Thrashers GM: Kovalchuk not going anywhere

Thrashers news Wednesday night was all about what didn’t happen and what won’t happen.

The Thrashers played one of the NHL’s best teams and didn’t win but also didn’t come away without a point. And the Thrashers’ general manager reiterated that he didn’t and won’t talk about trading Ilya Kovalchuk.

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John Amis/AP

New York Rangers New York Rangers right wing Fredrik Sjostrom (20) can’t keep his stick on the puck as Atlanta Thrashers goalie Johan Hedberg, right, and defenseman Garnet Exelby, left, defend, Wednesday night at Philips Arena.

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“I can’t deny it any harder than I already have,” Don Waddell said during the Thrashers’ 3-2 loss to the New York Rangers.

The Kovalchuk reports began in October and haven’t let up. First, he was supposedly going to Toronto, then to Montreal. This week, Canada’s Sun Media newspapers reported unnamed NHL sources said the Thrashers had “serious talk with several teams” about trading their star forward.

“We haven’t spoken to one team about trading him,” Waddell said. “We don’t plan on speaking to any team about trading him. He’s the cornerstone of this franchise. He’s not going anywhere.

“We’re going to do everything in our power, when we have that opportunity to sign him [beginning July 1, 2009], we’re going to try to do that. I’ve stated it numerous times. We’re not trading Ilya Kovalchuk.”

Kovalchuk, who is under contract through the 2009-10 season, showed why the Thrashers and other teams would want him. He tipped home a pass from Boris Valabik for the game-tying goal 2:49 into the third period Wednesday night.

This time, unlike in six of the season’s previous 26 games, the Thrashers didn’t blow the tie in the final 10 minutes of regulation. By not losing until Scott Gomez’s goal 18 seconds into overtime, the Thrashers salvaged a point in the standings.

Still, even against Atlantic Division leader New York, the Thrashers wanted more. They fell nine points behind Buffalo, which would get the final Eastern Conference playoff berth if the postseason began today.

“It’s a point against a good team, but right now it’s more disappointing than anything,” Thrashers goalie Johan Hedberg said afterward.

The Thrashers’ fourth line of Joey Crabb, Jim Slater and Eric Boulton scored for the third consecutive game. This time, it was Crabb doing the honors, scoring his first NHL goal.

He jumped onto the ice to complete a line change, split the Rangers’ defensemen at the blue line, received a pass from Nathan Oystrick and skated in alone on Stephen Valiquette. Crabb placed his shot just inside the far post.

Valabik created the second Thrashers goal with a pass from the left boards through traffic to Kovalchuk just outside the crease.

“Boris made a great play,” Thrashers coach John Anderson said. “It was good vision. It shows that he’s growing as a player.”

The Rangers got goals from Colton Orr and Ryan Callahan in regulation. Callahan’s, shorthanded, came when Brandon Dubinsky sent the puck into the crease and Hedberg’s attempt to clear it bounced off Callahan into the net, just as Callahan barreled into him. On Gomez’s goal, Markus Naslund sent the puck into the crease and Gomez tipped it in before Hedberg could get his glove down to freeze it.

The Thrashers aren’t done with division leaders. Up next, a Friday-Saturday home-road back-to-back against Boston, the top team in the Northeast.