AJC > Sports Thrashers > Blog > Archives > 2008 > November > 17 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USSome Questions Already Being Answered
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Coming into this season there were a few questions regarding some players on the Thrashers roster. What would their roles be? Would they bounce back from last season’s disappointments? Was obtaining a certain player worth it? And so on.
Some questions will take more time than 6 weeks and 17 games to figure out, however some results are already in. Here are six players with the questions that came with them and how they seem to have been answered.
Bryan Little: “Is he finally ready for the NHL on a full-time basis”?
Well, seeing that he has 9 goals and a team-leading 17 points, I’m gonna go way out on a limb here and say the answer is… “YES”!
Oh, and did I mention he leads the team with a +8?
Slava Kozlov: ”Was last season just an aberration”?…”Were his injuries the major contributions to his off year”…”Could he play this year more like the Slava of old”?
Well, I would venture to guess that the answers seem to be…”YES”, “YES” and, “YES”! His 10 goals tops the list for this team and he has 16 points overall. That puts him on a pace to almost double last year’s 41-point production.
Yes…the Slavinator is baaack!
Ron Hainsey: “Was this UFA signing worth what the Thrashers paid for him”?
Ummmm…I’ll take “Not Only YES, But…Oh HAY-yell YES” for a thousand, Alex!
What more could one ask of from this guy? He has been one of the most stabilizing forces to grace this blueline in many moons. He has contributed offensively with 3 goals and 6 assists, is a +1 with only 2 PIM. Not only is he NOT looking like one of the top five worst signings of 2008… there are even some out there who would consider Hainsey captain material.
Here’s a thought…think of wheeling this defense out there without him in the lineup. Uh-huh…yup, see what I mean?
Now I’ll take…”I’d Call That A Bargain” for four and a half mil a year, Alex.
Todd White: “Is he really up to being this teams #1 center…the man to anchor Kovy’s forward line”?
Well, the answer is “NO”. And, to be quite honest, I could not be happier with that seeing how he has fit in quite nicely with Kozzy and Little on the second line. White has finally found his role on this team and is wiping clean any memories of last season.
His 4 goals and team high 11 assists have help make the Kahlua line quite intoxicating to watch indeed.
Kari Lehtonen: “Could he go the entire season relatively injury-free”?
Alas, we didn’t have to go too deep into the schedule to get our answer here…”NO”. First we hear he isn’t feeling well…then it’s his back…then he’s good to go…then, whoops…his back again. Before going down, Lehtonen started 9 of Atlanta’s first 10 games…going 2-5-2 with a .903 SV% and 3.44 GAA.
Consider the fact that the team isn’t exactly missing him…going 5-2-0 in his absence… with the fact that young Ondrej Pavelec has played well when called upon… 2-0-0 record with a 2.57 GAA and .889 SV%…and one cannot help but arrive at the second major question in regards to Kari. It’s the one that asks…
“Will this season determine if Kari is starting keeper of the future for this organ-I-zation”?
While that question remains still unanswered, the truth of the matter is that Don Waddell’s decision to re-sign the Finnish goalie to only a one-year deal last summer looks wiser and wiser by the day.
Zach Bogosian: “Was he ready to play in the NHL at the tender young age of 18”?
Well, in the 8 games he played before his unfortunate injury…I really didn’t see anything that screamed out that he was in over his head. Now the question for Bogey is… how well will he respond once his leg has healed? The Thrashers shouldn’t, and I’m sure will not, rush his return by any means. He’s young and has many, many games ahead of him here.
But back to the original question…I still say, “YES”…once healthy, he should be playing in Atlanta.
Now, there are still some with question marks over their heads…Marty Reasoner…Mathieu Schneider…Erik Christensen…Jason Williams…just to name a few. But the answers regarding these players should reveal themselves as the next few weeks and months unfold.
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By Big Shooter
November 17, 2008 9:04 PM | Link to this
Hainsey and Lidstrom (and Campbell by the way)… same number of points.
CAPTAIN!!!!!!!!
