The clock is ticking.

NHL free agency begins at noon on Sunday, and like past years it ought to be a wild day. Where will Drury, Briere and Gomez end up? How about Schneider and Souray on the blueline? And perhaps most importantly, how busy are the Thrashers going to be?

It's unlikely that GM Don Waddell will be going after the big names that will be commanding top dollar. It's just not practical given that both Kari Lehtonen and Marian Hossa are going to need new contracts after next season. As Craig Custance said on his blog last night, Slava Kozlov remains the wildcard. If he stays with Atlanta then we can do fine with an additional center and some depth players. If Slava leaves then Waddell is going to have try to find some more scoring, whether it's through free agency or trades.

Either way, don't expect to see any signings for $5-6 million a year in Atlanta this summer. So-called second-tier players are much more likely to end up here, especially guys who are looking for a new role or a chance to play with a top-flight winger like Ilya Kovalchuk. That's a huge bargaining chip for Waddell, and there should be some mid-range centers out there who would be licking their chops at the thought of setting up Kovy on a nightly basis.

If you're like me you'll be glued to your computer tomorrow, waiting to see how things play out. Remember- just because the Thrashers haven't locked up any of their UFA's yet (Kozlov, Belanger, Dupuis, Sim, Boulton, Vigier, MacKenzie, Sutton, de Vries and Hnidy) it doesn't mean they won't be back. It's not unusual for free agents to test the market (to be honest, I wouldn't pass up free agency if I were in most of their shoes) and then come back to their team and say that they'd like to stay. Some guys will use free agency as leverage and others want to see what the market says they're worth. Some might take less money in Atlanta than they're offered elsewhere because they don't want to uproot their families and learn a new system with a new team. If the money is the same or close it's not hard to choose stability over upheaval.

Here are some handy free agency related links to get you ready for tomorrow:

Scott Burnside's Free Agency Preview:

• Top Forwards
• Top Defensemen
• Top Goalies

TSN's Free Agent Lists:

• Eastern Conference
• Western Conference

NHL Numbers- Salaries, Cap Hits and Contract Lengths
Spector's Trade/Free Agent Rumors

I'll be online all afternoon tomorrow, waiting to post any Thrashers news, but keep in mind that NHL team sites can't post about signings until they're official whereas sites like TSN and ESPN can stick stuff up as soon as an agent calls them and says his player is signing with team X. Hopefully I can break some news, but if I don't you'll know why.

After checking some of the message boards and  blogs it's obvious that a lot of people are confused about the consequences of today's trading of Keith Tkachuk back to the St. Louis Blues. Let me try to clear things up.

Tkachuk and a conditional draft pick were sent to the Blues in exchange for the Thrashers' conditional first-round pick in 2008. That pick was sent to St. Louis in the February deal that brought Tkachuk here.

Here are the various scenarios that result from today's trade:

1. If St. Louis signs Tkachuk before or after July 1 the Thrashers keep their first-round pick in 2008 and keep the conditional pick that was sent to St. Louis today.
2. If any team other than the Thrashers or Blues sign Tkachuk the Thrashers keep their 2008 first-round pick and the conditional pick sent to the Blues today.
3. If the Thrashers sign Tkachuk after July 1 they owe St. Louis a fourth-round pick in 2008 or a third-round pick in 2009 instead of a first-round pick in 2008 (the conditional pick they would have owed before today's trade)

In other words, no matter what happens the Thrashers now own their first-round draft pick in 2008, and that's a good thing. The odds of Don Waddell signing Tkachuk after July 1 knowing it would cost him a first-round pick were pretty close to zero. Now it's within the realm of possibility, but St. Louis obviously has plans to sign him or they wouldn't have made this deal in the first place.

It's time for all the stats and rumor junkies to update their free agent lists. Teams had until 5pm today to give their restricted free agents qualifying offers. Without going into too much CBA talk what that means is that if a team qualified a restricted free agent they retain their rights to that player. If the player accepts the QO they've pretty much signed a new contract. If they don't they can negotiate a better or different contract, but the team still retains their rights regardless. If the team opts not to qualify the player the player automatically becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and can negotiate with any team they want to.

For the most part this only effects younger players (usually in their early or mid 20's) who are coming off of their first, second or perhaps third contract and who don't qualify for unrestricted free agency.

