Thrashers

By kev

September 30, 2008 11:33 AM | Link to this

I’ll take a guess…. cut, cut, and cut

By Jarndyce

September 30, 2008 12:07 PM | Link to this

I think that’s probably the best makeup for the second line. I’m really counting on good things from Little this season.

Is Christiansen back on the ice yet?

By Russian

September 30, 2008 12:20 PM | Link to this

Is Crusher practicing today? Will he play at tomorrow?

By Mike Knobler

September 30, 2008 12:23 PM | Link to this

Jarndyce Yes, Christensen is centering the top line with Kovy and Williams on the wings.

By wristshot

September 30, 2008 12:33 PM | Link to this

Speaking of cuts Mike; when is the next cut due to take place?

By russian

September 30, 2008 12:33 PM | Link to this

Thanks Mike. It is great news. I hope I will see him tomorrow.

By sc bern

September 30, 2008 12:36 PM | Link to this

if only todd white would get cut. i hope LaVallee has not gotten the gas just yet. he is a much needed physical presence.

By TableHockey

September 30, 2008 12:36 PM | Link to this

Mike - any word on when Schneider will report to practice?

By Sara

September 30, 2008 12:45 PM | Link to this

Tablehockey Schneider was at practice on Sunday morning.

By Mike Knobler

September 30, 2008 1:12 PM | Link to this

The missing guys — Motzko, LaVallee and Lessard — have in fact gotten sent down to Chicago, coach John Anderson confirmed.

Eric Perrin participated in only the first half of practice today. He was limited after getting knocked into the boards Sunday in Detroit.

By GAThrash

September 30, 2008 1:15 PM | Link to this

How has Marty Reasoner looked? What line is he working with?

By GaVaHokie

September 30, 2008 1:21 PM | Link to this

Tablehockey Schneider was at practice on Sunday morning.

Funny write-up on practice… Kozlov and Hedberg changing positions! :)

Anderson said we’d be surprised by some of his linemate ideas… I’d certainly be surprised if Hedberg centered Kovy and Williams. :)

By GaVaHokie

September 30, 2008 1:25 PM | Link to this

Interesting article on TSN about Toronto trying to acquire Schneider also.

It looks like teams were being too greedy by trying to obtain Bobby Ryan in the deal.

By Legitout

September 30, 2008 1:31 PM | Link to this

Surprised by LaVallee getting sent down. He’s not a top 17 forward in this organization, at this time? I guess the fan speculation of him making the final roster was way off.

By wristshot

September 30, 2008 1:32 PM | Link to this

Ecklund is now reporting that we may be interested in Nikolai Khabibulin who just cleared waivers in Chicago. Has anybody else heard anything about this?

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?postid=16996&bloggerid=1

By MID-GAHOCKEYFAN

September 30, 2008 1:35 PM | Link to this

I have been reading a lot about defensemen in these blogs,mike,who do you think are the odd men out as far as forwards go,and do you hear any rumors regarding any waiver wire forwards that may become available?

By Russian

September 30, 2008 1:45 PM | Link to this

Look like we will come closer to real Roster. Those three players will be fine in Chicago. About Bulin Wall(Khabibulin) we do not need him. We got Kari and Moose. It will be stupid idea to take him.

By MID-GAHOCKEYFAN

September 30, 2008 2:17 PM | Link to this

I am sure this opinion is not shared by most but i believe this team would be better served by having pavelec as back-up,not moose,i believe that his technique and mechanics are flawed,footwork is poor and will let in more soft goals as he gets older.maybe getting BULIN wall would not be a bad idea and use one of the other 3 as trade bait for a top line center,young cheap talented netminder would draw more interest!!

By Anonymous

September 30, 2008 2:26 PM | Link to this

I hope sending LaVallee down is not an example of future poor decision making on John Anderson’s part. Big, physical player who can skate and score. What? I hope he wasn’t able to get gas. Anderson needs to rethink this decision.

By Anonymous

September 30, 2008 2:27 PM | Link to this

I hope sending LaVallee down is not an example of future poor decision making on John Anderson’s part. Big, physical player who can skate and score. What? I hope he wasn’t able to get gas. Anderson needs to rethink this decision.

By Anonymous

September 30, 2008 2:27 PM | Link to this

I hope sending LaVallee down is not an example of future poor decision making on John Anderson’s part. Big, physical player who can skate and score. What? I hope he wasn’t able to get gas. Anderson needs to rethink this decision.

By Mike Knobler

September 30, 2008 2:32 PM | Link to this

Schneider looked good in practice today. He told me a minute ago he plans to play in one exhibition game, either Friday or Saturday.

“I felt good out there today,” he said. “The first couple of days just kind of getting adjusted to the time and getting settled, we did a lot of skating. My hands need to catch up to my feet. My feet are moving a little quicker.

“Typically, I don’t skate a whole lot in the summer. I haven’t over the past 10 or 12 years. The wear and tear during the season has kept me off. This year has been an especially long summer. I had a good four months off. At my age you kind of bounce back quickly, your feel for the ice and things like that.”

By Mike Knobler

September 30, 2008 2:39 PM | Link to this

Reasoner has looked fine. If I remember correctly, he’s one of the players Anderson praised after one of the first two exhibition games. Expect him to be a fixture on the penalty kill. Also, he was the No. 2 faceoff guy last season in Edmonton, and he’s a veteran with a reputation of being good in the locker room.

By Sara

September 30, 2008 2:50 PM | Link to this

wristshot Ecklund is a retard and that is pretty much the end of that. I mean think about it - does that even make sense?? We have Kari, Moose, and Pavelec and with the Schneider acquisition we are also over the cap floor. Why the heck would we need Bulin?

