Thrashers New Toys: How Does It All Shake Out?

A busy few weeks for Thrashers GM Rick Dudley have concluded with today's NHL Trade Deadline. While the league as a whole was relatively quiet, with only 16 trades (there were 31 last year), the Thrashers were one of the busier teams on deadline day. The Thrashers sit four points out of a playoff spot and are hoping that a few moves today could lead to big things as the true stretch drive begins. Here is our breakdown of the Thrashers moves today, including waiver pick-ups and re-signings:

THRASHERS ACQUIRE DVORAK, 5TH FOR BERGFORS AND RISSMILLER

Looking back, it should have been obvious Patrick Rissmiller would be moved after getting the call up for one game last week (19 different scouts were at his only game as a Thrasher in Buffalo). But the big news is Niclas Bergfors, a centerpiece in the Ilya Kovalchuk trade a year ago. Bergfors notched 19 goals and 27 assists in his 79-game Thrashers career, both respectable numbers. But Bergfors got the infamous "enigmatic" label, which translates to "streaky" which can translate to lots of losses when you're not streaking the right way. As reported by Chris Vivlamore in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Rick Dudley agreed: "Bergy is a streaky player. We were in a situation where we needed him to be streaky the other way."


In return the Thrashers add a rental player in Dvorak, though with the Thrashers recent re-signing of Mark Stuart (more on that momentarily) nothing is out of the question. Dvorak was playing top penalty kill minutes in Florida, the 2nd best PK in the NHL. The Thrashers PK has plummeted to 28th in the NHL, only ahead of Colorado and Edmonton. It should come as no surprise that those are the two worst teams in the Western Conference. It should also come as no surprise that of the bottom-10 teams in the NHL in penalty kill, 7 of them are sitting outside the playoff picture. The moral? Adding a solid penalty killer could help the Thrashers immensely in winning games. Dvorak is also a big body with some scoring touch and fits much more nicely into Craig Ramsay's system than Bergfors, despite having much less talent. The ability to flip Rissmiller for a 5th-round pick is also helpful, as the Thrashers get some sort of an asset for a player that didn't figure into their plans at all. For what it's worth, the Thrashers took goaltender Fredrik Pettersson-Wentzel, who is a highly touted Swedish prospect, and Yasin Cisse with their 5th rounders in 2010.

Overall, the trade works out well for the Thrashers because of their subsequent move:

THRASHERS CLAIM ROB SCHREMP ON WAIVERS

After giving up Bergfors, the Thrashers promplty swooped in and claimed Rob Schremp, the immensely talented forward off the waiver wire. Schremp's talent has never translated into results, with only 17 goals in 96 NHL games, but Schremp is only 24 and could benefit from a change of scenery. Schremp does have character questions which could come forth in Atlanta, but under Ramsay the move may work out, especially if Schremp has scoring talent around him.

THRASHERS MOVE MACINTYRE FOR FESTERLING

Having seen Festerling play in Portland with the Pirates several years ago as a Ducks prospect, I can say that there are things to like about his game. He's got decent size for a defenseman and is a solid skater. He is a defensive defenseman but has 83 games of NHL experience. You can never have too many defenseman, and moving an AHL goalie will open up opportunities for prospects Edward Pasquale and Chris Carrozzi. I like this move as a whole, as minor as it may be.

THRASHERS GET 7TH FOR MODIN

As I mentioned in today's deadline blog I thought that a 7th rounder was adequate compensation for Modin. As it turns out, that's exactly what they got. While 7th round picks rarely translate to NHL talent, Modin was going to be the odd man out in Atlanta, likely play few of the remaining 19 games, and really had no place on the Thrashers. By getting even the least significant of assets in return, it was still a necessary move for the Thrashers.

THRASHERS RE-SIGN STUART

Finally, the Thrashers were able to re-sign Mark Stuart for the next three years at a total of $5.1 million. It says a lot about Stuart, who has only played four games for the Thrashers. The ultimate team guy, Stuart skates well and could find some more offensive upside in Craig Ramsay's system. Stuart has already fought twice in a Thrashers uniform and has shown his willingness to stick up for his teammates. Stuart oozes character, something the Thrashers haven't always had, and is a nice piece for the Thrashers moving forward.

SUMMARY

It was an active trade deadline for the team, and while many suggest the team moved laterally, I believe they have improved. They shedded some dead weight in Modin and MacIntyre, improved their Achilles heel in the penalty kill, and added a center with tremendous skill and hopefully unrealized 20-goal potential. Preceeding the deadline, the Thrashers added Blake Wheeler and Mark Stuart, both of whom who have made a big impact already (Wheeler has 3 points in 4 games) and both of whom figure in the long term plans.