The following players in the Thrashers' system received qualifying offers before the deadline today:

Kevin Doell
Garnet Exelby
Jesse Schultz
Jim Slater
Colin Stuart
Chris Thorburn

That doesn't mean they're under contract yet, but it does mean that the Thrashers have retained their rights and that the players will remain restricted free agents until they sign a contract. If another team decided to offer them one or more of them a contract the Thrashers would have the right to match the deal and would receive compensation in the form of draft picks if they didn't match the offer.

The following players in the Thrashers' system were NOT given qualifying offers and are now unrestricted free agents:

David Caruso
Andre Deveaux
Michael Garnett
Lane Manson
Brad Schell
Adam Smyth

It's possible that some of those players could remain with their current minor league teams without being under contract to the Thrashers (like Colton Fretter did this past season) and it's possible that the Thrashers could still try to sign one or more of these players later on, but as it stands they will all become unrestricted free agents on July 1.

TSN has some more information about qualifying offers in this article.

Here are some online player evaluations of the Thrashers draft picks. Keep in mind that any players taken in rounds 3-7 are going to have some flaws- otherwise they'd be taken earlier.

Spencer Machacek F (3rd rd, 67th overall)

• NHL Draft Buzz
• Hockey's Future Profile
• McKeen's (updated Nov., 2006)

Niclas Lucenius, C (4th rd, 115th overall)

• Hockey's Future

John Albert, C (6th rd, 175th overall)

• Hockey's Future

Time to update the rest of the site and start adding these kids to the roster page. It'll be interesting to see if all of these guys are invite to Prospect Camp in two weeks. If so I look forward to watching them and getting a chance to talk to them.

The Thrashers' second selection in the draft, 115th overall:

Niklas Lucenius
Tappara Jr. • Finland Jr.
6'0", 189 lbs. Center, shoots left
Born: May 3, 1989 in Turku, Finland
Final Ranking: 13 • Mid-Term Ranking: 14 • European Skater

Central Scouting Report: A playmaking forward… sees the ice wellmakes good decisions with the puck… has good passing ability and is the face-off circle… works hard every shift… needs to improve his overall skating… needs to increase his strength to be more effective along the boards… competed for Finland at the 2007 Under-18 World Championships.

And we've drafted a player folks. Here's what Central Scouting has to say about Spencer Machacek from the Vancouver Giants. The kid is 6-1, 182 lbs, and a right-wing from Lethbridge, Alberta. He was a solid playoff player for the Giants in their Memorial Cup run.

Central Scouting Report: A skilled forward with a good work ethic… has solid positional play and is a two-way player… drives to the net hard and finishes his checks… has good puck control and puck protection… effective on the penalty kill… needs to improve his effectiveness around the net.

Hockey Profile: His plus-26 rating in 2006-07 was ranked 12th in the WHL… his 45 points (21-24-45) in 2006-07 equaled his point production of his rookie year (23-22-45)… had 14 points (6-8-14) in the 2006 playoffs helping the Giants win the WHL Championship… named as the Vancouver Giants Rookie-of-the-Year as well as their Scholastic Player-of-the-Year in 2005-06… selected to the CHL Top Prospects Game in 2007, but was unable to participate due to injury.

Personal Profile: Nicknames are Spence and Mac… if he could invite any three people to dinner they would be: Wayne Gretzky – “best hockey player to ever play", Doug Gilmour – “favorite player” and Carrie Underwood – “great
singer”… most memorable hockey game watched: Game #6 of the 1999 Stanley Cup Final – Brett Hull scored in the third overtime period to help Dallas defeat Buffalo 2-1 and to capture the Stanley Cup… most memorable hockey game played: Game #4 of the WHL finals in 2006 – “because the championship was on the line”… credits his parents and Giants head coach, Don Hay, for having the
most influence on his career and always pushing him to be his best… patterns his game after former NHL player Doug Gilmour because he played two-way hockey… visualizing on the bench about plays that might happen in the game is part of his pre-game routine… admires Tiger Woods because “he is a great competitor and also a great athlete”… favorites include: Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL team), “shot top glove” (shootout move), NHL (video game), Deal or No Deal (TV show), Dumb & Dumber (movie), Ben Affleck (actor), Rachel McAdams (actress) and Tim McGraw (country singer).

Welcome to Day Two of the NHL Draft. I hope everyone that made it up to Jillian's had a good time.

Not much news on the drafting front for the Thrashers so far, though Don did deal a pick last night, cutting the Thrashers total number of picks down to four. Our second third-round pick went to Pittsburgh in exchange for Chris Thorburn. He was originally a second-round choice, so it could be seen as an upgrade. Thorburn is a rugged, tough forward who isn't afraid to get his nose dirty. He had trouble sticking with the Sabres and Penguins just because both teams have ridiculous depth at center, but he could crack the Thrashers lineup as a fourth-line forward. I haven't seen him play much at all, but when it comes down to it Waddell was able to trade a pick that probably wouldn't turn into a roster player for 2-3 years into a guy that could make the lineup this year. Most importantly, the 24-year-old brings some more youth to the team. I like the deal.

