The Thrashers have a new look for what they hope will be a 19-game push into the playoffs.
In: Radek Dvorak, Rob Schremp, Ben Maxwell and Brett Feasterling. Out: Niclas Bergfors, Fredrik Modin, Patrick Rissmiller and Drew MacIntyre.
In a rash of moves at the NHL trade deadline Monday, the team's biggest deal was the acquisition of Dvorak from Florida. To obtain the veteran forward (along with a fifth-round draft pick), the Thrashers sent forwards Bergfors and Rissmiller to the Panthers.
The Thrashers also sent Modin to Calgary for a seventh-round draft pick. They claimed Schremp on waivers from the New York Islanders. And in a final trade, they sent goaltender MacIntyre to Montreal for 24-year-old defenseman Feasterling.
In the first move of the day, the Thrashers also signed newly acquired defenseman Mark Stuart to a three-year contract worth $5.1 million.
“We improved our penalty kill,” general manager Rick Dudley said. “We got a little younger. We think we added pieces that can help us. We think we added versatility. We allowed a couple of things to happen for a player who might have been the odd-man out. We added some depth on the blue line. We are pretty happy with what we got accomplished.”
Dvorak, 33, had 21 points (seven goals, 14 assists) in 53 games with the Panthers. He will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season after making $1.7 million this year.
The 6-foot-2, 200-pound right wing has 555 points (215 goals, 340 assists) in 15 NHL seasons with Florida, the New York Rangers, Edmonton and St. Louis. He also has playoff experience with Florida and Edmonton. He was originally a first-round pick (No. 10 overall) of the Panthers in 1995.
Dudley said Dvorak will help the team’s beleaguered penalty kill unit.
“I think he’s a very good skater. We have certainly added speed," Dudley said. "As we said, he’s a great penalty killer. ... We think he can be a 20-goal scorer if he comes in and lights it up and has some fun. I think he will have some fun playing in this system. Speed in an important part of this system and he adds that.”
Bergfors never seemed to fit into coach Craig Ramsay’s system. He had 11 goals in 51 games and was a healthy scratch 11 times. Most recently, Bergfors was skating on the third line, averaging just over 10 minutes of ice time over the past eight games. Bergfors, who signed a one-year, $900,000 deal before the season, will become a restricted free agent. He came to the Thrashers last season from New Jersey as part of the Ilya Kovalchuk trade. He had 46 points (19 goals, 27 assists) in 78 career games with the Thrashers.
Dudley said acquiring Schremp made it easier to move Bergfors.
“He’s been struggling,” Dudley said. “He had one goal in his last 14 games. Bergy is a streaky player. We were in a situation where we needed him to be streaky the other way.”
Dudley called Modin the “odd-man out” and sent the unrestricted free agent-to-be to Calgary for a chance at increased playing time.
The Thrashers also recalled forward Ben Maxwell from AHL Chicago. He was acquired from Montreal last week for Brent Sopel. Goaltender Peter Mannino was also recalled to back up Chris Mason with Ondrej Pavelec injured. Forward Spencer Machacek was reassigned to Chicago.
The Thrashers acquired the 6-2, 215-pound Stuart from Boston, along with Blake Wheeler, on Feb. 18. The 26-year-old has appeared in all four games since the trade and has 16 hits and is a minus-2.
Stuart will make $1.6 million next season, $1.7 million in 2011-12 and $1.8 million in 2112-13. He was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent following the season.
The deal came together over the last few days, according to Stuart, and was finalized Sunday night.
“Coming here I didn’t really expect anything, just to come in here and play well and help the team,” Stuart said. “It was nice to get a deal done. I like it here a lot. I'm very comfortable here. I like the people a lot and I think the team has a lot of potential.”
Schremp had 10 goals and 12 assists and was a minus-19 in 45 games for the Islanders this season. Thrashers forward Tim Stapleton remained with the team after clearing waivers.
Dudley said he believes the moves are enough to get the team into the playoffs.
“It has to be,” Dudley said. “We wanted to make changes. We did. I think it looks good, very good.”