By kracker
November 17, 2008 9:08 PM | Link to this
Hmmm, perhaps we should sign up at The Hockey News and add a comment to Mr. Proteau about his Number One Worst Throwing-Your-Money-Away signing assessment.
Plus, on top of Hainsey’s solid, every day blueline playing skills, RH, I’d say he should also get high marks for his appeal to the fairer side of Thrashers fans.
By HookyBob
November 17, 2008 9:12 PM | Link to this
Hainsey has been worth every penny.
One question in the “still too early to tell” category is how Toby will do this season. It has been a tough one so far. I love what to me is new aspect to his game though. He can really hit when he chooses to,…wish he would do it more.
Looking ahead I’m hoping Armstrong and Christianson both score this Thursday night. Will also cheer for “You and me” Dupuis.
By Brendan
November 17, 2008 11:01 PM | Link to this
I thought you might tackle the question, “How well will John Anderson’s ‘system’ translate into NHL play?”
By ranallo10 (in AT)
November 18, 2008 4:30 AM | Link to this
Rawhide — To rehash an old conversation, did you notice how quickly it took someone to blame the loss on the coach for not changing anything in the lineup? Like I said during your first “don’t change anything” blog, I understand wanting to keep together what works well (like a goalie on a hot streak, top scoring lines, etc), but no matter what the coach does there will be someone who disagrees with his moves (or lack of moves) and blames him and other players for every loss.
Re: Bogosian — Based on a few things, I think it might be fine with me if Bogosian returns to juniors. First, he’s missed many games due to this injury, he’ll need time to get back into game shape, and then it’ll be like starting a whole new season yet he’ll be over half-way through the season. Second, his replacement (Oystrick) has been playing rather well and hasn’t earned a demotion, so to speak.
If this team is hovering near the playoff bubble (I don’t expect it, but you never know), I would think it’s better for the team to keep Bogosian down, and play the current group of players they have. From all reports Oystrick has been a pleasant surprise, Schneider will be healthy again soon, and then Valabik is always ready to fill in during any injuries.
The kid is young enough that the half season in juniors (and then an amateur tryout in Chicago) would be good enough to keep him sharp, so he’s fully ready for next season.
On the other hand, the more NHL games he plays in the better, especially alongside Schneider…so I can see both sides of the argument.
By dhj_1962
November 18, 2008 6:57 AM | Link to this
xm radio has “in the slot” with phil esposito from 4 to 6 pm every weekday on channel 204. Ron Hainsey is a quest every Monday, (providing no game or practice). the segment is called “hanging with hainsey” its a good show. on thursdays, they have an hour with the commish, gary bettman, what other sport does that. you can call in ask questions.
By Sara
November 18, 2008 7:30 AM | Link to this
Brendan I think it’s still too early to tell how Anderson’s system will play in the NHL. I bet if you ask Anderson if the guys are consistently playing the entire system, he’d say no. He was predicting January before the team really had the system down cold. Now I would be curious to know if he still thinks that’s the timeline…I think the team is picking things up faster than one would have thought. Additionally, the schedule is pretty favorable this month, so I think ultimately we should look at that around the Christmas break and see how the team is performing then.
I will say I do think his system favors the talents of the team we have. I think offensively it is working well. I have my concerns about its defensive strategy (which myself and others brought up when the Anderson hiring was still up in the air). I’m not sure if it’s just a matter of playing smarter or more physically, but this team is losing games down-low. Over half of the goals scored on this team have come from the area below the circles or between the circles, below the hash marks. They have GOT to address that issue - whether it’s clearing the puck faster, boxing players out of that area, taking the body or lifting the stick to neutralize players down low, and getting the goalies to work on rebound control (a problem area for both Kari and Pavs). And frankly working on that area should automatically translate into improvement on the PK as well (although most of those down-low goals are at even strength).
ranallo it’s a valid issue with Bogosian for sure. With Oystrick playing so well (and he is playing sooo well), it’s hard to see how to fit Bogosian back in. Fact is, both of those guys are key future pieces so it’s hard to say one needs to get more experience than the other. Either way, one will get time this year, one gets it next season perhaps. I’d say the wildcard may be Schneider. Let’s see how he performs when he comes back. If it’s questionable, I think that might be our opening for Bogosian. If not, then it may be a situation where he returns to juniors. And I do believe he has played under the 10 game allotment allowing us to still send him back without losing a year of his RFA, correct?
