The Never Ending Question: Hossa

Its obvious that every Thrasher fan has an opinion on the future of Marian Hossa. After looking it over, the answer is clear. The Thrashers must find a way to keep Marian Hossa.

Say the Thrashers trade Marian Hossa. Best case senario: They get a decent roster player, a top prospect, and a first round pick. The Thrashers have way too much third line talent. They dont need anymore guys that will put up 30 points a year. If they get a top prospect that is good, but its not a sure shot that he will even turn into a NHL regular, and if he does, what are the chances that he reaches a talent level anywhere near Marian Hossa? Pretty low. That too applies to the pick. It is all a chance game. Marian Hossa is a sure thing for years to come.

Lets take a look at the pick, seeing as they are so valued in the salary cap era. Because the Thrashers will more than likely be trading with a team that is looking to win the Stanley Cup, the pick they recieve will be at the end of the first round. Lets also take a look at Don Waddell’s drafting history. Outside of the top five picks, Don Waddell has yet to find a gem besides the young Enstrom. Stefan was a joke. Valabik and Bourret are looking like they wont even crack an NHL lineup. Coburn looks good except for the fact that Don Waddell gave up on him, and now Zhitnik is making everyone think what if? Also take into account that Dion Phaneuf, another defenseman, was taken the pick after Coburn. So essentially, the Thrashers have Zhitnik, when they could have just as easily had Dion Phaneuf. Overall, Waddell is looked at as one of the most awful drafters in the NHL, so a pick outside of the top five, let alone the end of the first round, is essentially useless.

If he does leave town, the Thrashers will have a ton of money on the table for new guys. So its obvious that don Waddell would go out and sign a superstar right? What superstars has Don Waddell ever signed? He considered Holik supertar talent. What has Don Waddell done in the past that would make any Thrashers fan think that he will get a guy to replace Marian Hossa’s role? He will replace Hossa with three or four third line guys like he did when Savard and Tkachuk left town.

What if the Thrashers decide that they will do anything to keep this guy? Rumor has it that he rejected a deal that would pay him 7 million a year. Good for him. He deserves more than that as one of the elite players in the NHL. He should be offered around 7.5 a year for 4 years. He is getting into the prime of his career and he shuold be payed like it. Its not like the Thrashers dont have the money to spend on the guy. They are way below the salary cap and they are dumping tons of salary next year when Holik, Rucchin, and Hedberg dont come back.

If he doesnt resign by the trade deadline, the Thrashers should still not plan on trading him. They have a good shot at winning the division, and what would message would it send to the fans if they decide to throw that shot away. They should play hockey and deal with his contract issues when the season is over.

It is pivotal for the future of the Thrashers to resign Marian Hossa.

Best Line in the NHL?

After witnessing eight games of the Kovalchuk, Hossa, White line, I think it is safe to say that these guys will be sticking together for the rest of the season, barring injury. There is no doubt that these guys can be considered one of the most lethal line in the NHL, but are they the best? After watching the Lightning play last night it is safe to say no.

The St. Louis, Lecavalier, Prospal line continues to play pond hockey with the Thrasher’s defense, and there is no way for the Thrashers to stop them. They just have to much talent and chemistry, something that hopefully the Thrashers will be able to develop one day. Despite how amazing this trio may be, they are not the best in the league. The Senator’s own that line.

The Heatley, Alfredsson, Spezza is leaps and bounds better than any other line. Spezza is one of the premier passers in the NHL, feeding Heatley who is the only player coming off back to back 50 goals seasons. Alfredsson can do it all, leading the Senators for over a decade. They forecheck and create chances because they can trust that their defense can carry the pressure when the puck goes the other way. They cycle better than any other line because they always know where the others are going to be. They keep the puck cycling on the boards until one of them pops open for the easy finish. Now that they are all locked up with huge deals, this line will dominate the NHL for years to come.

Hopefully, by season’s end, the Thrasher’s top line will command the same respect that these other two lines do. Hossa is no doubt loving playing with Kovalchuk and White. Hopefully this will help to convince him to resign here in Atlanta and this line will stick together in future years.

Postgame, vs. Florida Panthers: Return of the Cardiac Kids

A win is a win. Take two points no matter how ugly they are. The good teams are the teams that find ways to win even on the bad nights.

There are a lot of ways to say it, and they are all true. The Thrashers stole two points last night, and turned a loss into a win. I didn’t take as good of mental notes as a usually do, but here are a few random thoughts from the game:

Marian Hossa and Ilya Kovalchuk. Ilya continues to dominate, scoring the game winner only 25 seconds into overtime. Marian Hossa, after being absolutely stone cold to begin the season with people yelling to trade him, has turned it a full 180 degrees in the other direction and is producing like old. Is anyone else excited to watch Hossa and Kovalchuk on the same line for an entire season?

Thrashers won again in a non-televised game. This, like the sellout streak, is just really quirky.

The team is now 4-0 in overtime games. Between this record and the incredible comebacks recently, words such as “clutch” and “Cardiac Kids” are more than appropriate. A goal with 2.6 seconds left to tie the game? The game winner 25 seconds into overtime to win it? Just another nailbiting, heart attack inducing finish to a Thrashers game.

The change from last year. I don’t know what it is, but there is something special about this team. Remember last year the three or four games when the Thrashers were on the powerplay down by a goal to end the game and couldn’t score? And how we never seemed to get the clutch last minute goal, but usually gave it up? Not true this year. With just over a minute left last night, I felt oddly comfortable. Something deep in my shoes knew this game was going to overtime.

