dough than on Schneider-although I wouldn’t have complained if we had (or do if he hits half-price) picked him up.

Bancks caught my eye for sure, I dunno if Marchesi was #66 or not, but if so, so did that guy.

By sm

September 19, 2008 7:28 AM | Link to this

Schneider is worth it on a different type of team - not the Thrashers. Getting Schneider takes away valuable ice time from our younger core of d men..which is key at this point. we need these young guys into fray sooner , rather than later. If this was last year..DW would have pulled the trigger. But I honestly would rather see Valabik develop further..than get bumped back to the minors because of an aged, high priced veteran pickup who will warrant more ice time.

stick with the youth movement, DW.

By ranallo10 (in AT)

September 19, 2008 7:46 AM | Link to this

Knobler — So ThermaBlades are out? Would you be able to go into more detail about that?

By Midfield

September 19, 2008 9:26 AM | Link to this

Schneider not being a good fit is one of the most blatant pieces of baloney that goes around this franchise. If anything, he would do better than anything we’ve ever had on the point on the PP. Waddell is not authorized to spend the money - that’s all it is.

By Stan Drulia

September 19, 2008 9:46 AM | Link to this

Midfield - You would prefer that we be the only team in the NHL dumb enough to sign a 39-year-old D-man for an insane amount of money and then just watch him call it in the whole season waiting for his early retirement in June? For the first time in a few weeks I totally agree with Waddell. There is a reason that not one team in the league picked the guy up. For that kind of money there is no way the guy could live up to the hype. Would end up being another Zhitnik.

By Alan

September 19, 2008 9:50 AM | Link to this

ranallo - More details about that would be nice. I did a google news search from 6/2008 to present, and only five links show up - none of which say the blades are ineligible for use. The only link that shows up when searching the last month’s news articles about thermablades is this one.

By ranallo10 (in AT)

September 19, 2008 10:01 AM | Link to this

Midfield — I think it was pretty clear from all of the statements Waddell has made that money was the biggest reason Schneider was not pursued. Perhaps he’s meaning he doesn’t monetarily fit for this team.

Besides, though he would’ve been a great addition to the PP, think of everything that is lost by acquiring that player. Less time for Valabik, Enstrom, Bogosian. One more aged veteran making too much money on a one-year contract (for a team not bound for the Stanley Cup).

Personally, I don’t think he fit either. Not just monetarily, but in the long term scheme of things. He’s a bandaid (a good one mind you, but a bandaid none-the-less), and this team is about 5 bandaids away from being competitive.

If Schneider was 34 or cost $3M, this would be a non-issue. However, he’s 39 and earning $5M+, and he’s one broken hip away from AARP. This team doesn’t need his help for a single season, and he can’t help for more than two based on age alone. Plus, he’s only contractually bound to one season.

So yeah, I’d rather watch this team lose those extra 5 games Schneider may have helped them win, and see Valabik and Bogosian get fair shots (not the Sterling or Coburn type of “fair”, but more than 10 games of 3rd pairing minutes in the correct position type of fair) than watch Schneider play in Thrashers blue for one season.

By Midfield

September 19, 2008 10:08 AM | Link to this

Stan, I would prefer to have Schneider in the line-up, because he would undoubtedly add value to it. The insane amount of money you are talking about is entirely different matter. Thrashers payroll is nowhere near to the league’s average, so one guy’s insane amount of money is another guy’s pocket change.

By ThrasherNY

September 19, 2008 10:18 AM | Link to this

I mean, if Don didn’t think he was worth the money, why bother asking the bosses?

I also thought the way that Waddell phrased it was suspicious but for now I am going to be optimistic and look at the other side of the coin. Not my first inclination ever with respects to DW.

That being said I am starting to detect a pattern since the unfortunate non-signing of BC of Waddell positioning the club for a “build” year. I am hoping he pitched Schneider to the owners as “this guy may put us into the playoff with an 8 seed but I dont think we should do it as it is not garaunteed and the downside is the loss of development in our young talent.” God I have completely stepped outside my box.

Am out on limb in thinking that this offseason resulted in the optimal mix of movements in order for us to resign Kovalchuk?

