Season Preview: Atlanta Thrashers
Major Additions: Karel Pilar, Alexandre Giroux, Ken Klee, Todd White, Eric Perrin
Major Subtractions: Andy Sutton, Shane Hnidy, Eric Belanger, Greg de Vries, Jonathan Sim
Analysis
The Thrashers panicked last season, parting with a number of prospects and picks when it appeared they would again fail to miss the playoffs. Well, they were able to make the post-season but were neatly swept in the first round. So much for that plan. The end result? The Thrashers have seven players heading towards unrestricted free agency (not counting backup goaltenders Johan Hedberg and Fred Brathwaite), most notably explosive forward Marian Hossa, who looks to make a substantial raise on his $6 million salary cap hit next summer. With the Thrashers’ ownership in an ugly legal battle, the team may not be able to offer Hossa the dollars or the term that he wants. And if he has another season like the past few years, his price is only going to go up.
In the short term, in the Thrashers have an improving young goaltender in Kari Lehtonen (due for a raise, probably before next summer). Bobby Holik will either be let go or expected to sign at a considerable discount. Todd White is a solid player who can be counted on to fill in first-line minutes if it becomes neccessary.
The blueline is more of a concern. Alexei Zhitnik isn’t really cut out to be a #1 defenceman any more, while the players expected to round out the top six are neither good enough to form a really potent blueline nor young enough to be expected to improve, nor cheap enough to justify fielding such a weak group.
I don’t see the Thrashers making the playoffs a second time. They have the elite talent but are thin everywhere else. They lack the stability as a franchise to offer much hope of signing Hossa to a long term contract, and in trading away their picks and prospects they’ve weakened their prospect pool in exchange for an aging defenceman and four extra games last year. Not exactly smart management.
The Southest division remains one of the weakest in the NHL, so the Thrashers won’t likely be a basement team, but not much can reasonably be expected of them despite their easy schedule. Though their fans may not like it, the franchise may be better served moving Hossa at the trading deadline than in pursuing another (likely short-lived) playoff appearance.