... at least through this season. In a recent AJC interview, Thrashers GM Don Waddell told new Thrashers beat guy Chris Vivlamore that Kovy will remain with the Thrashers as we try to re-sign him. No daring draft day trades (and why would we torture Kovy with the Isles, anyway?), nothing. Through free agent signing (July 1st - be there. It's like hockey Hanukkah) the Thrashers will be attempting to build a team around Kovalchuk that will entice him to stay.
Regardless of what happens, apparently there will be no trade deadline dump of him either - Waddell doesn't want another Hossa situation. That's well and good, but we need SOME sort of return on the guy. I guess DW wants him to see how successful we can be by the end of the year. Frankly, I can't think of any team who has the cap space in this horrible economy to give him the contract that he deserves, at least not one better than the Thrashers.
A surefire way to help Kovy is to get another top-6 forward (sorry, but Army needs to be on the 3rd line). A surefire way to do this is to trade a goalie, which Waddell seemed more than willing to do - the question is, which one?
I had to. Sorry.
Pavs needs another year of development, and Kari's never been able to play a full season. Do we keep youth and work with him, or do we keep the pure talent that's never there 100% of the time - and we need him to be? It depends on if we can get a UFA goalie, and the best out there, Khabby, probably won't sign here (or if he does it'll be long term at a LOT of money for an older guy). Thomas will re-up with Boston. Nittymaki and Clemmenson are possibilities, but aside from the fact that they can play a whole season, they're not an upgrade.
I don't envy Waddell one ounce.
Regardless of what happens, apparently there will be no trade deadline dump of him either - Waddell doesn't want another Hossa situation. That's well and good, but we need SOME sort of return on the guy. I guess DW wants him to see how successful we can be by the end of the year. Frankly, I can't think of any team who has the cap space in this horrible economy to give him the contract that he deserves, at least not one better than the Thrashers.
A surefire way to help Kovy is to get another top-6 forward (sorry, but Army needs to be on the 3rd line). A surefire way to do this is to trade a goalie, which Waddell seemed more than willing to do - the question is, which one?
I had to. Sorry.
“If we felt we were helping our team and getting a good player back for one of our goalies, and I couldn’t tell you which one because I honestly don’t know right now, that would be something we would look at,” Waddell said.
“We had seven teams call on Pavelec and probably five on Lehtonen [at the trade deadline last season],” Waddell said. “… I never solicited them or tried to take them to the next level because I said right away this isn’t our timing. At the deadline there were five or seven teams looking for goalies. Maybe in the summer there will be 12 teams looking for goalies. If you have more teams, you drive the price up.”
Pavs needs another year of development, and Kari's never been able to play a full season. Do we keep youth and work with him, or do we keep the pure talent that's never there 100% of the time - and we need him to be? It depends on if we can get a UFA goalie, and the best out there, Khabby, probably won't sign here (or if he does it'll be long term at a LOT of money for an older guy). Thomas will re-up with Boston. Nittymaki and Clemmenson are possibilities, but aside from the fact that they can play a whole season, they're not an upgrade.
I don't envy Waddell one ounce.
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2 comments:
Lehtonen for Boyes?
Ewww - no thank you! No more inter-marrying between my two teams.
The Blues *do* need a back-up, though. That should be interesting to see. I'd be cool with Nitty.
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