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.

Diary of a GM

Anaheim General Manager Brian Burke kept a diary through the last few weeks which was published in USA Today. It is kind of cool to be able to see behind the trade process.

Friday, Feb. 9

I speak to Los Angeles about Sopel. Trying to trade is like playing musical chairs. You are always afraid you aren’t going to have a chair at the end. You worry that if you say no on one deal, you may not get any. Also, there is a “keeping up with the Joneses mentality,” particularly in the Western Conference. Players, coaches and fans want you to add. The allure of making the right trade draws you in. Remember last season when Edmonton was on the verge of missing the playoffs, made some deals, including getting goalie Dwayne Roloson, and they go to the Finals. It’s the most pressure you face all year, and it’s also the most fun you have.

Sunday, Feb. 25

Tkachuk is finally traded to Atlanta for Glen Metropolit and first-, second- and third-round picks, plus another first-rounder if the Thrashers re-sign him. Davidson and GM Larry Pleau hit it out of the park on that one.

BREAKING: Thrashers Acquire Pascal Dupuis

The Thrashers have acquired Pascal Dupuis from the NY Rangers in exchange for Alex Bourret. Dupuis is a left wing who has tallied 68 goals and 74 assists in 340 NHL games. Analysis to come later.

UPDATE: According to TSN, the trade was Pascal Dupuis for Alex Bourret and a third round draft pick.

UPDATE: From the Thrashers, Atlanta gets Pascal and a third round pick for Bourret. TSN had a little mistake on that one.

Trade Analysis

For the first time in franchise history, the Thrashers have decided not to save for the future but to make moves for here and now. The Thrashers traded Braydon Coburn in exchange for Alexei Zhitnik (player info) from Philadelphia on Saturday. Less than 24 hours later, they also acquired Keith Tkachuk (player info)from St. Louis for Glen Metropolit, “first-round and third-round draft choices in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, a second-round choice in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft and a conditional first-round choice in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.” Here are a sampling of the opinions on the trades, and what I think.

	Keith Tkachuk	Alexei Zhitnik
Country	Melrose, Mass.	Kiev, Ukraine
Born	Mar. 28, 1972	Oct. 10, 1972
Weight	225	214
Height	6’2”	5’11”
Career (games, G, A)	958, 466, 445	1,002, 91, 358
Playoffs (games, G, A)	81, 27, 26	94, 9, 30

Pictures from Yahoo.com

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Scott Burnside:

Whatever happens now, whether the Atlanta Thrashers flame out in the first round of the playoffs, make a run for the roses or, heck, miss the playoffs altogether, GM Don Waddell has boldly emerged from his own shadow to prove he can play with the big boys.

Was the price too much?

The answer will unfold over the coming weeks — maybe months if the Flyers can somehow coax Coburn into learning how to skate and hit. But the immediate answer is a resounding “no” because hope and belief, in general, have no price tag, and that’s what Waddell bought this weekend.

Allan Muir:

While the addition of Tkachuk makes the Thrashers better on paper, the key aspect of this deal from Atlanta’s perspective is that it puts the onus on the players to win now. No more building for the future, no more small steps. The cavalry’s arrived. It’s time to mount up.
The Edge: At the moment, let’s give the edge to Atlanta. The Thrashers didn’t pull the trigger on this deal to win the Stanley Cup. They simply need to make the playoffs for the first time, and this deal gives them a better chance to accomplish that goal.

Wes Goldstein:

Waddell paid a heavy price to salvage his team’s season, and more likely his job with the organization. Whether it works remains to be seen, but you have to give the guy credit for trying.

Jeff Schultz:

Waddell in the past has been overly concerned about “mortgaging the future.” Apparently, the message finally got through: Dude, if you don’t improve this team, there’s a good chance you have no future.

Pierre Lebrun:

Waddell transformed his team over the weekend, signalling that the future is now for a Thrashers team trying to make the playoffs for the first time in its history.

Eric Duhatschek:

Still, it’s hard to quarrel with Waddell’s thinking – or overemphasize the state of his desperation. Once the Thrashers came up short in the Peter Forsberg sweepstakes (and the belief is that Forsberg didn’t want to go there for reasons that ranged from his assessment of their post-season chances to the presence of former Avs’ coach Bob Hartley behind the bench), Waddell landed the next-best available talent. It will be up to Hartley and his staff (notably hard-ass assistant Brad McCrimmon) to coax more out of Tkachuk than he’s been able to deliver in playoffs past. Otherwise, Atlanta gave up an awful lot of its future in the misguided view that they could accomplish something in the all-too-urgent present.

Craig Custance:

I’m sure the critics will emerge saying the Thrashers overspent to pick up these two players, but I would have been much more critical if they didn’t spend at all. What would you rather have — a guy like Anson Carter for a fifth rounder or Tkachuk and Zhitnik for the price the Thrashers paid?

Spector on Tkachuk:

For now, the Thrashers and their fans will be thrilled if Tkachuk can bolster their playoff hopes. If he can, it may be worth the price.

Spector on Zhitnik:

If the Thrashers were expecting this move to put them into the playoffs, they could be disappointed. And if Coburn goes on to a bright future in Philly, it could come back to haunt them.

James Mirtle
Coburn Interview
A Flyer fan’s view
A St. Louis fan’s view
Falconer’s analysis

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My opinion:
First, let me start off by saying that Glen Metropolit and Braydon Coburn were two of my favorite players in the franchise. I am not all that sad to see them go, however. For years, Thrashers fans have argued for and wanted that huge trade in the middle of the season that would catapult the team into the playoffs. Well, this is it. Last year Don Waddell used words and guaranteed a playoff berth. This year, he has used actions to do basically the same thing.

After years of stockpiling picks and young prospects, it was time to trade in for help now. Even though Coburn is a future NHL defensemen, and a good one at that, we have plenty of talented prospects in the minors. And all the picks we gave up for Tkachuk? Again, there is plenty of young prospects to cover us for a at least five or six years.

Do I think the price of the Tkachuk trade was a bit high? Yes. Was it worth it? Yes. As long as the team makes the playoff and can make a bit of noise in it, all the deals were worth it. If the team does not, Don Waddell will be looking for a new job. He mortgaged the future of the team for both today’s team, and his job. Let’s hope it works out. I will say though that I can’t wait to hear “KEITH TKACHUK!” introduced on Friday night.

Tkachuk Acquired

“The Atlanta Thrashers have acquired all-star forward Keith Tkachuk from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for forward Glen Metropolit, first-round and third-round draft choices in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, a second-round choice in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft and a conditional first-round choice in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, according to Executive Vice President and General Manager Don Waddell.”
Link

Analysis to come later

BREAKING: Coburn Traded

Braydon Coburn has been traded to Philadelphia for Alexei Zhitnik. From TSN:

In 1001 career NHL games, Zhitnik has recorded 448 points and 1194 penalty minutes. The 5-foot-11, 215-pounder has a heavy shot from the point and can play a physical game.

Zhitnik also has NHL playoff experience, with 94 career postseason games, though he hasn’t participated in the playoffs since 2000-2001 when he was with the Buffalo Sabres.

Coburn, 21, was the 8th overall pick in the 2003 draft and the 6-foot-5, 220-pound blueliner has four points and is plus-1 in 29 games with the Thrashers this season.

The press conference: