Pre-season Schedule Out.

Nashville, Detroit, and St. Louis are the pre-season focus this year, along with a couple of prospect games up in Nashville that I REALLY wish were here.

From atlantathrashers.com:

Thrashers Announce Preseason Schedule

Atlanta to Host Three Games at Philips Arena

Atlanta Thrashers

Jul 9, 2008, 1:37 PM EDT

The Atlanta Thrashers announced today a six-game preseason schedule that features three games at Philips Arena against the Detroit Red Wings (Oct. 1), Nashville Predators (Oct. 3) and St. Louis Blues (Oct. 4). The Thrashers will visit Nashville, St. Louis and Detroit for preseason match-ups against the Predators (Sept. 25), Blues (Sept. 26) and Red Wings (Sept. 28).

2008 Atlanta Thrashers Preseason Schedule

Day	Date	Opponent	Site	Time (EST)
Thurs.	Sept. 25	Nashville Predators	Nashville, TN	8 p.m.
Fri.	Sept. 26	St. Louis Blues	St. Louis, MO	8:30 p.m.
Sun.	Sept. 28	Detroit Red Wings	Detroit, MI	5 p.m.
Wed.	Oct. 1	Detroit Red Wings	Philips Arena	7 p.m.
Fri.	Oct. 3	Nashville Predators	Philips Arena	7:30 p.m.
Sat.	Oct. 4	St. Louis Blues	Philips Arena	7 p.m.

In addition to its preseason schedule, the team will travel to Nashville and compete in two prospect games against the Predators on Sept. 22 (7 p.m.) and Sept. 23 (Noon). More information on the games will be provided at a future date.

Atlanta Thrashers Prospect Games

Day	Date	Opponent	Site	Time (EST)
Mon.	Sept. 22	Nashville Predators	Nashville, TN	7 p.m.
Tues.	Sept. 23	Nashville Predators	Nashville, TN	Noon

The Thrashers will also participate in the annual Traverse City Prospect Evaluation Tournament, hosted by the Red Wings at the Center I.C.E. Arena in Traverse City, Mich., from Sept. 11-17. Details will be supplied in August.

Also, those random free-agent signings that refuse to pop up anywhere on the official site finally popped up on the AJC's (then on ours):

The Thrashers also signed three other unrestricted free agents, forwards Junior Lessard, Grant Stevenson and Mike Hoffman.

Lessard, 28, appeared in 21 games last season with Dallas and Tampa Bay. Lessard won the 2003-04 Hoby Baker Award as the nation's top college player while at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.

Stevenson, 26, led Quad City (AHL) with 73 points and 43 assists, and tied for the team lead with 30 goals in 80 games last season.

Hoffman, 27, had eight points (five goals, three assists) for Portland (AHL) last season.