DEL.ICIO.USThrashers drop preseason home opener
18-year-od defenseman looks like a keeper
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Zach Bogosian looks like he probably will play in the NHL as an 18-year-old defenseman, thanks in no small part to a 39-year-old teammate and adviser.
It’s no accident that Mathieu Schneider sits next to Bogosian in the Thrashers’ locker room. It’s also difficult to overstate the value to Bogosian of getting to play alongside a defenseman with 19 seasons of NHL experience. It could prove the difference between the Thrashers retaining Bogosian this season or sending him back for another year of junior hockey.
Pouya Dianat/pdianat@ajc.com
Thrashers center Bryan Little slams Red Wings defenseman Derek Meech into the glass during the third period at Philip Arena.
“I’d say it’s more heavily favored toward keeping him,” Thrashers general manager Don Waddell said Wednesday night. “I think we’d keep him because of Schneider.
“As long as [Bogosian] can play in our group on a nightly basis, there’s no reason to send him down.”
Bogosian looked as if he belonged in the NHL on Wednesday night, in the Thrashers’ 4-1 exhibition loss to the Detroit Red Wings.
He made quick, crisp passes onto teammates’ sticks. He moved the puck, carrying it himself once from the Thrashers’ zone all the way into the attacking end. From the point on the power play, he faked a shot, then quickly passed to Bryan Little in the slot, creating one of the night’s best scoring opportunities.
“It was like night and day [compared with Bogosian’s exhibition debut Sunday in Detroit],” Thrashers coach John Anderson said. “I feel good for him, and I feel good for the future of our team. He’s starting to play leaps and bounds better every game.”
The Thrashers have two more exhibitions Friday night against Nashville and Saturday night against St. Louis. They must cut their roster from 30 players to no more than 23 before the regular season opens Oct. 10 against Washington.
But a final decision on Bogosian doesn’t have to come then. They can keep him through nine regular-season games and retain the right to send him back to Peterborough, Ont., for another year in the Ontario Hockey League. If they do send him back, the three-year contract Bogosian signed would be pushed back a year, and that would push back the clock on Bogosian becoming a free agent.
Bogosian, the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, has his mind set on playing in the NHL right away.
“It’s something I want so badly. I really want to make it happen,” he said. “I’m going to do everything just to try to stick.”
Schneider will help. In fact, he already has, less than a week after coming to the Thrashers in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks. Schneider didn’t play Wednesday night but did share his knowledge of the Red Wings, one of his former teams.
Instead of trying to battle with big guys such as Johan Franzen in front of the net, Schneider suggested, just try to box them out and screen them so they can’t do any damage.
Schneider made his NHL debut before Bogosian was born. But they hit it off immediately.
“His first day, he came up to me and talked to me right away,” Bogosian said. “Obviously, he made me feel really comfortable. He’s a great leader. It’s good to have a guy like that around to talk.”
— Staff writer Mark Bradley contributed to this report.
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