Johan Hedberg. He played very well for just about the entire night to get the win. He hadn’t played in a while, and didn’t show any signs of rust. The second goal allowed was pretty weak, coming off of a long shot from the left wing position. He threw himself down on the ice after it went in because he was so upset. Other than that, great game Moose.

I don’t want to waste time harping on the negatives (cough Zhitnik), but just want to bask in the glory of an ugly but thrilling last-second-tying-kovalchuk-overtime-winning game against a division rival.

(Picture (c) Fred Johnson)

Why the Old Kovalchuk?

No doubt every Thrashers fan is loving the way Ilya Kovalchuk has stepped up his game and carried his team out of a slump that could have ended their season before it even began. They are loving how he is back to his Rocket Richard Trophy ways, scoring goals at important times. The Kovalchuk is back on track, a track that he never could seem to find all of last season.

But why is Ilya Kovalchuk back to his old ways? It’s simple: thank the slumping Marian Hossa. Kovalchuk loves attention and with Hossa not seeming to be able to get going, all of the attention has shifted to him. He thrives under the pressure and praise that comes with being the face of the franchise, as he was back in 05-06 when he had the season of a lifetime, putting up 52 goals and 98 points. That year, Hossa seemed to always be trailing Kovalchuk’s success on the ice, as well as the stat sheet. Hossa had an amazing year, but Kovalchuk’s was one step ahead.

Last season, Kovalchuk could never seem to get his act together. 99 percent of players would sell their soul to the devil to put up 42 goals, so by no means was it a bad year, but in the eyes of Ilya Kovalchuk, it was simply unacceptable. Right from the beginning the attention shifted to the hot play of Marian Hossa, taking the spotlight off Kovalchuk. While happy for his teammate, any Thrashers fan could see that Kovalchuk was playing frustrated almost every night. When he was denied a trip to the all-star game, it was no doubt a blow to a player who has been regarded as one of the best, if not the best, goal scorer in the game today. The season ended the most frustrating way possible for Kovalchuk, as well as the Thrashers, being swept by a New York Rangers team that had been out of the playoff picture until a final push let them play deep into the spring. Kovalchuk was no doubt the most frustrated player for either team, as he nearly had a mental breakdown on the ice, letting Sean Avery get under his skin, something he does better than any NHLer in recent years. That may have been the point where Ilya Kovalchuk decided that he had to get back to letting his play do all the talking.

Now that Kovalchuk has gained his confidence on the ice, it is time for Marian Hossa to get back on track as well. When both of these guys get firing, the Thrashers will finally be reguarded, once again, as one of the most potent offenses in the NHL.

Who has the Hart?

Damien Cox discussed the 10 Hart candidates on ESPN. He says that Martin Brodeur and Sydney Crosby are very close for the lead, and also mentioned Marian Hossa in the 10.

Marian Hossa, LW, Atlanta Thrashers
• GP: 71; G: 40; A: 50; Pts: 90; Plus/Minus: +20; PIM: 47.
Ever since he was traded for Heatley in an August 2005 swap, comparing the Slovakia-born Hossa to his Ottawa counterpart has been a regular pastime for the hockey media.

With 182 points as a Thrasher, Hossa sits 11 points behind Heatley’s Ottawa numbers, but Hossa has supplanted Ilya Kovalchuk as the forward most vital to Atlanta’s attack. Currently riding an 11-game goal streak, Hossa is second only to Washington’s Alexander Ovechkin in shots this season and is the only player in the league with 40 or more goals. One-on-one, there may be no NHLer more difficult to handle.

It is always nice to see a Thrasher get recognition, but could someone please explain what he meant by the statement, “is the only player in the league with 40 or more goals”? Currently there are four players ahead of Hossa in goals, all with more than 40. Huh?

Johnson Sprung a ‘Lik

I came up with that title after Holik’s goal in hopes that he would score some more, but he didn’t. Those of you who were at the game know why I would be thinking of headlines after such a goal. Holik scored the best goal I have ever seen live and didn’t even get one of the three stars of the game. I guess it goes to show you how well everyone else played. Eric Boulton definately deserved the first star with two assists and his first multi-point game ever. He is definately fighting hard for a regular spot in the line-up. Slater is going to have to fight even harder if he wants to earn his spot back after last night.

The other two stars of the game were Kari and Alex Ovechkin, in that order. I guess you can’t deny Alex his third star when he had both opposing goals. Kari deserved second star as well facing more than one situation in which our defense couldn’t keep up with AO and Semin, and they got some nice shots off (a few posts).

The four Thrashers goals were scored by Kozlov, Holik, Tkachuk, and Kovalchuk. It is great to see so many players stepping up and playing so well. Sim played well again getting a point last night with an assist to Kovalchuk’s goal. Hossa kept up his point streak (11 games) with an assist to Kozlov’s goal. Overall, he seemed to be having a hard time last night and couldn’t seem to hold on to the puck. I don’t think it is as much a reflection on him as it is a reflection of the respect other teams’ defense have for Hossa’s abilities. They know they have to shut him down which in the past might have shut down the Thrashers offense, but not any more.

I almost forgot to congratulate Slava on his 300th goal and 700th career point.

Hossa’s Brilliance

From The Elias Sports Bureau via Southeast Shootout:

If you need a shorthanded, third-period goal, who better to provide one than Marian Hossa? Hossa’s shortie tied Tuesday’s game at 1-1 early in the third, and the Thrashers went on to a 3-1 win over the Hurricanes in Raleigh.

Hossa leads all NHL players with 17 third-period goals this season, and his total of 10 shorthanded goals over the past two seasons is also a league high.

I knew he was good, but I had no clue that he leads the league in third-period goals.