Ice Man

By B. Thenet

February 11, 2009 11:34 PM | Link to this

Imagine how badly the Thrashers would have lost if the Blackhawks actually showed a little bit of effort last night.

The Thrashers outworked the Blackhawks, sadly the Blackhawks are faster, tougher, and more talented than the Thrashers so it really meant jack squat.

By jason

February 12, 2009 12:16 AM | Link to this

If anyone would like an arm rest from Philips let me know. The crack ushers (which there weren’t any in the section where it was taken from) didn’t stop me walking out with it on Sunday. I figure come back after the circus and I’ll start working on the seat cushion.

Isn’t it about time for Waddell to trade a young D-man like Bogo or Boris for an over-the-hill player that will be out of the NHL in two years? C’mon Dealer Don, the trade deadline is fast approaching!

But the bigger question is, when will the ASG instruct the ticket reps to start selling end-of-season plans with first option for playoff tickets?

By LAC

February 12, 2009 2:10 AM | Link to this

I hear Ken Klee is available don !!!! What a classic adddition to our hapless defense !

Last night was a good effort, but simply put we are a very poor team against a very good YOUNG team !

Remember when people said nice things about OUR up and coming Young team ?

Tell all of us STUPID don, how many five year plans ago was that ?

By Libby

February 12, 2009 7:37 AM | Link to this

It was very nice to see you ranallo 10. Sure have missed you. At least you got to see an interesting game.

By Carrie

February 12, 2009 10:27 AM | Link to this

It was nice to meet you too!

Xi was pretty disappointed in the outcome, but I’ll take the moral victory. It was the best game I’ve attended in a while. The ‘Hawks are a really fun team to watch (and their website is pretty hilarious to boot).

Without sounding too bitter, I have to say that I’m almost to the point where I hope the Thrashers keep losing. That totally goes against my nature as a fan, but at this point a high take in the draft could be the highlight of this dismal season. That said, I cannot bring myself to root against the Thrashers. Here’s hoping that if they DO lose that they keep doing it in the same fashion as last night!

By Rawhide

February 12, 2009 12:14 PM | Link to this

WOW!! - I got Libby to post on my blog!!!!!

Carrie - you are not alone in that feeling.

By Brendan

February 12, 2009 12:27 PM | Link to this

A few blogs back, a poster asked what promotions the Thrashers could try to drum up fan attendance. I suggested water bottle give-a-ways, buy 3 season tickets, get two free, for all remaining home games. Among other suggestions. I think it would be cool to have a William Hung appreciation night. And between whistles, we’d all do some offkey caterwauling to the Karaoke up on the flatscreen.

Somehow, I think the subtlety of it all would be lost on Don Waddell and the Atlanta Spirit, LLC.

By Alan

February 12, 2009 1:15 PM | Link to this

Another Thrashers game, another opposition player injured.

By Jarndyce

February 12, 2009 1:20 PM | Link to this

DW’s tradeline deal prognostication:

Next year’s 1st round pick 2nd round pick in 2010 Zach Bogosian

for…

Keith Tkachuk

By Spud Webb

February 12, 2009 1:44 PM | Link to this

Carrie don’t think of it as rooting against the thrashers. Think of it as rooting against DW. Addition by subtraction!!!! Make sense?? Agreed though, it is hard to root for them to lose. I don’t think it matters, with our luck, no way our ping pong ball comes up first for the draft!! Just the way it rolls!!!!

By Bob

February 12, 2009 2:10 PM | Link to this

Carrie has it. Wanting them to lose from here on out is actually rooting for them, if you care about the long term health of this club, and not just a single game that you attend. This year has been meaningless in terms of playoffs since before they dropped the 1st puck.

If you want this team to succeed, you will want them to lose and get either Tavares or Hedman. It doesn’t matter which one we get (but Tavares is what we need most), either one is a game changer and a star that can have on our club for 7 years to pair with Little and Bogosian. The new competent GM could do wonders with that trio as a base.

