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Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Costs Of Trades Could Be High But Necessary
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A week has passed since the UFA signing frenzy started and so far the Thrashers “activity” hasn’t yet netted enough talent to get the team’s payroll up to the league minimum. This while other teams were busy unloading several millions of dollars attracting help for their squads.
Obviously, there are still moves that need to be made to complete the roster, specifically on offense, (or O-fense…seeing that we are now in the Anderson era). What also holds true is that there is still time to do it…so the panic-o-meter should still be registering “LOW”.
Options?
At center…you could throw out $12 million per season for a year or two to hire Mats Sundin’s services. That would help get us to the salary floor as well provide a proven center for Kovy’s line. But even if he would agree to play out the remaining couple of years of his career here…do you really want the team to tie up that kind of money on a player that they are not building the team around?
Out on the wing… Pavol Demitra, who will be 34 in November, is still available. Throwing out big bucks and a 3-year contract to lure in his skills would probably make more sense. But, if Waddell and Co. are looking at him, they’d better do it quickly before a team like Vancouver grabs him up.
Outside of that, the Thrashers have the option to trade for the necessary players to finish up the roster. But this brings with it the possibility of a high price tag as well. If Waddell is to shop around for a top-line center and/or a powerful winger or two then he is going to have to provide something of value himself.
It was understood that the Thrashers would have to “overpay” for the services of a high-profile free agent. But is the same logic true when it comes to trading for the players we haven’t yet been able to bring in via the UFA avenue?
Case in point…are we willing to part ways with, say, Bryan Little or Kari Lehtonen or Ondrej Pavelec and some high draft picks for a player that may be around for only a couple years? Certainly even considering such conjures up the now-infamous Cobourn for Zhitnik transaction.
However, it appears more and more likely that this is going to have to be the route Waddell has to consider in order to finish filling out the team’s roster…and fielding a competitive team for the coming season.
Just be prepared for the price that comes along with it.
Information Overload
SUMag.com’s Carl Danbury has a very fine piece about new Thrasher Ron Hainsey.
Scott Burnside of ESPN.com says San Jose and Chicago are the big winners out west in regards to this summer’s UFA signing season.
Darren Eliot observes that to be an unrestricted free agent in this summer’s market is nothing short of SA-Weet!
Not everyone in Cal-Gary is happy with the Todd Bertuzzi acquisition.
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