In other news, AOL's NHL Fanhouse crew is doing a great job blogging the draft. They're posting plenty of opinions and interviews, so if you want general draft news make sure you check them out.

My two favorite candid moments from the draft so far- Pierre McGuire calling out Doug MacLean last night for saying Alexei Cherepanov doesn't have the work ethic to play in the NHL, and Chicago's second-round pick William Sweatt (out of Colorado College) explaining that NCAA players can't say they have agents. They have family advisors. Note he didn't say they can't have agents- they just can't say they have agents.

Here's a question for the college sports nuts out there- why can drafted college hockey players go back to school without losing their eligibility but football and basketball players can't? Brett Sterling went back to school after the Thrashers took him in the draft in 2003 but there's no way Greg Oden could go back to Ohio State after getting picked this coming Thursday in the NBA draft. Why not? I know there would be no reason for him to go back, but why isn't it allowed if it is in hockey? Anyone?

When the Thrashers open training camp in September there should be plenty of competition for spots on the blueline. Some players from the past season will inevitably have signed with other teams, leaving openings for some new blood. While it's entirely possible that some holes could be filled via free agency there are plenty of prospects in Chicago hoping that the Thrashers opt to go with a youth movement. If they do, two of their options are capable 24 year-old blueliners who had big years with the AHL Wolves. Mark Popovic has been in the Thrashers system since the 2005-06 season after coming over from a trade with Anaheim and already has 359 AHL games under his belt. The Stoney Creek, Ontario native has impressed the coaching staff in Atlanta when called up for brief stints and is billed as a solid defender who can both skate with the puck and make crisp outlet passes. Then there's first-year pro Nathan Oystrick who played for four years at Don Waddell's alma mater- Northern Michigan. Oystrick would have been a strong contender for AHL rookie of the year honors in any other year after picking up 15 goals and 47 points, but he was overshadowed by teammate and rookie sensation Brett Sterling who set a new AHL rookie goal-scoring record.

Both players have NHL talent and despite being the same age they are at different points in their careers and are looking at their situations in very different ways. Oystrick spent the past season adjusting to life as a pro while Popovic settled in as a veteran and hoped for a chance to get called up.

"I've just been trying to have fun and try to get better in all aspects of the game," said 6'1", 210 lb Popovic during the AHL playoffs. "Just being more professional on and off the ice, whether it's my diet, working out during the season or maintaining my weight. Those are things you learn as you go along in your career. This year I just wanted to have fun. If I was going to be in the minors this year- it's not exactly where you want to be when you start the year when you set your goals- but if I was going to be here I wanted to make sure that when I finished the season I was a better player than when I went in and I think I've done that."

Meanwhile the 6'0", 215 lb. Oystrick made the adjustment from college to pro hockey look effortless, despite the differences.

"I think I've had a pretty good year and adjusted to the game pretty quickly. The guys are a lot stronger" according to Oystrick, who hails from Regina, Saskatchewan. "And I don't want to say they're a lot more skilled, but they're definitely more skilled. The pace of the game is different. Not so much the speed, but a lot more guys coming down one-on-one. They'll pull up instead of driving down the wall. And just a lot of little things like stick on puck and better positioning."

The ability to adjust to the AHL earned Oystrick (right) plenty of quality ice time which led to his impressive point totals (Oystrick's 47 points are nine more than any Thrashers defenseman has ever scored in a season). Even he was surprised with his success though.

"I was expecting to score some but maybe not as many as I did. Obviously playing on a team like this it's pretty easy to put up points. You just get the puck to guys like Sterling and (Darren) Haydar and (Jason) Krog and they'll find the back of the net."

Oystrick may have led Wolves defensemen in points, but Popovic wasn't far behind him. He scored one more goal than his rookie counterpart and finished the season wit 16 goals and 40 points. Popovic provided valuable leadership on the blueline and was able to focus on rounding out his game in order to be prepared for a future in the NHL.

Heading into what promises to be a competitive training camp Popovic is confident that he has the tools Atlanta is looking for.