By dhj_1962

February 12, 2009 2:23 PM | Link to this

i got a couple of question….If Pevs can play with Kovy, and Thrashers get first pick, take Tavares, do you pair Tavares with Slava and Little? move White to 3rd line?? or, do you let Tavares play one year in the minors?

By Rawhide

February 12, 2009 2:43 PM | Link to this

Bob - While I submit that your logic is sound…let’s be honest here….we were saying the same damn thing last year.

What if we WERE successful in landing the #1 pick intead of the #3. If you remove Bogosian and add in Stamkos, is this team any better right now?

I submit that the answer is NO.

Now…let’s say that the Thrashers do indeed land the #1 pick this summer and we get either Taveres or Hedman. Put either of those two on this team right now…would we be 20 points better then we are right now?…10 points?…5 points?

Again…if we are stuck with the #1 pick this summer, then I would be THRILLED to have Tavares. He is going to be awesome!

But until Don Waddell is replaced with someone who can get some better supporting players, it will not matter a hill of beans if we get Taveres…not anytime soon, at least.

And anyone who thinks it’s a foregone conclusion that DW is out of here after the season…don’t fool yourself. He should have been gone last spring, but wasn’t.

So again…while I understand 100% what you are saying…if DW is the GM here next season, and the same idiot owners…we’ll be doing the exact same thing again next spring…going through the same bullsh!t about hoping for the #1 pick.

And what will we have gained?

By Smoothie

February 12, 2009 2:46 PM | Link to this

dhj — I’ll chime in on this one. It’s an intriguing debate as to whether we need Tavares more or Hedman. You could certainly make a case for each. But if we draft first, I think you have to take Tavares as he seems so much more ballyhooed than any other prospect since Cindy Crotchby.

I like Pevs with Kovy and have no earthly idea why JA tinkered with that line other than to purposely disrupt chemistry for the sole purpose of losing games. Pevs has the speed, grit and the vision to play with Kovy. Ultimately I would like to see Little grow into the RW spot on that line.

HOWEVER, considering Tavares is our best bet for a franchise turn-around (and a # 1 center for years to come) it might be wiser to play Little on the second line with Tavares and Slava. First, Tavares gets to play with a wiley, seasoned vet in Slava. Second, Little will be a year more mature, wiser and stronger and can take some of the pressure off of the young rookie. Plus, if we hope Kovy - Tavares - Little is the first line of the future, get BLits and JohnT as familiar as possible with each other for 2010-2011.

Projected Lines for 2009-10:

Kovy — Pevs — Army

Slava — JT — Little

Sterling / Stuart — Reasoner (I hope) / EC — White

Boults — Slater — Thorbs / Crabb

Projected Lines for 2010-11:

Kovy (pray to God) — JT — Little

Sterling / FA — Pevs / Espo(?) — Army

Prospect / FA — Esposito / Pevs — White

Boulton / FA — Slater — Crabb

Don’t think Sterling will work out, but we need to find out sooner than later. Slava will likely retire or move on after 2010-11 and we need to know if we have a true 20-30 goal scorer in Sterling. But more than likely he will get dealt as a sweetener in some other deal designed to get us draft picks or defense.

By R. Stroz

February 12, 2009 2:48 PM | Link to this

So again…while I understand 100% what you are saying…if DW is the GM here next season, and the same idiot owners…we’ll be doing the exact same thing again next spring…going through the same bullsh!t about hoping for the #1 pick.

And what will we have gained?

Easy, more bullsh!t.

By Brendan

February 12, 2009 2:53 PM | Link to this

In the big picture, draft picks should be developed correctly, and not rushed into the lineup. Now, if a player isssss really NHL-ready right from the draft, then fine. Start him in October.

While we’re still in big picture mode, you are a good fan if you want the Thrashers to acquire another “franchise player” in this summer’s draft. Stop. Who sits there and analyzes the 2002 season, thinking … “man, if only we’d have gotten 10 more points that year” versus owning that lottery draft pick? Okay, I mean beyond that of Stendec wishing we’d have dropped back to 8th overall, where we couldn’t have selected Kari Lehtonen with that pick. I concede that Stendec may have wished for that.

