Competition for spot on Thrashers' defense heats up

By Chris Vivlamore

Sept 25, 2010

The Thrashers' locker room got more crowded with the arrival of Dustin Byfuglien -- and it had nothing to do with his size.

The move of the 6-foot-4, 255-pound Byfuglien back to defense has created an even tighter training-camp competition for a roster spot along the team’s blue line. The position change leaves the Thrashers with one defensive position -- a reserve spot -- open. There are currently six players in the mix for that spot after one week of camp.

Barring injury, Zach Bogosian, Tobias Enstrom, Ron Hainsey, Johnny Oduya and Brent Sopel are sure bets to be among the top six. If the move of Byfuglien is successful -- and all indications are it has been -- the math gets harder for the others.

Byfuglien will make his Thrashers debut in Saturday’s exhibition game against Carolina.

Arturs Kulda, Freddy Meyer, Jamie Sifers, Boris Valabik, Noah Welch and Andrey Zubarev remain. All but Zubarev has played NHL games and the Russian spent the past two seasons playing professionally in the Kontinental Hockey League.

“We have a tough, tough decision to make,” Thrashers general manager Rick Dudley said. “It will probably end up being an unfair process, but it’s one you have to make. Someone is going down that deserves to be in the league.”

For a young player such as Kulda or Zubarev to make the team, he would have to outplay one of the top six defensemen. If not, it’s likely he would start the season at AHL Chicago. A young player needs to play regularly to further develop, and sitting in a press box as a healthy scratch is an unlikely option. The Thrashers already re-assigned prospect Paul Postma to Chicago to continue his development.

Zubarev has opened eyes with his play early in training camp. Dudley has raved about the 23-year-old’s ability to pass, skate and hit along with his work ethic.

Kulda, who led the AHL in plus-minus rating last season, played four games for the Thrashers last season filling in for injured players. Kulda said he would be disappointed with a return to the minors, “but if I go, it will only be my fault.”

Valabik was limited to 23 games for the Thrashers last season after battling injury, including a torn knee ligament. The former 10th overall draft pick said he has been so focused on his play that he has paid little attention to the others he is competing against.

“I’m focusing on my thing,” Valabik said. “If I didn’t like my chances, I would be somewhere else. ... There is always competition in camp. There are always guys trying to get jobs, and there is always guys trying to keep jobs. I don’t think anybody is safe. I don’t think anybody is untouchable. We don’t have any superstars. Anybody can be sent down. Anybody can be traded.”

Meyer, Sifers and Welch all signed two-way deals and have attractive salaries. They would give the Thrashers organizational depth. All would be valuable options to start the season in the minors and be readily available should there by an injury. The team likely would be comfortable to have any of the three play 10-15 minutes a game if needed.

Only Kulda and Zubarev can be sent to the AHL without having to clear waivers. The others could be lost to another team if they are sent down. Dudley said early in camp he expected to lose a player or two in that manner.

Dudley has never shied away from the trade market, but it likely would take a 40-goal scorer to pry one of his top-six defensemen away.

Thrashers coach Craig Ramsay said that roster decisions will be based mostly on play during the exhibition season. That is where the coach and his staff will be able to best evaluate each player. Ramsay said the decision on the final defensive spot will easily be his toughest.

“We have some decisions to make,” Ramsay said. “It’s not going to be easy to play here. I hope that they’ve picked up on that during training camp. It’s going to be easy. It’s going to be demanding. There is a lot expected from our players.”

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