"My skating has always been one of my strengths. And I think I've shown a lot of poise in all situations here in Chicago. I played on the power play, penalty kill and against the other team's top lines. I've learned how to do all of that. And looking at Atlanta, there are role models there to look up to like Nic Havelid. He's so consistent night after night, 82 games a year and into the playoffs. I'd hope that I could do that at the next level."

Popovic's confidence will be a huge asset for him in camp, but Oystrick still feels that he has a lot to prove, especially after missing most of prospect camp last summer with a bout of mono.

"Last year was a pretty big letdown. But I came back and had a pretty solid season and I think that with a hard-working effort this summer I can go to into camp prepared. It's going to be huge. I want to get in the weight room and get running and stuff like that before camp. Hopefully I can go to Atlanta in the summer and maybe open a couple eyes up and see what happens from there. Obviously there are going to be a lot of guys battling for a spot and I'm going to have to have the biggest summer of my life to make the team next year."

Having been through a few pro camps already Popovic is much more relaxed, albeit determined, about the process.

"I'm under contract for next year, so I'm not too worried about it. It's out of my control right now. I'll worry about it when the time comes. All I know is that I'll be ready."

He better be. If you assume that recently-signed Tobias Enstrom and hulking defenseman Boris Valabik will also be competing for spots in September then things could get very interesting. Throw in Niclas Havelid, Alexei Zhitnik who are under contract for next season as well as restricted free agents Garnet Exelby and Steve McCarthy and things get downright crowded, and that's without even looking at free agents. If nothing else we know that the Thrashers will have plenty of options.

There's lots of Thrashers-related reading online today. In the AJC you have John Manasso's piece on the trials and tribulations of being a junior player based out of Atlanta. The article mentions several local kids and highlights the path of Chris Kamal, son of Thrashers broadcaster Dan Kamal. There's also a quick Gimme 5 from Don Waddell, though if you've been reading this blog at all none of his answers are going to tell you anything you didn't already know.

Then there's this article in the London Free Press which was also posted on various other Sun Media sites that looks at expected off-season plans for each team. I don't know about you, but this probably isn't how I'd describe the feeling around here:

The playoff loss still stings but I think the highs of the season (a Southeast Division title) are being focused on more than the lows.

Then over at CSTV  Elliot Olshansky has a series of article up about the sometimes competing philosophies of the NHL and college programs. Don Waddell gets mentioned a fair bit and they make for a good read.

• An Uneasy Partnership
• Picking the Player, Not The Team
• Signs Of The times; different Teams, Different Approaches
• The NHL's Schools Of Thought
• The NHL Entry Draft Numbers Game
• NHL Draft Analysis- Who Signs Underclassmen?

Did you know that the Thrashers are one of just two teams that hasn't signed a single college underclassman from the 2001-2005 drafts?

In other news, various articles out there are speculating that this weekend could be a busy one in terms of player movement. GM's aren't enamored with this draft class and there's plenty of talk that players, picks and prospects will be changing hands with great frequency throughout the draft on Friday night and Saturday. Here's an article by ESPN's Scott Burnside that points out some of the current themes and stories from around the league. Atlanta doesn't get mentioned in the article, but with the needs that this team has heading into the off-season (most notably at center and to a lesser extent on the wings) I'll be surprised if this is the year that Waddell decides not to wheel and deal at the draft. He's done it every June so far, and I don't expect that to change now.

So get reading, and let us know if you come across any other interesting articles.

In his end-of-season interview Thrashers Executive Vice President and General Manager Don Waddell mentioned that some of the Thrashers' prospects will be given the chance to make the jump to the NHL this year. One of the players who he mentioned by name was gritty forward Colin Stuart.

The 6'2", 205 lb Colorado College product potted 18 goals this season in Chicago and added 11 assists, improving on his previous season's point total of 27 points. Stuart will be 26 when arrives at training camp in September and he'll have two full pro seasons and 15 playoff games under his belt. He'd be an NHL rookie if he made the Thrashers squad, but he brings plenty of experience with him as both an AHL regular and a former Colorado College captain.

I caught up with Colin Stuart a while back and asked him about his year and his hopes for next season.

Q: How would you describe this past season with the Wolves?

A: It's been pretty good. I kind of got off to a rough start thanks to a fluke accident in practice. I got a puck in the face. A bit of a  weird deal off a tipped shot. I broke my jaw and had surgery the next morning. I ended up missing 13 games or so, so it  could have been worse, but it took a while to get my weight back up and my strength back up. Being on a liquid diet for 10 weeks really doesn't support a hockey player's body too well. So it was a slow start there but I think I came on pretty strong in the second half of the season and achieved some of the goals I'd set for myself and played a little bit better hockey down the stretch there.