Bob is correct. “Nothing meaningful will change until meaningful changes are made, and that begins with the selection of new, competent GM.” Just giving Waddell more money isn’t, in and of itself, going to fix the problem. Waddell, irrespective of the budgetary constraints, has had seven (7) Top 10 picks from which to build this franchise. It’s nine (9) seasons later. Did he succeed?

If this ownership wins the lawsuit, they may opt to retain Waddell. Well, they might. If they win the lawsuit and fire Waddell, then that’s a meaningful change. But it’s only Act I, Scene I, of many more scenes of the play. If the AS, LLC turns to the league and says, “Well, we’ll be honest here. We don’t know how to hire a GM. Help us.” I’d bet the NHL would step in to appoint someone to run the team. To make the draft picks. To sign and re-sign the players. To cultivate a “vision” for the future and direction of the team. To make the trades. And to hire proper scouts. And, to even tell the Spirit where an appropriate place to make the budget should be.

And I’d agree with whichever poster said, “The proximity to the cap limit should depend on where the team’s development is.” Obviously, if we’re EARLY in the building project, the budget should be lean. And when the team is really 3 lines deep, with 4-5 quality defenders, and a Tier I goalie, that’s when it should go hog wild, spending to the cap limit, to obtain the final piece or pieces of the Stanley Cup-winning puzzle. I’d agree with ALL of that. There’s a time and place for everything.

There’s a natural “ebb and flow” of teams. There are peaks and valleys. The valleys are for reloading and the peaks are for obtaining banners to hang from the rafters.

By Thrashers27

February 12, 2009 3:02 PM | Link to this

Rawhide,

I’m not convinced that DW is to blame for all of the team’s woes. He has blundered with the Zhitnik/Coburn trade and a couple of other minor things, but I would be more inclined to think that the ownership is more to blame at this point…not to mention the blow dealt to the team with the death of Snyder and the departure of Heatly. I think that incident very likely scarred the teams morale for many years to come. I’m not sure what anyone could have done at that point. I would also contend that ASG has not given DW the $$$$ to go out and build a competitive team.

While I do agree with you that he should be held accountable to a degree, I would really like to see what he could and would do if ASG gave him enough of a bankroll to reach the cap limit. Sure the team made a playoff “run” under ASG, but that team was built by Waddell and Time Warner ownership. ASG blows! I think I’d rather see a different owner take over than see DW sent packing.

By Jarndyce

February 12, 2009 3:15 PM | Link to this

Smoothie: While I appreciate your attempt at line combinations, any scenario in which we begin the next season with Colby Armstrong as a first or second line RW is another lost season.

Why? Because it means there has been yet another collosal failure to adequately address team needs.

I’ll take Tavares in the middle. Fine. Even Esposito. Make this the youngest, least experienced team at Center in the league. If they’re skilled and creative and play hard, I’ll deal with the mistakes.

But in those circumstances, if the best RW depth looks like Little, Armstrong, and a patchwork of ex-Centers down the right side, we’ll be talking about scouting reports for the 2010 draft by early November.

By Bob

February 12, 2009 3:20 PM | Link to this

I would really like to see what he could and would do if ASG gave him enough of a bankroll to reach the cap limit. Sure the team made a playoff “run” under ASG, but that team was built by Waddell and Time Warner ownership

Dude, the ASG has given Waddell max cap twice, and he failed. The playoff run was under ASG, not TW.

But until Don Waddell is replaced with someone who can get some better supporting players, it will not matter a hill of beans if we get Taveres…not anytime soon, at least*

You are correct. I am working under the assumption (I’m going to ignore the first three letters of that word) that the Spirit boys are just biding their time until the lawsuit is settled and then Waddell is gone. I refuse to believe that anyone is this brain dead to continue to retain what the guy who is obviously the root of the problem, to anyone with a modicum of hockey knowledge.

