The Thrashers traded forwards Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis to Pittsburgh on Tuesday for three players and a first-round draft pick.

The Thrashers receive 25-year old forward Colby Armstrong, 24-year old forward Erik Christensen and center Angelo Esposito, the team's first-round draft pick (20th overall) this year.

"It's exciting to play with a player like [Sidney] Crosby and [Evgeni] Malkin and a bunch of young talented guys," Hossa told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I'm really looking forward to it.

"I had a great time in Atlanta, it was just fabulous people I was working with. Great teammates, espeically the fans. They were awesome, really, reallky nice to me. I had a great time playing in Atlanta."

Armstrong (6-2, 188) is a right wing with 24 points this season on nine goals and 15 assists.

Christensen (6-1, 208) is a center with 20 points this season, on nine goals and 11 assists.

Esposito (6-1, 180) is a center playing junior league hockey in Quebec. He played the last two seasons with Quebec of the QMJHL where he had 98 and 79 points, respectively.