They are still making introductions at Thrashers headquarters. An off-season shakeup has produced a team with a new general manager, new coaching staff and a revamped roster. Sixteen players who played for the Thrashers last season are gone. The list includes 11 who began the season on the roster (counting injured goaltender Kari Lehtonen).
The biggest moves brought in four players from Stanley Cup champion Chicago -- Dustin Byfuglien, Ben Eager, Andrew Ladd and Brent Sopel. Goaltender Chris Mason was the team’s big free-agent acquisition. Other NHL-experienced players, such as Fredrik Modin, were brought in to compete for roster spots.
The franchise, with one playoff appearance, has missed the postseason the past three years, leading to the overhaul. Included in the list of those who have moved on is Ilya Kovalchuk. For the first time in nine seasons, the Thrashers begin a training camp without the player who leads the franchise in most offensive categories, including goals and assists.
As players report Friday and begin on-ice activities Saturday, here are five things to watch during training camp.
Goal scoring
Training camp will provide the first indication as to where the goals will come.
Three players gone from last season, Kovalchuk, Maxim Afinogenov and Colby Armstrong, combined to score 70 goals. That’s 30 percent of the team’s 230 goals. Kovalchuk and Afinogenov (tied with Nik Antropov) were 1-2 on the goal-scoring list. Who will replace them? Will it be enough?
“[Bryan] Little should score again. [Evander] Kane should score. Nik should score,” coach Craig Ramsay said. “The most important thing to me is, again, getting scoring from everyone. Every line is responsible to try and score a goal.”
Ramsay said in addition to a team-scoring concept, he expects to get goals from the defense. He wants his defenders to join offensive rushes.
New players, new system
In John Anderson’s first season as head coach, it took the Thrashers considerable time to adapt to his system. The team lost nine of its first 11 games. Ramsay insists it won’t take long to learn his “simple” system. The Thrashers will play an up-tempo "Go" style of play, according to Ramsay.
“It’s a little bit different then most, but I’ve said this: It’s simple,” Ramsay said of his system. “… I’d like to say I can do it tomorrow. There is a learning curve with every coach, every system. There is a learning curve. I believe I can shorten it.”
With all the new players, a key to the Thrashers' season will be how quickly they adapt to each other. The impact of those coming off a championship season will begin in camp.
“Any time you bring the caliber of Stanley Cup champions, everyone has an attentiveness and can learn how to win,” Thrashers forward Rich Peverley said. “That’s something that a lot of guys in this room, including myself, have to take that next step to learn how to win and get into the playoffs. I think those guys will help.”
Bfyuglien to defense
Despite scoring 28 goals last season, including 11 in Chicago’s Stanley Cup-winning run, Dustin Byfuglien will start his Thrashers career as a defenseman.
“It’s a position that I thought he was well on his way to being a top, top defenseman in Chicago,” Thrashers general manager Rick Dudley said. “We moved him to forward because we had no size up front. … He can score 15 goals as a defenseman. He’s got one of the hardest shots in the game.”
The move figures to give the Thrashers a stout blue line. This is where one of the more interesting competitions will take place during camp. With Zach Bogosian, Tobias Enstrom, Ron Hainsey, Johnny Oduya, Brent Sopel and Bfyuglien, the Thrashers' top six defensive spots are set. That leaves Arturs Kulda, Kyle McLaren, Freddy Meyer, Jaime Sifers, Boris Valabik, Noah Welch and Andrey Zubarv fighting for one spot.
The prospects
The Thrashers are bringing several promising offensive prospects to camp, including this year’s first-round draft pick, Alexander Burmistrov. There will be few spots available. Patrice Cormier, Angelo Esposito, Spencer Machacek and Fredrik Pettersson all have a chance to make the opening roster. How they play in exhibition games will be the real test.
Standing in their way will be several NHL veterans signed during the off-season. If Nigel Dawes, Enver Lisin and Patrick Rissmiller make a big impression and earn a roster spot, then the Thrashers’ AHL affiliate in Chicago will be a deep team.
Leadership
When Kovalchuk was traded last season, it left the Thrashers without a captain. Management brought in Chris Chelios late in the season to bring a proven leader into the locker room for the playoff run. Only Bogosian and Hainsey return as assistant captains from last season.
Ramsay has definite ideas of what’s he is looking for in a captain. He said it’s possible the team will use only assistants or rotate a captain until someone emerges to take the leadership role.
“A captain is a person first,” Ramsay said. “He must be committed to his conditioning, to the style of play the team has, to his teammates. It’s just a player that believes in the team concept, who believes in being part of a team and having the courage to step up, even when he’s not at his best and say ‘Hey, you are not doing it. We have to play harder. We as a group must play harder. We as a group must train harder.'"