If they retain Waddell, then all bets are off and this club is hopeless.

By Spud Webb

February 12, 2009 3:29 PM | Link to this

Thrashers27 I respectfully disagree. Someone last week posted the draft history of the Thrashers. It was one of the sickest things I’ve EVER seen. 9 years of one miss after another. This has ZERO to do with payroll and directly with the GM (our &ss clown DW). Our draft history alone should’ve had him fired years ago. One or two misses I can understand, but 7 top 10 picks in 9 years and what we see now is the product?? REALLY?

By Rawhide

February 12, 2009 3:29 PM | Link to this

Thrasher27 - The use of the word “blow” in the same paragraph that you discuss the Spirit Clowns is more appropriate than I think you even intended.

Now, while I agree that ownership is a HUGE problem with this team, it does not excuse away all of what ailes this franchise. Even “tying the hands” of DW is not an excuse to me…look at what LA is doing with the lowest payroll in the league.

Bob…

“I refuse to believe that anyone is this brain dead to continue to retain what the guy who is obviously the root of the problem, to anyone with a modicum of hockey knowledge”

I certainly hope you are correct. But with this group of clowns…I do not “refuse to believe” ANYTHING!

By dhj_1962

February 12, 2009 3:37 PM | Link to this

THANK YOU SMOOTHIE. LOOKS GOOD ON PAPER. I’M WITH EVERYONE ON OWNERSHIP, DW, CAP SPACE AND MONEY. WE COULD GO ON FOREVER FOR THAT. JUST WAS WONDERING ABOUT LINES.

By Smoothie

February 12, 2009 3:52 PM | Link to this

Jarndyce — I hear what you’re saying, but I’m just trying to be realistic. The question pertained primarily to Taveras vs. Hedman and I gave my honest assessment. I would love for the ASG to go out and ink a bona fide RW stud. But do you really think it’s going to happen?? Who is going to sign here that is better than the caliber of a Jason Williams when they know full well we will be going through another “build” year? Do you honestly think we will compete for a playoff spot next year simply with the additions of Tavares, Espo, a couple of promoted Wolves’ players and a defense that still has XLB and two undersized Swedes playing top pairing minutes??

Army is not a bad fill-in for Top 6 minutes till we can prove to the free-agent market our “rebuilding” project is on track and dare I say “headed in the right direction”? I think not. You singled out Army, but you forgot to mention Peverley. I like Pevs so far, but if he couldn’t crack the lineup in Nashville, do you really think he’s a top line or 2nd line center?

Rawhide — at least the Kings’ GM had the foresight to realize he needed to get younger, faster and stronger and it is starting to pay off. I can only hope that DWad uses some modicum of prescience (sp?) in his March 4th deadline moves to acquire good draft picks and a prospect or two. But if a player or two from the Wolves does not step up next year, how do we get good enough in the next year or two to even think about playoffs? Tavares is a start, but it may take more time thanks to DWad’s draft failures since he’s been here.

By Jim

February 12, 2009 5:36 PM | Link to this

The clueless ownership and low payroll does not excuse the fact that DW has assembled a “mediocre at best” team. We have only a few guys who would play regularly on other NHL teams- Kovy, Little, Enstrom, Bogosian and maybe Kozlov. Other teams with low salary structures have assembled a group of pluggers who “prided themselves” on overachieving. This team appears to lack “pride”. Most teams have that “not in our building” mentality. Not us, we don’t seem to really care and only hustle every now and then. The chemistry of the club is obviously poor and Anderson doesn’t seem to pull anything “special” out of them. The only thing that we can take out of last night’s game is that teams can turn around very quickly. Two years ago the Blackhawks were the Thrashers. Now they’r young and competitive. while I wouldn’t trade young talent for him- Keith Tk. provided veteran leadership in his brief period here and got the guys believing in themselves. Kovy hustles his rear end off but it’s not the same type of proven, “here’s what we need to do to win” type of leadership. Our castoffs seem to be happy to be pulling an NHL paycheck. And, will somebody tell Exelby to use two hands on his stick and quit throwing the free arm around a charging forward. He is one guy who needs to find another home, along with Schneider and Christensen.