Q: As a guy looking to make the jump to the NHL what would you say your biggest strength is?

A: I'd say my skating. From what I've been told and what I know personally, if I'm going to be an NHL player I'm going to be a
third or fourth line guy. A guy that needs to be strong on the puck and strong along the walls. A guy that can be a good solid
penalty killer for an NHL team. So it's just working on a lot of the little things to round out my game.

Q: At the end of the Thrashers' season Don Waddell said he expected some Chicago guys to challenge for roster spots and he mentioned you by name as someone who could bring some speed and energy to the lineup. Were you aware that your name had come up?

A: I heard that through the grapevine and it's a nice compliment I guess, but it doesn't change my game. If it anything it strengthens it and backs up what I've been trying to do this year in Chicago. It's good to see that I'm getting noticed and I would love the opportunity to show them what I can do at the next level. I'd work incredibly hard, and like you said, I'd bring a lot of energy.

Q: What has it been like to have your old teammates from Colorado College (Brett Sterling and Joey Crabb) here with you in Chicago?

A: It's good and bad. Actually, it's been good. I've joked around that they keep following me wherever I go, but the hockey world is a small world and they're two good guys. Two good people. It's nice to be able to extend our playing careers together.

Q: Did you expect Brett to do this well (55 goals and 97 points) his rookie year out of college?

A: I knew that with his talent around the net and the quality of players that Chicago usually recruits that he'd be playing with some pretty talented linemates. I knew early on that he was gong to get the opportunity to be playing on the first power-play unit. And obviously playing with Darren Haydar and Jason Krog- I told him I could've scored 50 with those two. But he did an unbelievable job. It's not easy no matter how old you are to score that many goals in this league. So it's a tribute to his game and his preparation. You can't argue with that many goals and I'm pretty proud of him.

Q: Thanks for your time, and have a good summer. See you at training camp.

A: Thanks.

The pictures keep rolling in for our Thrashers On Vacation page and we're truly amazed at some of the places you guys have been. Brazil. Iceland. Australia. South Africa. China.If you haven't seen the photo gallery yet check it out. We only put up one picture from each trip (we're not flickr) so here are a few that we didn't have room for:

Justin D. Cotton at Tiananmen Square in China.

Justin D. Cotton  shows of his towel and 2008 All-Star shirt at Tiananmen Square in China.

Justin D. Cotton at the Forbidden City in Beijing, China.

Benjamin gives Ovechkin the thumbs at the Capitals' practice rink in Arlington, Virginia.

Keep sending us your pictures and we'll keep putting them up.

A few thoughts heading into the weekend...

Like everyone else in this country that doesn't live close enough to Canada to pick up CBC I missed the NHL Awards last night because there was an issue with the satellite feed from the CBC. It turns out the broadcast truck in Toronto overheated. So says the Globe and Mail (via Deadspin and Off Wing Opinion). If you could have watched it, what would you have seen? The same old players winning the same old awards, aside from Crosby taking in everything he was nominated for. Datsyuk for the Lady Byng again. Brodeur with the Vezina. Again. Lidstrom taking the Norris. Again. Brind'Amour with the Selke. Again. And so on and so forth. Here's a question- how many Selke voters (for best defensive forward) do you think wanted to take back their vote after watching Sami Pahlsson shut down the competition's top line all through the playoffs? Playing in the West definitely hurt him and he should have won it over Brind'Amour. It's an unwritten rule that MVP awards don't go to players on non-playoff teams. Why wouldn't the same apply to defensive awards like the Selke?

Moving on to the NHL Draft, Hockey's Future has a bit of a preview up on the Thrashers needs going into the draft. Seeing as we don't pick until the third round its tough to speculate about who might be available at that point, but it's still good to know where we stand. I'm going to have to agree with holly and say that we're well stocked at defense and a bit thin up front. If Bryan Little and Brett Sterling make the jump to the NHL in the near future there won't be much offense left in the minor-league system, though Riley Holzapfel is a solid prospect who should shoot up the HF ranking soon. Holly suggests that we could use some re-stocking in the goaltending department but between Lehtonen and Pavelec the future looks pretty good. Depth is never a bad thing, but goaltending shouldn't be an area of concern. It feels nice to be able to say that for the first time in franchise history.

In other news, information about Blue Crew auditions will be posted on the website very soon. The Blue Crew is a combination of the interactive squad and ice crew, so if you're interested in trying out check back soon. Everyone on the squad will have to be able to skate this year, but we'll be hosting clinics for those who need to brush up on their skating skills.

