Q&A/ DON WADDELL, Thrashers GM: ‘We’re better than our record’

Thrashers general manager Don Waddell faces a lot of challenges: Improving a 12-18-4 team that stands 13th of 15 in the NHL’s Eastern Conference, selling tickets and sponsorships during a recession and giving fans a reason to think something will change for a franchise that has been to the playoffs once and never won a playoff game. Waddell told staff writer Mike Knobler he’s still looking to get players who will help the Thrashers this season, not draft picks or prospects who won’t pay off immediately.

Q. You’ve said you won’t trade Ilya Kovalchuk. Are there any other players you rule out trading?

A. There are some guys that I won’t trade, but I’m not going to get into the names. There are certainly some younger guys, and you can figure it out, that we want to continue to build around.

Q. What’s the first priority you’re looking for in a trade?

A. A centerman would be No. 1, but if it’s a player that’s going to make us a better team at this point, particularly a forward, we’ll look at pretty much anything.

Q. When do you start having to make a decision, is this a team that has a chance to make a run or is it time to look to the future?

A. The trade deadline’s March 4. In February we only have [five] home games. We have to put ourselves in position over the next five, six weeks. If we don’t, it’s going to be tough for us.

Q. Your main focus last summer was to shore up the defense. Where do you think that stands?

A. Last year we were one of the bottom teams in points from our defensemen. We’re certainly generating a lot more. I think our defense is much better; we move the puck much better. That doesn’t explain why we are still among the bottom in giving up too many goals. I think that’s not just a defen- semen chore. The forwards all have a responsibility in the defensive zone, and if you don’t work as a unit out there as five [skaters], that’s when things happen. That’s been the biggest disappointment, that we have given up so many goals.

Q. When you signed Tobias Enstrom at the beginning of the year, you said that’s the one contract you really wanted to get done. Marty Reasoner has been playing well. Will you look to re-sign him soon?

A. The guys that are on one-year contracts, after January 1 you can start talking about extensions. We haven’t done a lot of that in the past. It’s one thing to do your marquee players. Everybody understands that. When you get through that, you’ve got to be careful, because you’ve got a chemistry going in that locker room and you want to make sure you can make moves and do things wisely.

Q. What’s your assessment of the season?

A. The frustration part is, we have eight games where we were tied in the third period with less than seven minutes and we have found ways not to win any of those games. … You take even half of those games and split it, it makes the whole season look much different. … Most games we’ve given ourselves a chance to win, and we haven’t found a way to do it. That’s the frustration part, because I think we’re a much better team than our record. I think we’re a better skilled team than we had last year. I think we got deeper at every position.

Q. How do you think coach John Anderson is doing?

A. Fine. … He’s a very good communicator with his players. Players know what’s happening all the time. I’ve seen him make adjustments as we’ve gone along on a very positive note to try to make us better.

Q. The best thing you’ve seen him do?

A. He’s been able to get multiple lines scoring for us. We all know that Kovy, every night he’s going to be playing against the best players in the league. You’ve got to find other balance. We did that, particularly early on when the [Todd] White line was on fire there for 12 to 15 games. The other line that’s been pretty good for us the past week has been the [Eric] Perrin, [Jason] Williams and [Colby] Armstrong line. That’s the good thing, that he’s been able to juggle and find combinations that are working for the team.

Q. What do you expect to happen with attendance?

A. Our attendance has always been better the second half of the year. This year we expect it to be better. We’ve already got pre-sales that will be better. But we also know we’re in a very different economic world than we were. People are a little more tentative about spending that extra dollar.

NEXT FOR THRASHERS

> Who: vs. Hurricanes

> When: 7:30 p.m. today

> TV; radio: SportSouth; AM 680