While many believe that more could have been had for Bergfors, I'm inclined to disagree. Fans frequently complain about his defensive play, hustle, and inconsistency. If fans can see these things, NHL scouts certainly can as well. Dvorak is a decent return for someone who could end up being a bust. There is the chance Bergfors will be a perennial 20-goal scorer, but his potential was probably not going to be realized in Atlanta's system.

Overall, the Thrashers had a solid day and now hopefully the continuity of the roster will lead them back to the playoffs for the first time since 2006-2007.

Thrashers Deadline Updates

Stay tuned to ThrashCompactor for Thrashers rumor updates.

9:55 am: Kevin Allen of USA Today reporting Thrashers are close to a 3-year deal with Mark Stuart, Oduya and Hainsey available.

10:08 am: Kevin Allen reporting that Oduya is the main Thrashers player available for teams looking for a defenseman. Also notes that he is told by a GM that there are a surprising number of players available.

10:21 am: According to Billy Jaffe, the Thrashers and Panthers are talking about swapping forwards. Marty Reasoner?

10:32 am: Bob Mackeznie reporting that Mark Stuart has signed a 3-year deal worth an average of $1.7 million per.

10:36 am: TC: I expect something interesting today, possibly on the Antropov or Bergfors front.

10:39 am: Radek Dvorak is a Thrasher for Nic Bergfors and Patrick Rismiller

11:00 am: Also should be noted that the Thrashers get Florida's fifth-round pick. Oduya & Hainsey market should pick up, but I think Antropov's big contract could be moved to a team needing a big center.

11:45 am: Calm before the storm? No official trades since the Dvorak trade. Thrashers appear to be active but patient. Waiting to hear something about Freddy Modin...

12:03 om: Thrashers claim F Rob Shremp.

1:31 pm: You've got to figure Dudley is still hard at work on the phones. Wonder what offers have been made, if any, for Oduya, Hainsey, or Modin?

1:36 pm: Chris Vivlamore saying the Thrashers trade front is quiet. I'd still imagine we'll hear something else before the end of the day...there's still an hour and a half until the deadline and anything can happen.

2:28 pm: Still no new news on the Thrashers front. Dustin Penner has just gone to Los Angeles. Oduya, Hainsey, and Modin are all still out there but it's tough to tell if any of them will go. I'd like to think Modin will go for anything, simply because he doesn't fit into Atlanta's long-term plans and it'd be more beneficial to even receive a 7th for him than watch him clog up space in the line-up.

3:00 pm: Freddy Modin to Calgary for a 7th and Drew MacIntyre to Montreal for Brett Festerling. This appears to be it for the Thrashers.

To Buy or Sell? Deadline Approaches...

The Thrashers are in a precarious situation; they sit four points out of a playoff spot and are finally even with Carolina, who currently hold the 8th spot, in games played. Carolina does own the tie-breaker, but the Thrashers are anything but eliminated.

The Thrashers now face their final 22 games of the season, and after a monster collapse over the last 25 games and an even more impressive collapse in Edmonton, the Thrashers sit in the middle of a teeter-totter as the trade deadline creeps up a week from today. Should the Thrashers buy or sell assets in the coming week?

When I speak of assets, I'm not talking someone like Zach Bogosian or Nic Bergfors, both of whom who are young and have long-term potential. I speak of the Brent Sopels of the world, those who are older or nearing the end of their contracts.

Rick Dudley has already made one trade in the past few days, adding forward Blake Wheeler and defenseman Mark Stuart to an already loaded blue line. Dudley followed through on his promise to improve the current roster without jeopardizing the team in the long-term. What's next, though?

Should the Thrashers lose to Buffalo on Wednesday, their chances will slip drastically. They would be 2 points behind Buffalo who would have two games in hand, and they could slip even further behind Carolina who battle the Rangers Tuesday night. If the Thrashers fall to six points behind Carolina and fall to Buffalo on Wednesday, the Thrashers should go into sell mode--or at least a relative sell mode--for the end of this season.

Veterans like Sopel would have little use to the Thrashers down the stretch (provided they are 6-8 points back by the deadline) and with Mark Stuart coming in, essentially replacing Sopel, it makes Sopel expendable and a very nice piece to a team looking for a rock on the blue line. As is the Thrashers have an extra defenseman and there is no use having Stuart or Sopel sitting (they won't roll seven D all season, will they?), so it makes sense to move one. Ron Hainsey is another option but his high salary is likely to be a deterrent to any time interested.