And on a related note, isn’t it nice to have this kind of problem on our blueline? Who’d of ever thunk we could be overloaded on D?
Rawhide as for other questions ie Reasoner, Williams, Crusher, etc. Reasoner to me has done exactly what he’s been brought in to do - he’s been solid on the PK (when he isn’t the one in the box) and at a $1M price tag, it’s not like expectations have to be high. He’s also contributed on the score sheet. Williams is fitting in nicely - he’s getting it going. Keep in mind there was a good bit of shuffling going on through the first 9 games. It’s only been in the last eight that the lines have stayed the same and we have seen the benefits of that in terms of chemistry. Williams is contributing regularly. Christensen is contributing regularly. He has 5 points in 8 games as part of the top line. It took him about two games to adjust to not only the new linemates but also a new position - he got switched from C to RW. And Williams switched vice versa…with dividends. So really for Crusher it’s 5 points over 6 games and that’s not anything shabby. What I would really like to see from Crush more than high point production is modest point production leaning more toward assists than goals, and some significant improvement in his two-way game. Outside of Schneider, Crush has the worst +/- on the team. Ungood. If we presume that Crush is going to continue his career on Kovy’s line even beyond this season, it would be a major asset for Crush to develop a strong two-way game. It’s an area the entire team needs to work on more, especially given how the D pinches in this system, but I think certain players are going to need to excel at it than others. At least one forward per line needs to be a strong two-way player for this system to work without killing us defensively and I think Crusher needs to be that guy on Kovy’s line. So now the new question is, can he be that guy?
By Jim
November 18, 2008 8:13 AM | Link to this
Hainsey is better than expected and a lot bigger than advertised. Sara- right on! If we don’t clear the puck better and clean up our D-zone we’ll continue to get burned around the net. The forwards are running around too much and our lack of size down low hurts. Hedberg has done a remarkable job with a ton of traffic planted at his door step. Got to work on this aspect of our game.
By Wings fan in Ga.
November 18, 2008 9:35 AM | Link to this
dhj, I noticed that too on XM. As much as I don’t like Bettman, at least he is at least talking with some fans. That is something Bud Selig would never do. … And it’s nice to see Kozlov having a nice season. He has been my favorite player since I was a youngster.
By Rawhide
November 18, 2008 10:04 AM | Link to this
ranallo - Yes, I did notice that. I’m quite sure that if JA had made a change then he would have blasted him for not starting the hot goalie. Oh well…whatchagonnado?
Sara - As always, wonderful points and observations.
dhj_1962 - Ya know…I leave the office late every monday to enjoy RH on XM on my way home.
Brendan - Good topic you mention…but I was focusing in on individual players. However, thanks for the idea for later :o)
Big Shooter - OK, I got you down for a Captain Hainsey vote….check
kracker - Every chance I get I’m gonna throw that back in Mr. Proteau’s face.
By Russ
November 18, 2008 10:25 AM | Link to this
Ranallo - I am behind on the Thrashers blog and trying to catch up today. I saw a while back you were surprised not to see me comment on Havelid’s play vs. Philly. So, here you go…The untalented Swede looked like his skates were in concrete as Lupul breezed past him for GW goal. HaveNot does not even belong in junior hockey, high school maybe, but doubtful. This f*&^ing loser still hasn’t even scored a goal. Anyone with half a brain could see if Havenot was replaced in line-up, even if replacement was a crash test dummy, the Thrashers would currently be 17-0. That point can not be argued even by apologists. But one player drags team record down to 7-8-2 all by himself. I would also have to say it was Havenot’s fault for the Falcons loss to Denver. I will never understand why this untalented Swede hadn’t tried to become a two sport star, been signed by the Falcons and scored at least one TD on Sunday. That is all the Falcons needed, but once again Havenot can’t deliver. Now he is wrecking to Atlanta sports franchises’ seasons. Who’s next…the Hawks or Braves? It is beyond time to ban Havenot from Atlanta.
