Radek Dvorak knew his future was uncertain.
His trade to the Thrashers was not a big surprise. He arrived from the Florida Panthers, which over the past month traded Michael Frolik, Cory Stillman, Bryan McCabe, Dennis Wideman, Bryan Allen and Chris Higgins.
“I was expecting something,” Dvorak said. “The last couple weeks have been crazy in Florida. Everybody knows that. You see veteran guys going somewhere else. I was expecting a trade. It wasn’t that much shock.
"I’m glad it’s Atlanta. We have a great chance to push for the playoffs.”
Dvorak was one of three new forwards to arrive in Atlanta on Monday, the day of the NHL trade deadline. He was joined by waiver-wire claim Rob Schremp and call-up Ben Maxwell, acquired in a trade last week. All three were in the lineup Tuesday against Montreal.
On the NHL’s trade day, the hockey world seemingly stops everything to take note of the numerous transactions. Thrashers captain Andrew Ladd, not in danger of going anywhere, said he was glued to his phone and television to keep up with the news.
“It’s an intriguing day to see where everyone is going, to see what teams are doing, what changes your team is making,” Ladd said. “It’s probably one of the most exciting days in the hockey season.”
Thrashers coach Craig Ramsay, who tried to do video work while his roster was changing before him, said his wife was fielding phone calls from those interested in what the Thrashers were up to.
“It’s interesting,” Ramsay said. “You sit there and wonder if you are going to do anything. Then you see a change being made, and you are trying to picture where it fits in your lineup. You’ve got to make some adjustments and figure out where they fit. It’s not easy to see how they package together in a short period of time.”
With the additions of Blake Wheeler and Mark Stuart, acquired Feb. 18, the Thrashers have a decidedly new look as they entered Tuesday’s game four points out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
“All of my career, it’s all about my speed,” said Dvorak, who brings 15 years of NHL experience, including two trips to the Stanley Cup finals. “I work on it a lot during the summer. That’s always been my game. If you can skate, you create a lot of opportunities for you and your teammates and eliminate a lot of rushes for the other team coming back.”
Dvorak skated at right wing on a line with Schremp and Nik Antropov on Tuesday.
Schremp said he went through the gamut of emotions over the past several days. He was placed on waivers by the New York Islanders on Saturday and found out the Thrashers had claimed him Monday.
“It’s tough on waivers when a team kind of gives up on you,” Schremp said. “It’s ups and downs. ... Once I found out I was coming here, I was pumped. It’s a good chance for me to play.”
The Thrashers acquired Maxwell, a minor-leaguer, from Montreal on Thursday. At the time of the deal, Thrashers general manager Rick Dudley said it wouldn’t be long until Maxwell would play in the NHL. It took just five days, as he was re-called Monday following the team’s rash of moves.
Maxwell, who called himself a playmaking center, made his Thrashers debut on a line with Eric Boulton and Chris Thorburn.
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