I mean going into the offseason I knew we would not sign a #1 center. Nothing was available! I also suspected based on DWs comments and prior actions that he already had his guy in EC. But I completely expected us to overspend for a non-preforming Rucchin-esque aging talent to go with an series of overpaid plugs to the blueline. This is the old DW model. We would have had another season of no player development and we would be spending boat loads of cash on little performance.

What DW has done is created a situation where by I think we get the same performance and we will actually give proper ice time to developing some internal talent. A more exciting product to watch to boot for us avid fans.

It looks like we are going to bank some cash below the A$G’s already sub par ceiling and we dont have any contracts in which we are grossly over paying in the ‘09-‘10 season. Is DW actually learning or is the market just causing this chain of events? Cant answer that one.

Back to my point though, I am hoping Kovalchuk will see in this season the “youth movement” that will provide the low paying roll-playing type contribution you need to contend in the playoffs. We will have plenty of money to pay him to be the franchise player. We will have a solid 1-2 goalie situation with Pavs and Kari. Assuming we give Kari a healthy contract in the summer. IMO he will prove he is worth it this season. And we will still have the money to chase down the top FA Center on the market. God willing he signs!

To me the two most important things we could do this offseason were to position ourselves to keep our franchise player and finally develope our youth. Oh and realize that we were not a Stanley Cup contender. But I liken that to a drug addict admitting he has a problem.

One last comment to tack onto this Brendan-esque post. Like JA’s thought process on the naming of a Captain. This guy appears to run a grade A show. I am still putting my money on Kovalchuk. He is a work horse with incredible passion. He will single handedly win us many games this upcoming season and will surely elevate the play of EC and his RW.

By Midfield

September 19, 2008 10:19 AM | Link to this

Ranallo, when you are insisting that Schneider’s ‘short term’ tenure would impede Thrashers’ ‘young talent’ development, don’t forget that we only may have Kovalchuk for another two years or less. If you swallowed the bait, hook, line and sinker on ASG/DW long term team building strategy, it hardly means that everybody else did.

By ranallo10 (in AT)

September 19, 2008 10:56 AM | Link to this

Midfield — Schneider’s acquisition or non-acquisition has nothing to do with Kovalchuk, or Kovalchuk’s possible departure in two years. I understand your point though, even if it is a bit off from what I’m trying to say. Kovalchuk isn’t hampering the development of youth, he is youth. If the team can be built correctly, he will remain in Atlanta. That’s a big if, obviously, but we need to make the correct steps to doing that team building (in my opinion).

Schneider is 39. He’s closer to retirement than he is to helping this team in the long term.

I’ve not bought any team building strategy given by DW or the ASG, as I still don’t feel they’re properly executing such a strategy. However, I feel by not signing Schneider they are making a good long term decision for this franchise. For once, I would think people would support such a decision.

Reasoner’s acquisition doesn’t bother me alone, but combined with the plethora of centers on this roster, I don’t like the signing. If White and Perrin weren’t on the club, I’d be fine with Reasoner…but with Christensen, Slater, White, Perrin, and Reasoner there is little room for Little and Christensen to get the quality minutes they need to develop into top 2 line centers (I don’t think Christensen is the answer on the top line, personally, and I think Little or Esposito will be the long term solutions. Little is a good second liner in my opinion, but has the talent to play on the top line eventually).

Anyways, back on point:

Schneider doesn’t make this club a playoff contender, he makes them marginally better. This club needs player development MORE than marginal improvements…even if it is a quality defenseman. He’s 39, he has little left to give this club.

As I’ve said before, I’d rather lose with the youth than win with a so-so squad of veterans and 3rd line talent. Unfortunately we have plenty of 3rd and 2nd line talent on this club, but for once they are finally giving the youth a chance to develop at the NHL level.

Schneider impedes that chance. Unless a move was made with a current defender over the age of 34, I would not be supportive of Schneider’s acquisition. He’s good, but he’s not that good. It’s the same opinion I had for Garth Murray. It’s the same opinion I’ll have for almost any 35+ UFA name you can throw out there.

By Sara

September 19, 2008 11:37 AM | Link to this

It’s the same opinion I’ll have for almost any 35+ UFA name you can throw out there.

Nick Lidstrom. Just sayin’… :p

(yeah yeah I know “almost” and “UFA” are the key phrases up there)

But I agree with you on this - marginal improvements now with older established veteran on the downside of his career <<<<<<<< significant improvements in a couple of years with more experienced young players. We passed the window where ST goals were the key - we’re back to LT goals being key (although realistically I think we are somewhere in the middle of that).