By Tony C.

February 12, 2009 5:39 PM | Link to this

Dude, 27,

Check out the budgets that Poille has had to work with! With that in mind, let’s also throw in the very real threat that the Predators would be moved/contracted that he [Poille] has had to deal with over the past few seasons!

I would also reccomend you look at PHX. While they’re bleeding financially, they have assembled a team that is competative and at the very least extremely un-fun for the opposition to play. Just look at what time has been selected as the visiting team during a Sweater-retirement night.

I betcha it’s the Thrashers. We’re like UT-Clarksville, or whatever chump D-2A team that UGA schedules to beat up on for homecoming/early season tune-up football games. Yeah, the team you can count on beating by a big margin.

I may never get the opportunity, but I’ll betcha my left thumb I could do as good a job IF NOT BETTER than what DW has done-and i’m just a good ol’ boy from stone mountain-not a “hockey man”. I can’t even really skate. I mean if you just took the scouting central 1st-round draft-chart picks, even including huge busts like Stefan, you still ice a pretty bad-@ss team: Stefan, Heatley, Kovalchuk, Lehtonen, Coburn,Valabik, Marc Staal, Jim Slater Little, Bogosian.

Now some of those guys DW hit on (I would think that even “that deaf, dumb blind kid” of song would’ve been able to pick #17). but my point is, even if you knew nothing about ice hockey and just took the next top-listed prostpect from NHL central scouting, you would have assembled a better squad than DW has. Granted, some of those players were traded away, but you still are looking at ineptness at best.

That is a fact.

Would you have gotten the best player available each time? No. You would however have made at least 5 good-to-great picks, just by following the handy guide that the NHL provides to every fan with a web connection!!!!

Finances aside (yes, perhaops ownership wouldn’t retain all the talent) you still ice a GOOD team.

Let’s even throw in the effects of The Accident: Stefan, Hossa, Kovalchuk, Lehtonen, Coburn, Valabik, Slater, Little, Bogosian.

I feel for his plight as far as the purse-strings being tied, but it seems like DW’s refusal to negotiate with Savard in-season made up his [Savard’s] mind for him regarding whether he really wanted to stay. That’s just one example of poor management and/or poor talent evaluation coupled with constrained management.

27, apologies if I’m pilling on, but to say that DW isn’t at least 75% responsible for the craptacular team we have now is absurd.

By Tony C.

February 12, 2009 5:57 PM | Link to this

In other news, if we can somehow get another 1st round pick for whatever we sell at the deadline, just for fun I’d like to see us get Richard Panik from Czech republic. Just for the name. Yep. Dick Panik.

GO BLUE !!!

FIRE WADDELL

By Rawhide

February 12, 2009 6:21 PM | Link to this

The Thrashers player carousel continues…Lavalee up, Motzko down

By Nikita

February 12, 2009 7:18 PM | Link to this

Lewis! Lewis! Lewis! Er, um, fine then. Lavallee.

I’m underwhelmed by Lavallee, but I am also underwhelmed by Motzko. Honestly, I think the best-playing Wolves forward yet has been Sterling, his small size notwithstanding.

By Tony C.

February 12, 2009 8:39 PM | Link to this

Yaaaay Lavallee!!!! finally I’m only worried that he’s being showcased as trade-bait. Dude is clutch we should hang on to him.

By R. Stroz

February 12, 2009 10:49 PM | Link to this

Here’s an idea:

Lets send Waddell down to Chicago and bring up Cheveldayoff.

By Thrashers27

February 12, 2009 11:08 PM | Link to this

Rawhide and Tony C.,

I had not considered that other teams had done better with less. That’s a great point. I do, however still contend that this team’s mojo was stolen Hossa came to town. The team had already been hit with a very somber moment and the departure of a HUGE building block. In return they get Hossa. A guy that was blindsided by a trade to a team troubled by the untimely death of a player and an untimely sale.