MIDGA I know Tampa dumped Oeullet (or however the heck you spell is) on waivers. Not sure what’s really worth picking up at this point - if one of our current guys isn’t good enough, throw a rookie into his spot and let him run with it I say.

Legitout (and anon I suupose as well) the Lavallee move surprised me too. He should have had a legit chance at making the 4th line.

Personally I’m expecting the final cuts to be: Crabb, Sterling, Stuart, and Hoffman. Stevenson has really shown up in pre-season so he may get a look. I’d rather keep Sterling and Hoffman and cut Boulton and Stevenson. Well technically I’d rather cut White than Stevenson but I don’t see that happening. White’s just such extra baggage at this point.

As for D, well, Oystrick, Kulda, Rivers. Then Pavs. 22-man roster with one extra F and D.

Kovy-Crush-Williams Slava-Little-Army Perrin-Reasoner-Thorburn Sterling-Slater-Hoffman/Stevenson

Enstrom-Havelid Schneider-Bogosian Hainsey-XLB/Valabik

Lehtonen Moose

By UpperDeck4Life

September 30, 2008 2:50 PM | Link to this

Mike, from your conversations with Anderson and your observations in practice, does it look like Reasoner or White will center the 3rd line? Could the other become a wing on that line with say Perrin the other wing? If not which one do you see losing time?

By Mike Knobler

September 30, 2008 2:51 PM | Link to this

Russian Christensen is playing on Wednesday.

Alphabetically:

Forwards: Armstrong, Boulton, Christensen, Kovalchuk, Little, Reasaoner, Slater, Sterling, Stevenson, Stuart, Thorburn, Williams.

Defensemen: Bogosian, Enstrom, Exelby, Hainsey, Havelid, Kulda.

Goalies: Hedberg, Lehtonen.

By Barry

September 30, 2008 2:54 PM | Link to this

The Blueland blog has Ben reporting that Anderson wanted guys like LaVallee to be more physical and apparently they weren’t physical enough to really stand out.

By kracker

September 30, 2008 3:59 PM | Link to this

Yes, Barry Just because a guy is big does not mean he is tough or is an enforcer. I’ll go with Anderson’s judgment. (like anyone is asking me lol)

By GaVaHokie

September 30, 2008 4:13 PM | Link to this

The only way the Khabibulin thing makes sense is if we take him and move him to a team that needs to dump salary.

Chicago is not willing to take any extra salary in return.

Say for example NYR wants Khabi but needs to dump salary… Atlanta gives Chicago a 2nd round pick, we turn around and trade Khabi to NYR for a 3rd round pick and Prucha.

By A.S.

September 30, 2008 4:14 PM | Link to this

I find it interesting that Williams is going to play a lot of wing. Playing a wing like he did in DET he has potential to put up 20 G’s 30 A’s numbers. That would be very nice addition to the front line but still missing those points from loosing Hossa.

By Sam

September 30, 2008 4:52 PM | Link to this

What has earned Little the 2nd center position?

By Thrashers27

September 30, 2008 5:21 PM | Link to this

A.S.,

Keep in mind we picked up a lot of offensive point production in the defensive acquisitions made over the summer. That oughtta help make up for lost Hossa points.

By Mike Knobler

September 30, 2008 6:15 PM | Link to this

Sam Good question about Little. Here is the answer from Anderson: He likes Little’s speed alongside Kozlov’s, and he wants to see if Little can produce some goals.

“That’s what he did in juniors, score goals. I’ve got to hope that at this level this is his time to shine. We’ll see what happens in the game. That’s why we play all these exhibition games, hey? To see where we are.”

As usual, Anderson also pointed out that Little on the second line is not “carved in stone” and that it could change at any time.

Here’s the stuff about Lessard and LaVallee:

“I talked with Jordan and I spoke with Lessard before camp. I said I wanted to see physical play because they’re both strong guys. I felt they didn’t finish checks enough, because they’re big, strong guys. I just didn’t see the physical presence that I wanted to see.”

In addition, Lessard was at a disadvantage because he just joined the organization and hadn’t had experience with Anderson’s systems in Chicago. He didn’t learn them quickly, either.

“He hasn’t seen all the things we’ve done as a team system-wise. He struggled with some of the simpler systems. When you’re a guy that’s on the bubble, you have to be right on. If you want to knock somebody out of a job you have to look like you know what you’re doing all the time and do the right thing, finish checks. I just didn’t see that from either of them. At some point, I have to start making decisions that are really tough, especially two people that I like.”

By Mike Knobler

September 30, 2008 6:22 PM | Link to this

UpperDeck4Life Good question about Reasoner and White. Honest answer is I don’t know who gets which line, but I’d give the edge to Reasoner for the third line. I see both of them playing center and Perrin moving to the wing. I like Reasoner and Thorburn side by side. Reasoner is good on the PK, too.

By kracker

September 30, 2008 7:54 PM | Link to this

According to Ben Wright in his prewiev of tomorrow’s game, this is perhaps the last chance for Stevenson, Stuart and Kulda to make their case to stay with the team, as JA says he wants to work line combinations in the final two games.

Bogosian, Little and Sterling, I suppose, also need to continue to impress, though I figure they will likely remain with the team as opposed to being reassigned following the game tomorrow.

By Sam

September 30, 2008 8:02 PM | Link to this

Lots of good info today, Mike. Thanks!

By wristshot

September 30, 2008 9:17 PM | Link to this

I like the fact that Anderson wants to see his team play a more physical style. It was horrible to watch how soft we played last year.

By Tom

September 30, 2008 10:17 PM | Link to this

I do not know about you guys, but the moves Anderson is making and the things he is saying has me impressed.

We are not going to be a great team this year, but if the boys buy into his system, we may be respectable.

That would be a relief after last years debacle.

By Tony C.

September 30, 2008 10:59 PM | Link to this

I have to agree Tom