Five things: Thrashers building toward improvement
Unfortunately for Atlanta Thrashers fans, they usually know what to expect this time of year.
An early spring.
For the team.
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Anyone who has watched the Thrashers since they joined the league in 1999 has come to expect Atlanta to be on the outside looking in when the playoffs roll around. The Thrashers have joined the postseason party only once in their nine seasons, and on that auspicious occasion, they were swept in the first round after starting it with home-ice advantage.
No May flowers, hardly even time for any April showers.
Chances are it won't be much different this season, which could really be a problem if it spells the end of the Ilya Kovalchuk era in Atlanta. Kovalchuk has been the team's franchise player since being drafted first overall in 2001 and is one of the league's true superstars, but he has been frustrated by the organization's lack of progress during his tenure. He's in no hurry to sign a contract extension as he approaches unrestricted free agency next summer.
General manager Don Waddell obviously doesn't want to let it get that far, but aside from the challenges on the ice, he is working for one of the most fractured and litigious ownership groups in professional sports. The bright side is that Atlanta has a sophomore coach who never had a losing season before his NHL debut. John Anderson looked like he was starting to get what he wanted from his players near the end of the 2008-09 campaign. And the Thrashers have added some decent pieces in the offseason to a lineup that has some talent sprinkled through it.
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| One-time phenom Kari Lehtonen faces an uncertain future in Atlanta. (Getty Images) |
1. Putting aside the politically correct "I'd like to stay here if things work out" approach Kovalchuk has taken about his future, the 26-year-old sharpshooter responded to being named team captain last January like it really meant something to him. Ultimately it might not be enough for Kovalchuk to re-sign, but it certainly can't hurt Atlanta's chances. Kovalchuk's game really did seem to hit another level after he was given the "C." He scored 28 goals and 49 points in the final 37 games and was the catalyst for a strong finish that saw Atlanta win 12 of its final 18 games. Kovalchuk took his leadership role even further in the summer, putting in a good word to offensively talented Nik Antropov, who later signed with Atlanta as a free agent. The two played together in Russia during the lockout and if they click here the way they did there, it could go a long way toward changing the fortunes of the Thrashers. In more ways than one.
2. OK, so they ranked 29th in defense overall last season, but this team might not be as bad on the ice as it looked on paper. Remember, a broken leg ruined the rookie season of fourth overall pick Zach Bogosian. His veteran mentor Mathieu Schneider got in only 44 games before being traded to Montreal. In the meantime, 24-year-old Tobias Enstrom blossomed into one of the league's best, if most unheralded, young defenseman and Ron Hainsey turned out to be a worthwhile free-agent signing thanks to his offensive instincts. Since then, Atlanta has signed veteran Pavel Kubina, a big body with a big shot and power-play quarterbacking skills, and the Thrashers will have Bogosian back, giving them what might be the best top two units they've ever had.
3. The Thrashers might be up for sale. Their ownership group has denied the rumors, but the eight partners have spent the past four years trying to break up their association in court, proceedings that ended just two weeks ago when a Maryland Circuit Court judge ruled that nothing will change from the time the case started. It's an awkward situation at best, and while the official line is "business as usual" for the team, that's not necessarily a good thing because the Thrashers have operated well below the salary cap limit for the past several years. But selling an NHL team these days is not easy, as the Phoenix Coyotes can tell you.
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CBSSports.com's Wes Goldstein, Greg Cimilluca and Erin Brown preview the Southeast Division. 4. This could well be Kari Lehtonen's last shot. He was supposed to be the Thrashers' answer in goal for at least a decade when Atlanta took him second overall in 2002, and at times the Finnish netminder has shown flashes of real brilliance. But for the most part, those moments have been sporadic enough for the goaltender to be noted mostly for being injury prone and lacking a great work ethic. No one denies Lehtonen's natural talent, but the Thrashers can't wait forever for him to find a consistent level. Meanwhile, Atlanta has an impressive rookie in 22-year-old rookie Ondrej Pavelec, and solid veteran backup Johan Hedberg is around, so Lehtonen really has to earn his job for this season and likely for the future.
5. Rich Peverley was one of the best in-season acquisitions anyone made last season. Peverley didn't get much of a shot with the Predators, who signed the undrafted forward in 2007 and gave him basically fourth-line minutes in 73 games over two-plus seasons. Nashville waived Peverley last January and the Thrashers ended up with their fifth-leading scorer as a result. Peverley scored 13 goals, including five game-winners, and 35 points in 39 games for Atlanta. His plus-16 rating turned out to be the best on the team. Not bad for someone who didn't require giving up anyone and earns minimum wage.
