Visnevski Trade
The acquisition of Vishnevski for Karl Stewart, a 2nd rounder, and a conditional pick certainly adds yet another defensemen to the training camp stew. At the moment, the Thrashers will open camp with nine players who are all competing for six spots in the starting lineup. Havelid is the team’s best defenseman. Sutton and De Vries are veterans who have jobs (can you read my lack of enthusiasm for those two?) while Vishnevski and Exelby are defensive defensemen who can dish out some mean hits. According to my math that leaves McCarthy, Coburn, Hnidy and Popvic battling for one starting job and perhaps a spot or two on the bench. Both Coburn and Popovic can be sent back down this year and I expect that they will be unless someone is hurt in camp. That puts McCarthy in the last roster spot and Hnidy as the healthy scratch/depth guy.
I wonder if Don Waddell saw Visnevski deal as an opportunity too good to pass up? Other than Exelby that isn’t a lot of "jam" on the Thrashers blueline and Vishnevshi could certainly help in that area. Or does it lay the ground work for a future deal that will see some of the team’s defensemen or D prospects exchanged for a forward?
Or is just part of an ongoing pattern of going to great lengths to build organization depth? The team is stocked with four goalies who have played in the NHL (Lehtonen, Hedberg, Brathwaite, and Garnett). The team added some guys (Krog and Larose) who have played in the NHL but will likely start in the AHL until injuries make call-ups necessary. This team has the best depth it has ever had, which may allow it to survive when injuries strike.
The Big Picture
If the Thrashers are going to make the playoffs this coming season it is absolutely critical that they improve on the defensive side of things. The departure of Savard and Bondra will likely lead to a decline in the teams offense (which ranked 5th out of 30 teams). If the offense declines, goal prevention becomes all the more crucial. Last year the team ranked 18th in shots allowed which is slightly below average, but 24th in save percentage. If the team can make the modest jump to league average in shots allowed (30.0 per game) and a bigger jump to slightly better than league average in save percentage (.900) that works out to a reduction of 25 goals allowed over the course of the season. Will that replace the goals lost by replacing Bondra and Savard with Bourret and Rucchin? It is impossible to say for certain, but I would point out that a 25 goal reduction last season would have moved the Thrashers from being bad defensively (24th) to about average (14th).
I wonder if Don Waddell saw Visnevski deal as an opportunity too good to pass up? Other than Exelby that isn’t a lot of "jam" on the Thrashers blueline and Vishnevshi could certainly help in that area. Or does it lay the ground work for a future deal that will see some of the team’s defensemen or D prospects exchanged for a forward?
Or is just part of an ongoing pattern of going to great lengths to build organization depth? The team is stocked with four goalies who have played in the NHL (Lehtonen, Hedberg, Brathwaite, and Garnett). The team added some guys (Krog and Larose) who have played in the NHL but will likely start in the AHL until injuries make call-ups necessary. This team has the best depth it has ever had, which may allow it to survive when injuries strike.
The Big Picture
If the Thrashers are going to make the playoffs this coming season it is absolutely critical that they improve on the defensive side of things. The departure of Savard and Bondra will likely lead to a decline in the teams offense (which ranked 5th out of 30 teams). If the offense declines, goal prevention becomes all the more crucial. Last year the team ranked 18th in shots allowed which is slightly below average, but 24th in save percentage. If the team can make the modest jump to league average in shots allowed (30.0 per game) and a bigger jump to slightly better than league average in save percentage (.900) that works out to a reduction of 25 goals allowed over the course of the season. Will that replace the goals lost by replacing Bondra and Savard with Bourret and Rucchin? It is impossible to say for certain, but I would point out that a 25 goal reduction last season would have moved the Thrashers from being bad defensively (24th) to about average (14th).
posted by The Falconer at
10:18 PM
2 Comments:
This was a good trade for Atlanta.
I got on the Vishnevsky bandwagon during the latter part of the season. For $1.55 million a year he's an absolute steal in todays market.
It might cost $3 million a year to resign him though.
Now how in the hell are The Trashers going to get through the season with Holik & Rucchin as their centers?
By
Ingmar "W" Bergman, at 8:41 AM
Hossa put up big numbers with Radek Bonk as his centerman--I'm so sure that Rucchin is that much of a drop off.
The biggest problem that I see is the powerplay. The Thrashers top PP unit features two threats: Kovalchuk at the blueline and Hossa on the opposite boards. If you take away one side the Thrashers move the puck to the other side. But you someone who is smart and accurate with the puck to make the opposition pay for over-reacting to either Hossa or Kovalchuk and who is going to be that guy with Savard gone. To me Kozlov is the pehaps the best passer now on that top PP unit--can he fill that role?
By
The Falconer, at 3:09 AM
Post a Comment
<< Home