Playoffs a Necessity for the Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were one of the teams at the trade deadline to make a major splash acquiring one of the more marquee players available. In adding a player like Keith Tkachuk, the team feels it has the necessary ingredients to make a big push for the playoffs. The team also acquired veterans Pascal Dupuis, Eric Belanger and Alexei Zhitnik giving the Thrashers sufficient depth to compete in the very tight Eastern Conference.
After those deals were consummated, many questioned the sanity of GM Don Waddell as he paid a significant price to acquire those 4 players at the deadline. All in all, Waddell has given up his first round pick in 2007 and potentially 2008 (in the Tkachuk deal), his 2nd round picks in 2007 and 2008 (one to acquire Vishnevski who in turn was traded for Belanger and one in the Tkachuk deal), a 3rd round pick and 2 former first round picks (Braydon Coburn and Alex Bourret) for 3 rentals and one expensive veteran past his prime.
The problem though is Waddell simply had to do something to improve his team’s chances at making the playoffs. After being comfortably in first in the Southeast Division and having a firm grip on the 3rd seed, the Thrashers slipped badly and are now hanging on to 6th precariously. Atlanta is one team that needs to make the playoffs. The stability and sustainability of the franchise depends on it.
Atlanta, despite a good team with legitimate star power, is a franchise that has a dwindling fan base (they play to just 86 percent capacity) and one that has seen some of their expansion cousins in Minnesota and Nashville already making a playoff appearance. The team came close last season and now need to take the next step. Missing the playoffs again will be devastating for the team and its long term future. It will also be devasting for Waddell and his coach Bob Hartley’s future.
This is why the team needed to make such a splash at the deadline. In the cap world, mortgaging that much of the future is not the ideal thing to do as really success will come from being able to surround their star players with good, cheap young talent that will allow cap flexibility. This takes some excellent drafting and that is hard to do when you move all your top picks in trades. But at the same time, teams have to weigh what matters most and for some like Atlanta, a playoff berth is far more important than anything else.
Indeed Atlanta paid a stiff price. Likely though in their eyes they could afford to. Many were shocked at the Zhitnik for Coburn deal as Coburn was deemed to be one of the teams better prospects. But Atlanta has built up a stable of good young defenceman that may cushion the blow of losing a future NHL regular. Boris Valabik was a top 10 pick in 2004 and the team is really high on the 6’7 monster on defence. While he’ll need some seasoning, he is the physical presence they need. Mark Popovic and Nathan Oystrick are both playing well for one of the best teams in the AHL and have good offensive potential. Grant Lewis who is playing in the NCAA currently is a steady stay at home blueliner who has played well in the US junior program. So while Coburn was a bright prospect, the Thrashers likely felt they could afford to give him up for someone who could help them now and next season.
Moving Bourret and that many draft picks was very odd as it could be a while before the team can replenish their cupboard of forwards that is quickly becoming bare. But Atlanta perhaps felt they had enough young talent up front. Bryan Little is probably their young player not with the team currently. He is projected to be one of their top centres for years to come. While a little older than most prospects, Darren Haydar may have a future with the team. He is currently one of the leading scorers in the AHL. His linemate in Chicago, Brett Sterling has been a scoring machine as the top goal getter in the A and his emergence probably allowed Bourret, another goal scorer, to be expendable. The team also has Riley Holzapfel and Jim Slater with the current club that could provide Atlanta with a solid defensive presence up front. So Atlanta does have a good mix of scorers and role players that may contribute at some point in the future.
Ilya Kovalchuk of course is still under 25 and is the team’s franchise player. Marian Hossa is only 28 and in the prime of his career and yet another franchise type the Thrashers are building around. Kari Lehtonen is only 22 and one of the best young goalies in the NHL. These 3 players are the core of the franchise and because none are old by any stretch, the future of the team is still in relatively good hands despite a large portion of picks and players being shipped out. Any success or failure will hinge on these 3, so Waddell likely was comfortable moving the potential bit parts the he has accumulated and getting help for the current squad.
While Tkachuk is not a natural centre, he has been playing there all season for the Blues and the team deemed him to be the best available at that position once Peter Forsberg became unavailable. So the Thrashers are hoping he fits well with Kovalchuk. This should give them excellent scoring balance as the 2nd line features Hossa and Slava Kozlov providing Atlanta with a formidable 1-2 scoring lines. Atlanta was also a team that lacked speed and depth on the 3rd and 4th lines but that problem should be solved with the acquisitions of Belanger and Dupuis. Belanger will also help with faceoffs which is yet another weakness in the team that Waddell addressed.
On defence, the team needed more mobility and a steadier defensive presence and they hope Zhitnik fits that bill. He has been used on past teams as the key shutdown guy and has fared well. He also brings more playoff experience to the backend. The team already had the likes of Niklas Havelid and Steve McCarthy to provide some offence but it will be Zhitnik who will add more to the powerplay from the point. And players such as Andy Sutton, Greg Devries and Garnet Exelby have not really done a great job in their own end as expected.
Like all teams, everything will ride on goaltending and while the team did not add any help to this position, it was already a strength for the Thrashers. The problem is the duo of Lehtonen and Johan Hedberg have been inconsistent of late and it has cost Atlanta points in the standings. Regardless of what they acquired, all the teams hopes will depend on Lehtonen or Hedberg.
Atlanta has done the job filling the required needs to make a big playoff push. With the talent they have, they could cause some problems in the playoffs and be a real darkhorse in the East. A long playoff run will go a long way to helping Atlanta build a stronger fan base and increase interest in the team. But if their plans do not work out, it could be a long few years for the Thrashers that could put the team’s future in jeopardy.