Again, great points! I only hope for the best for the team and the game, which to me means a healthy and successful team here in Atlanta. Go Blue!

By Brendan

February 12, 2009 11:53 PM | Link to this

Okay, there’s something I’ve wanted to say for a long time now. (Watch, Trixie will arrive any moment now with a new blog, and it’ll never get discussed.) But here it is. (Everyone leans in to listen.)

Here’s what Don Waddell doesn’t understand: “Players aren’t stupid. And they see through him, too.”

Uhh, what does that MEAN? In plain English.

Okay … for the players … this is THEIR JOB. It’s important to them. It’s what they do for a living. So who they work for and what the company’s vision is … are things that matter to them. The Atlanta Spirit, LLC, is the company they work for.

So?????

So, the employees have stumbled on to the memo, that someone CARELESSLY left on the shared drive of the LAN, that they weren’t supposed to read … that outlines what “THE PLAN” really is.

Don Waddell sits there, disaffected by this, thinking … “This team is talent-laden. It should be winning. I think we’re close, real close to putting some good streaks together.”

Don, the jig is up. The employees have read the “buy out” memo. And you still act “surprised” why they come out “flat.” Or play “inconsistently.” Or don’t appear properly motivated. They READ the memo. They’re demoralized.

You’re lucky you get THISSS much effort out of them. They’re talking with their agents day and night. The agent is telling them, “You’re best opportunities are OUTSIDE of Atlanta. But you have to bide your time, until you become a free agent.”

By Rawhide

February 12, 2009 11:59 PM | Link to this

Thrasher27 - Again, you make a very solid point. Well played, indeed. I will also echo your hopes that this team succeeds on and off the ice in the near future and for years to come.

The only counter that I might have to your analogy is that Waddell and the organ-I-zation has had 5-1/2 years to recover from the Heatley situation.

By Trixie (Rawhide's Secretary)

February 13, 2009 12:03 AM | Link to this

Brendan - I’m in the middle of a bubble bath right now. So you are in no danger me posting up another Pulitzer-esque blog entry from Mr. Rawhide any time soon.

By Brendan

February 13, 2009 12:45 AM | Link to this

I would really like a Waddell-backer or a Spirit Group proponent to come post here to answer a few basic, simple questions. Question #1: “What do you think the role and function of a sports agent is?” Question #2: “In what capacity do sports agents see the Atlanta hockey market?” Question #3: If you answered that the job and function of the sports agent is to make the maximum money for both himself and his client, “What would make you think that Atlanta’s hockey finances are good enough to do anything but pay Kovalchuk, or some other player, a league maximum contract?” Specifically address how you think the Tier I player will have adequate help on his line, to help him excel professionally and meet his personal goals, while still getting help from secondary scoring, and depth at all positions, to place the team into Stanley Cup contendership.” Be sure to cite how close to the floor or ceiling of the cap the team will be, under the Atlanta Spirit’s stewardship of the Atlanta Thrashers Hockey Club.

I’m serious. I want to hear a rational debate. I’m open to your suggestions and comments. I’m really not trying to hear, “Atlanta’s finances are fine. There is nothing about which to worry. Don Waddell is an excellent GM. The team is in very capable hands. We’ve got tons of money and cap room, too. And the past two seasons have been disappointing flukes, nothing more,” as a counter-point. That’s not a counter-point. That’s propaganda.

My favorite quote from the Iraqi invasion was, “I triple guarantee you, there are NO American soldiers in Baghdad.” The newspaper cites dubious claims of the teams hemorrhaging money. Although I question that, I certainly can’t accept the other end of the spectrum to be true, either. That is, I doubt that the team can spend to the cap limit, annually, without a massive increase in ticket prices. And how well will ‘that plan’ go over with the Blueland Faithful?

By ranallo10

February 13, 2009 3:25 AM | Link to this

RH — Good to see you, as usual…all it takes is a 12 hour flight and a big hug, and Libby will be posting much more frequently. :)

Stroz — Thanks again.