Nik Antropov's name has surfaced in rumors, but Antropov is signed through 2012-2013, so he could still be a viable piece for a Thrashers team that figures to be legitimate contenders in the next two or three seasons. However, Antropov makes $4.75 million in the final year of his deal, something that could be alleviated by moving Antropov now. I would advocate against it, at least for this season, but of course if the right package is there then Dudley has to pull the trigger, especially with Burmistrov and Cormier waiting in the wings for the bottom two center positions.

Another piece could be Freddy Modin, who would likely get minimal return (7th rounder, anyone?) but would still be expendable. Modin will likely not be back by next season and hasn't figured into the Thrashers much, healthy or not, so moving him for anything would be a wise choice for management.

Chris Thorburn and Eric Boulton are both free agents after this season, but neither hold much value to any NHL team that doesn't play in Atlanta. They'll likely stay put, though one has to wonder if Boulton's run here will ever end. I do admire Boulton and think he has a place, but with Chris Thorburn capable of handling pugilistic duties (while not to Boulton's extent, granted), Boulton's spot could be filled by next season, especially with the slow-yet-steady emergence of Spencer Machacek.

A lot of the season hinges on the next game or two. Should the Thrashers get four points and put themselves right back in the race, then perhaps the pieces should stay in place. One more forward would be a nice addition, but as of right now the team is going to be borderline the rest of the way. The team is good enough as is, but if they continue the costly mistakes they've been making they won't be good enough either way; buyers or not.

As The Deadline Approaches, Ownership Looms

Without waiting a full 24-hours for the great news of Dustin Byfuglien's re-signing to sink in, Atlanta Spirit, the woeful owners of the Atlanta Thrashers, came out and admitted that moving the team is becoming a realistic option if investors aren't found in the near future.

This is disheartening, scary news for Thrashers fans wanting to see the team stay in Atlanta. While none of this is necessarily new news, it is alarming to hear Michael Gearon, Atlanta Spirit co-owner, speak so openly about the team moving. With seemingly little backing from Gary Bettman and the rest of the NHL, the situation is tenuous.

Gearon's whining in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution does come off as extremely mis-guided; an owner who has been part of a conglomerate that has lied to fans and done nothing to deserve their support is now in the press begging for fans to show up at the games. This would be a much easier to pill to swallow had ownership made a consistent effort from day one to build a winning hockey team. This has not been the case, however, and fans are rightfully upset.

The only way to solve the matter is to find a wealthy investor or a new owner entirely to take control out of Gearon and other co-owner Bruce Levenson's hands. The two are businessmen, not hockey people, and it shows through their handling of the franchise. This is obviously much easier said than done, but a public outcry is one of the most necessary aspects.

The more positive buzz the team can get, the better; but some of it needs to be a voicing of support from Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed, among other figureheads, to generate some positive press. The Thrashers have been a vortex of negativity since their inception, and a positive outcry of support, including increased attendance, is pretty much the last leg the city has to stand on.

If the Thrashers are going to stick around much longer, it's up to the fans to get out and show they want them to stay.

BOGOSIAN ON THE BLOCK?

Thrashers General Manager Rick Dudley has been working the phones, according to several interviews, but has not found a deal that works in the short and long term. The hot rumor in the hockey world right now is Zach Bogosian, which is idiotic on many levels.

First off, Bogosian is 20-years-old. And while I'm not exactly envisioning a Braydon Coburn situation, there is still tremendous upside to Bogosian's game and it's way too early to be throwing in the towel. If the Thrashers intend to trade Bogosian which, like I said, is a foolish notion, then they would need to get a bona fide 25-30 goal scorer who is still at restricted free agent status.

Bogosian was plagued by injuries last season and inconsistent play this year, but seems to have turned a corner in the last two weeks. Bogosian still has top-pairing potential and at this point Ron Hainsey and Brent Sopel, despite offering diminished returns as opposed to Bogosian, would make more sense on the trading block. Hainsey is unlikely to be moved due to his contractual burden, but if you're Rick Dudley it's certainly worth looking into.

BYFUGLIEN INKS FOR FIVE YEARS

Dustin Byfuglien's re-signing is important for the franchise on so many levels. Firstly, Byfuglien is locked up for five years and is entering his prime as one of the most dynamic defensemen in the NHL. It also sends a message to other free agents that Atlanta can be a desirable place to play, with a player of Byfuglien's caliber agreeing to stay put for the next half of a decade.

While the price may have been slightly high, Byfuglien's value to the Thrashers is immeasurable. And now he and Toby Enstrom can continue to be Atlanta's top pairing on defense for the next two years, at least. This should also set up Andrew Ladd's extension who will probably be around the 4 year/$16 million range.

More to come in the next few days as the deadline looms...

TC