By ranallo10 (in AT)
November 18, 2008 10:49 AM | Link to this
Russ — Thank you, I appreciate it.
I believe those 7 wins were IN SPITE of Havelid’s presence…
Rawhide — Fo sho. Knobler had a well timed interview with Anderson prior to the Philadelphia game, which showed Coach has basically the same look at tweaks as I do (not that it means anything, I’m just saying). I can’t verify the quote by Will Rogers, but that’s my thought as well. Standing pat only works for so long, because everything else in the game is too dynamic to rely on the “tried and true” methods. Certain things like keeping Brodeur in net, playing Kovalchuk on the power play, or putting Lidstrom on the ice in the waning minutes of a game are relative easy decisions…but sometimes it requires some tweaks here or there to make a good team better.
Anyways, I’m not attempting to bring up that conversation again, I just found it interesting that as I expected a few people took the loss as an opportunity to rail on players and coaches. It’s like clockwork sometimes.
Wings fan in Ga. — That being said, would you rather Selig or Bettman running your favorite sport? In fact, you can feel free to include Stern or Goodell in any ranking. I know that position is one the brings MASSIVE criticism, so I’m curious how you’d rank the four major sports in terms of their commissioner.
Anyone else can join in if they so desire.
By Brendan
November 18, 2008 12:10 PM | Link to this
Goodell, Bettman, Selig, and Stern. The NFL is probably the best example of how to run a league. Bettman leapfrogs ahead of Selig and Stern mostly by default. Stern runs a thug league. And Selig, well … misfortune and controversy just seems to follow that man and his league.
Of course, I’m against soft caps and luxury taxes. So, perhaps my biases have influenced my pecking order. It’s something I’ll readily admit without a fight.
I thank good fortune for the hard salary cap in hockey. It’s what keeps Atlanta’s budget as high as it is (yet still $10 million below the limit). And it’s what gives Atlanta a glimmer of a hope of ever winning a Stanley Cup. I won’t go so far as to say the salary cap leveled the ice surface, or removed the inequities among the hockey markets, but it’s probably as good as its ever going get for Atlanta, with a salary cap. In 2011, they’ll either keep it or ditch it. I guess talks concerns that topic might start in 2010, in anticipation.
By Scotty
November 18, 2008 12:40 PM | Link to this
I think Kari’s days are numbered here. I like they guy and all and think he has the potential to be a great goalie. But there has to come a time where the team has to simply say that enough time was given to him and now it’s time to move on.
Of course, that probably means he will go to another team and be a huge success. That’s just the way it seems to work around here, but I think Pavs is close enough and we can phase him into the number one job with the help of Moose.
The question is, given his history of injuries, who is really going to give up a lot in return for him?
By Brendan
November 18, 2008 1:50 PM | Link to this
Re-read your post, Scotty. You’ve just argued both why Lehtonen should be retained (will blossom later, elsewhere) and why he should not be traded (won’t fetch much in return). I think Waddell agrees with you. So, Lehtonen stays.
Well, if you were a GM, what would you do? Perhaps, you’d be thinking, “Well, I’ve got a player who will probably do BETTER elsewhere and won’t bring much via trade, might as well keep him. Would you be eager to pull the trigger on a lackluster deal that will probably backfire, and could theoretically get you fired? This is where Don Waddell is. Except that, I don’t think that Waddell thinks there’s anything wrong with Lehtonen. He drafted him, ideologically convinced he’d solved the team’s goaltending problems for the next decade.
There’s nothing wrong with having Lehtonen and Pavelec playing net for the Thrashers for the next few years.
By Scotty
November 18, 2008 2:11 PM | Link to this
Brendan, this is the catch 22 , isn’t it? It’s a tough call. But I think if Pavs and Moose continue to play well, then it may force the hand to make a deal for Kari. Probably at the trade deadline.