PJ — Nice to meet you.

Anyways, here’s an interesting read on TSN today:

Don Waddell helped assemble the squad that went to Italy and will be back again as part of Burke’s management group. Part of his job is reliving the disappointment of the last Olympics.

“We’re going back and second guessing and nitpicking and trying to figure out what went wrong in the selection process,” said Burke. “You can’t learn from your mistakes unless you examine them. Once you examine them, you put them behind you and move on. …

“(Don’s) experience is invaluable to us.”

I guess Burke sees the same lack of ability in Waddell that everyone else sees…

Paul Holmgren, Ray Shero, David Poille, Dean Lombardi and Waddell are all part of the management team for Team USA. I would think there is PLENTY of talent to go around where Burke could keep Waddell off the list if he didn’t see some value in keeping him around…yet, Burke kept him around and even complimented his old friend (Waddell’s the only person of the esteemed group that Burke commented on in this story).

I’m guessing Waddell will land on his feet once his Atlanta gig is up. My prediction is that he’ll be with another NHL team within two years of his employment ending here, likely in a scouting role or an advisory role.

As for the notion that the ownership will grow a collective brain after this court case, I find that laughable. They’ve proven themselves incompetent in regards to running this hockey team. They retain a GM many consider to be unfit for management (except for Team USA and Brian Burke). They cannot properly buy out their own business partner, nor properly buy a franchise without help from Daddy and Daddy-in-Law. The ownership is not going to wake up and decide they know how to spot a talented GM. They could’ve done so many times previously, even before the buyout fiasco, yet they haven’t. Why would you assume they’d change?

By Get The Puck Out

February 13, 2009 8:46 AM | Link to this

It’s the same thing every day. Same GM, same owners, same team, same losing, nothing’s changed. Well- one thing’s changed- less fans. Unless something changes their really isn’t much to blog about. I really hope something changes soon because i used to really look foward to seeing the Thrashers but i just don’t get up for the games anymore. So much losing seems to take all the fun out of it. I just wonder how the team really feels about this season and about Don Waddell. I guess if and when we ever get a new GM and maybe new owners we can look back at this and wonder why a change wasn’t done sooner… I still love hockey and the Thrashers but we absoutley need a change…NOW.

By Spud Webb

February 13, 2009 10:01 AM | Link to this

One non descript player called up for another is this really even news?? ahhahah. I swear I get excited each morning looking for trades or the never coming “DW is Fired” and I get crap like Lavalle called up for Motzko. WOW, stop the presses. ahhaaahaha, sorry.

FIRE WADDELL

By Buzilla in CT

February 13, 2009 10:33 AM | Link to this

Why doesn’t someone (Rawhide) start a collection to buy the Thrashers? Sheite rolls down hill. From the penthouse of 100 Centenial Tower (aka the envelope building) to the front door of Phillips. Nothing will change without change (brilliat I know). The state of this economy means that no one will be shelling out dollars to buy this steaming pile of blue dung (thank you Mr. Greenspan).

Nothing will change until the owners sell. And that ain’t going to happen in the next five years. I only hope that the Thrashers can survive until the next owners come in. ….Hartford Thrashers baby…Its coming

By Alan

February 13, 2009 12:01 PM | Link to this

“Hartford Thrashers baby…Its coming”

Ye Gods. I hope not.

No offense, of course. I like this team here, though. The league knows whats up, and I doubt they’ll allow a sale if it means the team will move.

By Nikita

February 13, 2009 5:09 PM | Link to this

I feel like we’re always having the same discussion around here…

Random questions I’m kinda curious about:

1. How often do Thrashers get drug tested, and is green stuff an issue for them?

2. Will Sean Avery get slapped with any penaltieas down on his conditioning assignment?

3. How do you guys think the game against Anaheim will go? I watch a lot of Anaheim, personally — and I have no idea, though I think it’ll be an uphill battle for the Thrash to prevail.