Just one week until the draft party and two weeks until free agency starts. Things could start picking up on the trading and signing fronts around the league any day now.

The Thrashers don't exactly have a stock-pile of draft picks for this year's NHL Entry Draft to be held in Columbus on June 22 and 23 and the first one they do have is in the third round,, so you could be forgiven for thinking we're in for a quiet draft weekend. I wouldn't count on it though. Why?

Because you'd have a tough time finding an NHL General Manager that has pulled off more draft day deals over the last eight years than Thrashers GM Don Waddell. Let's take a look at what he's done.

Thrashers Draft Day Trade History

June 26, 1999: Acquired the first overall selection in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft from Vancouver for the second overall selection and a third-round selection in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft; acquired RW Per Svartvadet from Dallas for a sixth- round selection in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft; traded RW Phil Crowe to Nashville for future considerations.

June 24, 2000: Traded second-round selection and third-round selection in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft to Vancouver for a second- round selection in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft and a third-round selection in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft; traded ninth- round selection in 2000 NHL Entry Draft to Chicago for the rights to C Ben Simon; traded fourth-round selection in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft to Carolina for a fourth-round selection, a fifth-round selection and an eighth-round selection in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft

June 24, 2001: Traded fourth-round selection in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft to St. Louis for RW Lubos Bartecko; acquired a fourth-round selection in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft and a seventh-round selection in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft from New Jersey for a third-round selection in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft; acquired rights to D Jeff Dessner from the NY Rangers for an eighth-round selection in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.

June 22, 2002: Acquired RW Vyacheslav Kozlov and a second-round selection in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft from Buffalo for a second-round selection and a third-round selection in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft; acquired a third-round selection in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft and a fourth-round selection in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft from Florida for future considerations; traded a second-round selection and a third-round selection in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft to Columbus for a first-round selection in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.

June 21, 2003: Acquired D Ivan Majesky from Florida for a second-round selection in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft

June 26, 2004: Acquired D Niclas Havelid from Anaheim for D Kurtis Foster; acquired fourth-round selection in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft from Carolina for a third-round selection in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft; acquired G Adam Berkhoel from Chicago for future considerations.

July 30, 2005: Traded first-round selection in 2005 NHL Entry Draft to San Jose for a first-round selection, a second-round selection and a seventh-round selection in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft; traded first-round selection in 2005 NHL Entry Draft to the NY Rangers for a first-round selection and a second-round selection in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft; acquired D Shane Hnidy from Nashville for a fourth-round selection in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

June 24, 2006: Acquired C Niko Kapanen and a seventh-round selection in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft from Dallas for C Patrik Stefan and D Jaroslav Modry.

As the record shows, Waddell isn't afraid to wheel and deal to move up, move down, grab some extra picks, deal picks or add roster players on draft day. On seven out of eight draft days Waddell has acquired a player who filled a regular roster spot with the Thrashers and most of those player were picked up for nothing more than draft picks. Here is what the most significant of those additions contributed during their tie in Atlanta:

Per Svartvadet Thrashers Totals: 247 GP, 17 G, 34 A, 51 PTS
Lubos Bartecko Thrashers Totals: 108 GP, 20 G, 2 3A, 43 PTS
Slava Kozlov Thrashers Totals: 318 GP, 94 G, 179 A, 273 PTS
Niclas Havelid Thrashers Totals: 159 GP, 7 G, 46 A, 53 PTS
Shane Hnidy Thrashers Totals: 138 GP, 5 G, 10 A, 15 PTS
Niko Kapanen Thrashers Totals: 60 GP, 4 G, 9 A, 13 PTS

While he may not have been a superstar, adding Lubos Bartecko for a fourth-round pick in 2001 has to be considered a steal. So does picking up Slava Kozlov for what amounted to a third-round pick and and a move down in the second round. That might be the shrewdest trade of Waddell's career so far. And where would our defense have been the last two seasons without Niclas Havelid and Shane Hnidy? They filled very different but very important roles and combined they only cost Waddell Kurtis Foster and a fourth-round draft pick.

Then there was 2005 when the Thrashers traded down twice in the first round and picked up two second-round draft picks in the process. They turned those picks into Ondrej Pavelec and Chad Denny- both of whom should play significant roles in the Thrashers' future.

So does Waddell have anything up his sleeve for this year? We won't know for sure until June 22 and 23, but history shows us that he's not likely to stand pat.