Jim Slater, who is on the injured (non-roster) list to start the season, says his wrist injury is progressing, but does not have a timetable for his return.
“I was hoping for [Friday’s] game, but it wasn’t meant to be,” Slater said Friday morning. “It’s tough because you want to be in the lineup opening night. It’s better to get this thing ready for the whole season and not try to rush it. We’ve done it the proper way. It’s taken a little bit longer than I thought it would. It’s coming around.”
Slater has participated in Thrashers practices on a limited basis. He is skating and doing stick-handling drills. However, he has yet to shoot the puck with significant effort.
“I’m real hesitant to lay into one right now, but I’m shooting the puck,” Slater said. “I haven’t taken a slap shot yet.”
Notable
- Craig Ramsay acknowledged being nervous before his debut as Thrashers coach.
“I’m nervous in every game I ever play or coach,” he said. “You would suspect going into year 40 that it’s not that way. I’d love to tell you how cool I am. The reality is I woke up at 5:15 a.m. [Friday] thinking about something. Every year, it’s nerve racking. Every year you have the pressure and attention because I want to succeed and to do as well as I can.”
- Forward Eric Boulton and defensemen Freddy Meyer and Boris Valabik were the healthy scratches.
- Vinny Saponari, a Thrashers prospect from Powder Springs who was kicked off the Boston University hockey team for a reported alcohol-related incident, will play for Boston College next season. Saponari, a fourth-round pick in 2008, currently plays for Dubuque in the United States Hockey League following the dismissal.
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