I think everything you just posted make sense, but I just think his days are numbered.
By R. Stroz
November 18, 2008 2:21 PM | Link to this
Stern runs a thug league.
Isn’t the NBA run by the Gambino family?
All the games are predetermined. If you are a top line thug, you b-slap and elbow refs even. What a league!
I’d rather have Bettman as the Canadians b!tch running the NHL than Stern as the Gambino’s b!tch running the NBA.
By Rawhide
November 18, 2008 2:47 PM | Link to this
For what it’s worth…Atlanta is #19 in the Yahoo Sports NHL Power Rankings.
Interseting that McKeon cites Bogosian as our “franchise player” over Kovy.
Carry on…
By Brendan
November 18, 2008 3:02 PM | Link to this
Scotty, you may be right about Lehtonen’s days being numbered. Stay with me. In theory, KL can “opt” to play in Finland next season. I’m not saying he will. I’m saying … he can. He doesn’t have an NHL contract beyond the conclusion of the 2009 season. His status would be “restricted free agent,” come July 1, 2009, at Noon.
Which means what?
It means no other NHL team can sign him without giving compensation back to Atlanta. Also, Atlanta has the right to match any offer for Kari Lehtonen, per the terms and conditions of the CBA. This will be true until July 1, 2010, when Kari is eligible for UNRESTRICTED free agent status, either by age or by tenure in the league, should he play the 2009-10 season in the NHL.
Which brings me to this point. If you are the GM who trades for Kari Lehtonen, you do not have assurances of re-signing him. What you would have is “the right to match” any RFA offersheet. If Kari won’t re-sign with your team, you could lose him for nothing, should he opt to play in Finland. The point is … the team that accepts a Lehtonen trade had better sit down with his agent and make fairly certain that the player will re-sign with the team. If not, the other GM won’t offer much for a “rental” player. Not only that, what’s Lehtonen’s trade value? A 3rd round pick? Maybe a 2nd round pick? A 3rd line forward? Perhaps, a second line winger? These are all things Waddell can acquire for far less expense than a former 2nd overall pick. I’ll be surprised if Waddell is allowed to trade Lehtonen and keep his job, barring an absolute fleecing of the other team.
I really don’t see the harm in keeping Lehtonen around as a backup goalie. Especially at what it will cost to re-sign him. Atlanta can AFFORD both Lehtonen and Pavelec for the next 5 years, pretty comfortably, too.
By Tony C.
November 18, 2008 3:03 PM | Link to this
For those that were wondering how Esposito is doing, you may be pleasantly surprised
GO BLUE !!!
By dhj_1962
November 18, 2008 3:20 PM | Link to this
call me krazy, but i still believe in Kari, why does he face 35 to 40 shots a night? someone look up how many Moose and OP face per game. i know Moose didn’t have much of a chance on the first 3 flyer goals, but i believe Kari stops the 4rth one. easy to speculate.
By Bob
November 18, 2008 3:28 PM | Link to this
Thanks for the info on Esposito, Tony. Hey, look it’s Tony Esposito!
Anywho, if he can turn into the top center we so desperately need, that would be huge for this club.
By Rawhide
November 18, 2008 3:36 PM | Link to this
dhj_1962 - Good question….here is a quick calculation:
Kari has played 541 minutes and has faced 319 shots. That’s one shot every 1.69 minutes….or 35.5 SA/G in a 60 minute game.
Moose has played 342 minutes and has faced 190 shots. That’s one shot every 1.79 minutes…or 33.5 SA/G in a 60 minute game.
Opie has played 140 minutes and faced 54 shots. That’s one shot every 2.59 minutes…or 23.2 SA/G in a 60 minute game.
Looks like Pavs is getting the better end of that deal.
By dhj_1962
November 18, 2008 3:53 PM | Link to this
thank you Rawhide…now, how many goals goes each goalie get per game? i’d look it up, but i’m at work…haha
By Rawhide
November 18, 2008 4:08 PM | Link to this
Kari has a 3.44 GAA & .903 SV%
Moose has a 4.04 GAA & .879 SV%
Opie has a 2.57 GAA & .889 SV%
By Sara
November 18, 2008 4:20 PM | Link to this
dhj funny you should ask that.