By Midfield

September 19, 2008 11:38 AM | Link to this

Ranallo, I did not say that Kovalchuk impedes ‘the development of youth.’ You said that. I always insisted that NHL teams should not concentrate on ‘the development of youth.’ NHL teams should concentrate on winning the Cup. I personally think that the point about Schneider impeding ‘the development of youth’ is ridiculous. If you disagree, we disagree, nothing wrong about that. My point is that Kovalchuk could care less about your or Waddell’s or our pity ownership group’s ideas about long term prospect of the team. If the team does not improve now - marginally or drastically, he will leave.

By Bob (other)

September 19, 2008 11:53 AM | Link to this

Midfield- Did Ilya tell you he would leave? Did Ilya tell you he could care less about Ranallo’s ,Waddells’s or ASG ideas? Sticking to the facts would be much better.

By Sara

September 19, 2008 11:53 AM | Link to this

Midfield if you look at the most successful teams in recent NHL history, most of them (especially post lockout) rely on homegrown developed talent.

Additionally I am really over all of this “the sky is falling” attitude about Kovy. There is no proof he is one foot out the door - there is no proof he’s even eyeballing the door. In fact, all the words out of his mouth in the past couple of months indicate a positive attitude regarding the team this season and in the future that further indicates a long-term commitment to the team.

Why are so many people determined to push Kovy out the door already….it’s like they want this team to team to suck so they can keep on with their poo-pooing of Waddell/owners/life in general.

FOLKS!!! We are three weeks away from the opening of a brand new season that features some returning exciting players, some new exciting players, and a new exciting coach who might actually be more quotable than Hartley. Can we PLEASE try to get just a BIT excited and happy here???? Pwetty pwease wif sugar on top?

By Midfield

September 19, 2008 11:59 AM | Link to this

You want a bet, Bob?

By Bob (other)

September 19, 2008 12:12 PM | Link to this

Midfield- you must be running for office because you did not answer the questions. I guess you didn’t speak with Ilya directly.

Amazing.

By Alan

September 19, 2008 12:17 PM | Link to this

Why are so many people determined to push Kovy out the door already

Good question.

I said in Rawhide’s blog that now isn’t the time to talk about Kovalchuk. He’s happy with the progress of this offseason. His contract, I implied, couldn’t be discussed until 2009.

So, for the love of all that you hold dear, people, stop talking about Kovalchuk. It’s pointless at this time.

By Midfield

September 19, 2008 12:20 PM | Link to this

No, Bob, I’m not running for office and I did not speak with Kovalchuk directly. I will leave it at that. Now it’s your turn to answer my question: do you want a bet? I am betting that if the team does not improve this season, Kovalchuk will not resign here. You?

By ranallo10 (in AT)

September 19, 2008 12:20 PM | Link to this

Sara — Some of Hartley’s quotes were instant classics. I liked him, even if I didn’t like his system while he was coaching here. I’m sure he would look dumbfounded if Anderson explained his “chameleon” idea to him.

And yes, Lidstrom and Niedermayer were two immediate examples that came to mind why I should write “almost” in my statement.

Midfield — I was insinuating that was your point about Kovalchuk, I didn’t think you would go on that limb assuming Kovalchuk is gone already. I thought your point was that if Kovalchuk could be leaving, he’s then also impeding development.

My point, which you’ve now already disagreed with, is that developing a team around players like Kovalchuk, Enstrom, Lehtonen, Bogosian, etc is the type of team that would entice precisely those players into remaining in Atlanta. Signing a 39 year old, in my opinion, does not change this team into a competitive franchise that would keep a superstar interested in remaining in this city upon the completion of his contract. Since my ultimate goal for this team is sustained success and competitiveness, Schneider would not be a wise acquisition (again, in my opinion).

Personally I believe Kovalchuk cares more about playing on a consistently good team than he does playing in front of an aging veteran with some good stories to tell. If it was Sundin we were discussing, Kovalchuk would definitely care. But I doubt he gives two-craps the potential of playing with Mathieu Schneider, compared to the potential of playing alongside a center and winger who can keep up with him. He has said he wants to play on a winning team, and in the playoffs. Schneider doesn’t make this team substantially better to the point that this team become either a winning team or a playoff contender. Development of youth does.

