It has been quite a long time since I've been able to blog, mostly because school has been chaotic. Now that I'm settled in and hockey season is upon us I can hopefully write a little bit more as far as the Thrashers go.
The Thrashers did lose their opening pre-season game. I could not watch it, being in Maine, but from listening to the Columbus radio feed I gathered that Little-Dawes-Pettersson line was the most effective. I like Pettersson's chances of making the team at this point; from all indications I've heard that he's been a real solid NHL player. He is a little older than many of the guys he's competing against, but that will only give them more time to develop.
The Thrashers also made some cuts in the wake of the game, most notably Paul Postma, Kyle McLaren, and Angelo Esposito. I'm surprised Esposito and Postma weren't kept around a little longer, if at the very least to see what they could bring to the table in a couple NHL games. I predicted McLaren would be offered a contract and I was wrong; I suppose there just weren't enough open spots to warrant giving McLaren an opportunity. It will still be very beneficial for Esposito and Postma to return to the minors and get things going in Chicago with the Wolves. I was a little surprise at first, but the move will give the more legitimate hopefuls more ice time without hindering the two youngsters development.
In another note, here is an interesting piece that had been posted on the Thrashers message boards about Alexander Burmistrov. I still think he'll get at least a shot at the big club this season, though again I've heard secondhand that his play hasn't been anything to write home about. Again, this is only from one pre-season game and a few scrimmages, but it is what it is. That being said, Craig Ramsay did note that Burmistrov's physical play has not really been an issue which was one of the main concerns about him in the first place.