The team scored 4 goals and 5 goals in front of Pavs. In front of Hedberg, they’ve scored 4, 1, 5, 5, 3, and 3. In games Kari played in they scored 7, 2, 2, 0, 3, 2, 3, 0, and 2. I’d rather look at the numbers individually than an average cause that 7 and the two zeros would do weird things to that average. But the bottom line is obvious - the team scores more in front of Pavs and Moose than Kari.
Now there are different ways to interpret that data IMO. One could be that the team is more comfortable in front of Moose and Pavs so they play better, more aggressive hockey. While I think that can sometimes be the case, in this instance I’d call horse-hockey cause Pavs is a rookie and no team is going to give that much confidence to a rookie - at least not right out of the gate.
Another issue is that Kari was starting games when the team was still struggling to get lines set and get their tails into gear. They laid two goose-eggs in front of him. One game Kari gave up one goal, the other 7 goals but either way is about the same difference. It doesn’t matter what Kari does if the team can’t find the back of the net (though one is always preferable to seven).
And it certainly didn’t hurt that Pavelec played against Florida and the Islanders - not exactly powerhouse teams. Moose and Kari have had to deal with Jersey, Philly, Detroit, Carolina, Buffalo, Washington, Boston, Rangers, Minnesota - all teams currently in the top 8 in their conference (except Philly who’s tied in points for 8th but listed at 9th).
By Rawhide
November 18, 2008 4:35 PM | Link to this
dhj_1962 - Ummm….what Sara said.
By dhj_1962
November 18, 2008 4:44 PM | Link to this
thank you Sara, I feel they are more comfortable with Kari in net and took alot more chances leaving him with alot of tough saves to try and make. since they seem to be getting JA’s system, i want to see Kari back in net when healthy. the only draw back is having to listen to booger eating stendec.
By Wings fan in Ga.
November 18, 2008 4:46 PM | Link to this
ranallo10 , to answer your question, I’d rather have Goodell running my sport, then Stern, then choose anarchy if I had to pick between Selig and Bettman. But if I had to pick, I’d probably pick Selig over Bettman, but I’d really prefer anarchy.
By dhj_1962
November 18, 2008 5:07 PM | Link to this
GOODELL, STERN, BETTMAN THAN SELIG. SELIG IS A JOKE, THE OWNERS PUPPET, REMEMBER THE ALLSTAR GAME TIE? REMEMBER THE STERIOD ISSUE? WHEN CONGRESS WAS MAKING HIM LOOK LIKE AN IDIOT? IT WAS HILARIOUS!!!
By Tom
November 18, 2008 8:56 PM | Link to this
booger eating stendec
wow, it must be hard to eat boogers when Kari is in net and he is frothing at the mouth.
By Wings fan in Ga.
November 18, 2008 10:25 PM | Link to this
dhj, yes I remember the All-star game tie, the steroids (which I believe should be legalized) and Congress wasting their time with the pointless hearings. Do you remember the two lengthy work stoppages under Bettman? Do you remember where Bettman came from? At least Selig actually has a history in baseball and knows the game, even though it was as a douchebag owner. The NHL was as popular as the NBA when the Kings played for the Cup and the Rangers won the Cup the following season, and then wham, lockout. Selig is the lesser of two evils, but I’d still pick anarchy. I’m throwing a candidate in for commissioner of the NHL - Don Waddell.
By Alan
November 18, 2008 11:15 PM | Link to this
I’m throwing a candidate in for commissioner of the NHL - Don Waddell.
At least he’s played the game before. That’s a one-up on Bettman already.
By Alan
November 19, 2008 9:50 AM | Link to this
Quick thought, guys…
Last week in the ESPN power rankings, Tampa Bay was ranked 15th while Atlanta was ranked 27th. Then Melrose got canned. Now, Atlanta is ranked 25th to Tampa Bay’s 26th. Coincidence?