I’ll take my chances with Bogosian and Enstrom and Little before I’d bring in Lang and Schneider and Murray for instant gratification.

We can agree to disagree on this topic, I have no problem with that.

By Lanny McDonald

September 19, 2008 12:31 PM | Link to this

Kovalchuk-Esposito-Williams
Kozlov-Little-Machachek
Lavallee-Holzapel-Armstrong
Boulton/Christensen-Reasoner-Perrin

I’m cool with that. Players like White, Slater, Larson will have to play elsewhere.

By Lanny McDonald

September 19, 2008 12:32 PM | Link to this

Kovalchuk-Esposito-Williams
Kozlov-Little-Machachek
Lavallee-Holzapel-Armstrong
Boulton/Christensen-Reasoner-Perrin/Thorburn

I’m cool with that. Players like White, Slater, Larson will have to play elsewhere.

By Midfield

September 19, 2008 12:42 PM | Link to this

Ranallo, I don’t even understand what this means: “I was insinuating that was your point about Kovalchuk, I didn’t think you would go on that limb assuming Kovalchuk is gone already. I thought your point was that if Kovalchuk could be leaving, he’s then also impeding development.” But if you guys think that Kovy will ponder his options based on Bogosian’s potential three years down the road - I say, good luck. For the record, I consider Kovy a great and admirable player - much more so than Hossa. I would be really shocked if he sabotaged the team the way Hossa did last year. I also want for this team to succeed. But if it won’t, it is Kovy’s full and inalienable right to chose a better team when his contract is up. And my prediction is that he will exercise it. That’s all it is to it, folks. We’ll all survive this too.

By Bob (other)

September 19, 2008 12:43 PM | Link to this

Midfield, I bet the contract is extended in July of 2009 at max salary allowed by cap.So your question is answered.

I for one expect us to be pretty good this year. We have gotten rid of some of our cancers and we have better speed. We’ll be fine and should challenge for the Division.We are as good as any other team in it.

By Toby

September 19, 2008 12:45 PM | Link to this

Sara - Couldn’t agree any more with you. As of today, we have (IMHO) a top-5 player (forward anyway) in the league excited to play for us this season and he’s surrounded by some exciting young talent and a new coach with an exciting new system.

Camp starts tomorrow.

By Midfield

September 19, 2008 12:51 PM | Link to this

You’re on, Bob. If the team does not make it to PO, or gets eliminated quickly, I say, Kovy does not resign regardless of the terms.

By Alan

September 19, 2008 12:56 PM | Link to this

Toby - Not to mention, players that are excited to play alongside him. That almost certainly has to make him feel very welcome and excited for the new season.

By ranallo10 (in AT)

September 19, 2008 1:09 PM | Link to this

Midfield — Think of it this way then. If you feel that Kovalchuk is gone in two years, would you rather have Bogosian and Valabik get ice time now and develop as their talents, or would you rather give ice time to Schneider (a player who will be retired in a couple years) and watch Bogosian and Valabik learn the ropes after Kovalchuk is gone.

I’m not resigned to the fact that Kovalchuk is leaving, in fact I feel that he’s leaving the door quite open for this to improve to a standard he is happy to play for continually. However, in my opinion signing any aged player as a quick-fix will not help this team become a consistently successful or competitive team, and would not result in Kovalchuk staying.

So, if you think Kovalchuk is gone in two years, why even care about Schneider? As a Thrashers fan you should then care about the players that will best make this team good after Kovalchuk’s departure. Or, do you think that this team would be substantially better WITH Schneider to the point that Kovalchuk would see this team as an improving club and want to remain in Atlanta?

By Jim

September 19, 2008 1:12 PM | Link to this

We already have a Schneider- Ken Klee, although Schneider has a better offensive game. Obvious that no NHL team values him at that price.

By Midfield

September 19, 2008 3:19 PM | Link to this

Ranallo, I kind of agree that this topic exhausted itself, but it’s very simple, really: if you don’t improve the team this year, Kovalchuk will leave. Unlike commodities market, NHL teams don’t win games based on future value, or potential, of their players. In my opinion, Schneider would have given this team an edge, especially in special team situations. Is he overpriced? Perhaps, but the team is nowhere near the cap anyway. So, let’s agree to disagree and see where the chips fall.