AJC > Sports Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2008 > September > 21
Sunday, September 21, 2008
The Good, The Un-Good And The Ugly Of The Offseason
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Holy cow! Look at the calendar, kids. It’s late September, and I really should be…oh, you know how the blasted song goes. Anyway, training camp has begun, later this week the first preseason game will be played and opening night is but nineteen days away.
So, let’s take this opportunity to look back on this soon-to-be ending offseason and list some of the good, un-good and just down right uglified things that went down over the summer.
THE GOOD
John Anderson: Fantastic choice for head coach, eh? He’s not just the right coach for this team…he’s the right coach for this team right now. The 2008-09 version of the Atlanta Thrashers will be made up of many who played for Anderson in Chicago while on their way up to the NHL level. So who better to coach them then the man who has found a way to successfully guide them to victory already? Fresh off his fourth championship with the Wolves, he comes to Atlanta and most every Thrashers fan could not be happier. The new coach’s primary job in order to turn this team around is to inflict a serious attitude adjustment. To him, losing is not just un-good…it’s simply un-acceptable…and that is what he will attempt to instill in the minds, hearts and souls of his players. Schleprocks need not apply.
Coaching Staff: Along with Anderson come two other fresh faces behind the bench. First there is Todd Nelson, who worked as an assistant to Anderson in Chicago. Also there’s Randy Cunneyworth, who had spent the past eight seasons as head coach of the Rochester Americans. Cunneyworth was a pleasant surprise last summer, indeed. While in Rochester, he compiled a record of 306-267-67 and won the outstanding coach of the year award in 2005.
Zach Bogosian: “And with the third overall pick in the draft, the Atlanta Thrashers select…Stanley Gruffenfeld”. No, no, no…but admit it, there was that part of you that feared something like that, right? Of course, it was Zach Bogosian and the crowd roared with approval! He’s big, skates great and he plays at level above and beyond his 18-years of age. Oh…and he’ll hit opposing players so hard they’ll wish their parents had never even met! I firmly believe he’ll be on the ice for this team on October 10. Oh sure, he’ll have a sharp learning curve, but that’s to be expected. I simply think holding him down a year does him, and the team, a disservice.
New Acquisitions: Ron Hainsey, Jason Williams, Marty Reasoner are all good signings. Are they block-buster deals that will catipult this team to the Stanley Cup? Most people would say “probably not”. But, the simple question to consider in respect to these players is…do they make the team better? The way I answer that is…Hainsey in place of Zhitnik, yes. Reasoner in place of Holik, yes. Williams in place of Recchi, yes…even if it’s simply because of the younger legs. When you look at the three grouped as a package versus the three they replace…it’s even clearer why they’re acquisitions are placed in the “good” column.
THE UN-GOOD
The Hossa Hole: As much as I feel the Thrashers are an imroved team from the end of last season in the ways listed above, there is still that glaring hole in the lineup that was once filled by Marian Hossa. While I’m not sorry that he’s gone…I mean, if he didn’t want to be here then the team and he are both better off now that he’s not…it’s still very difficult to see where the potential 90-100 points that come with Hossa are going to come from. I had thought that there would have been some kind of deal made to address this over the summer. As it turns out, I was wr…I was wrrr…I was less correct than I normally am.
Campbell’s Thanks But No Thanks: General manager Don Waddell was given the official okee-dokee by those who control the purse-strings to spend the money required to obtain free-agent defenseman Brian Campbell. July 1 we logged onto web-sites posting UFA signing info and hit the refresh button as often as Rosie O’Donnel hits a buffet line. Then comes the news he signed with the Chicago Blackhawks…for less money than the Thrashers we willing to pay him. To Campbell’s credit, he showed a great deal of class in the way he let the organ-I-zation know much he appriciated the intrest and effort put forth to land him. In the end, it may actually turn out to be a good thing…frees up a bunch of cash that’ll be needed to throw at this cat named Kovalchuk in the not-to-distant future. But still, to be turned down to play for a team that hasn’t qualified for the playoffs in 6 years…for less money? Simply, un-good!
THE UGLY
Boyle B-Slaps Blueland: The Tampa Bay Lightning let it known that they intended to dump Dan Boyle and his large contract. They wanted him to waive the No Trade Clause in his contract in order to deal him away. So, what caused Boyle to capitulate to their request? Was there a threat made to dunk him in shark-infested waters wearing chum underbritches? Nope.He found out that if he didn’t, he risked being waived and picked up possibly by the Atlanta Thrashers. Ouch, baby…just ow-ich!
And Finally: Is there anything that can possibly be uglier than half a year with no Thrashers hockey? OK…maybe this. But that’s about it!
Hmmmm, I wonder…are there any rookie hazing practices within the Thrashers organ-I-zation?
