Our 2008 Prospect Development Camp wrapped up this morning with a dryland workout at a local track this morning and you expect to see a more detailed wrap-up sometime tomorrow.

On-ice sessions finished up yesterday afternoon as the players did final drills with skating coach Kenny McCudden who could spend significant time in Atlanta this season working with the Thrashers (as a consultant- probably not as a full member of the coaching staff). Due to my aversion for watching hours on hours of drills I opted to follow the players into the gym again to give you a better idea of what goes into their off-ice workouts.

In the picture above are the eight different stations with the number of sets and repetitions to be performed at each. Once again the players were split into two groups (the white team and the blue team) and one group worked out while the other was on the ice. The players paired up for the exercises.

I took pictures during the first session with the white team and then put on my shorts and t-shirt and worked out with the second group, keeping my promise with Ray Bear. Myles Stoesz gave me a hard time on Friday when I was just watching them work out so when Ray Bear told me to join whatever group I wanted I jumped in with Myles and Matt Siddall- two of the BC Western Canadian boys.

The first station was the front squats. Zach Bogosian demonstrates above. Place the weight (somewhere in the 130-150 lb range if I recall correctly. Ray can correct me if I'm wrong) on your shoulders and squat as if you were about to sit on a toilet. That's how Myles described it. It's about as hard as it looks, though it was one of the ones  had the least trouble with- probably because we did it first. You feel it through the arms and shoulders but much, much more so through your thighs, hamstrings and butt. Keep in mind when reading these descriptions that what I felt doing these might not have been what was intended to be felt. All of these players are younger than me, are clearly in better shape, and have much better technique.

Next up- Romanian Deal Lifts. I couldn't do them. In the 3-4 minutes that Ray worked with me I couldn't master the technique to do them properly, and with stuff like this it's better to not do it at all than it is to do it wrong. As Jonas Enlund demonstrates above, the objective was to lift the weight up to waist level and then lower it closer to the floor, bending at the hips (not the waist).

The one-leg box squats are a lot harder than they look but they're something you can do at home if you really want to work your legs. As the name implies, you lower yourself into a squat while balancing on one leg until your leg is bent at least 90 degrees. The Europeans (particularly Enlund and Lasu) were freakishly good at this one. Lasu got so low that his butt almost touched the back of his shoe. It take an unbelievable amount of leg strength, balance and flexibility to pull that off. I did the full sets of these and got close to 90 degrees on most of them in the first set. The second set? Probably not.

The weighted pushups are a lot of fun. Or maybe not. The partner steadied a 30 lb weight on the upper back/shoulders as the player did four sets of 12 pushups. The first set wasn't too bad for me. the second was tough. The third was all I could handle. I skipped the fourth in the interest of not breaking my arms. Above are Spencer Anderson (on the floor) and Paul Postma. It's been pointed out a few times over the last week that Postma is skinny, and he is. But he's also deceptively strong. He definitely put me to shame and I don't recall seeing him struggle more than anyone else at any of the stations.

Mike Forney demonstrates the pull-ups. I'm not embarrassed to admit that I had trouble doing one. With help I did a set, but by this point my arms were rubber.

The shoulder raises were the last station I did and I can honestly say that I finished my three sets of eight in each of the three positions. In the first position you raised each arms up to shoulder height in front of your body (John Albert demonstrates above). In the second you raised your arms to shoulder height to the sides as Mark Thorburn does below. I the third you bend slightly forward and raise the weights from your chest outward to your shoulders as if you were trying to pinch something with your shoulder blades (as Myles put it).

Next up was the slideboard groin exercise. The players on the outside demonstrate below (Riley Holzapfel on the right, Scott Bartlett on the left). With the outside foot planted the objective was to slide the inside foot along the board with abs tight, keeping your center of gravity halfway between each foot. You most definitely feel it, and I'll leave it at that. This is one exercise that anyone could go in there and do because it doesn't take physical strength, but you sure feel it later if it's not a muscle group you regularly work.

Finally was the medicine ball sit-up station. As one person held the 15 lb ball at waist level the other sat up with arms extended until they could hold the ball. They then lowered themselves back down, keeping their arms extended, and then went back up, placing the ball back in the person's hands. That counted as one. Three sets of 20 were required. Listen- I do crunches on my own on a fairly regular basis, so I didn't expect this exercise to be too bad. It was a breeze for the first five reps. The next five got a bit tougher. 11-15 were hard and 16-20 were absolutely brutal. That was the first set. On the second set 1-3 were okay, 4-7 were hard, 8-11 were painful and 12-16 were almost impossible. That's where I stopped. Time mercifully ran out so I didn't have to try a third set, or even finish the second.

I still had a couple interviews to do before everyone headed to dinner so I grabbed a protein bar and some water and headed to the locker room. A couple players told me I'd earned a sports drink so I grabbed one of those form the locker room cooler too. To get the full effect I should have taken a post workout ice bath, but time was against me. I'm probably paying for that now since I ache from my thighs to my shoulders and everywhere in between. I want to thank Myles and Matt for being great sports and showing me the ropes and Ray Bear for letting me come in and be a guinea pig in his gym. It was an eye-opening experience to say the least.

Needless to say, I have an even deeper appreciation for what these guys go through now, and when you consider that every one of them absolutely blew me out of the water AFTER a one-hour on-ice session with Kenny, it's just amazing how well conditioned they are. Various degrees of fitness were on display, starting with Zach Bogosian who was in a class all his own, but even the lowest level was still very good. Long gone are the days when players stopped exercising at the end of season and came into camp to get into shape. Now players never get out of it. It's a 365 day-a-year lifestyle for them, and those who really get it will find that it could be the difference between being in the minors or being in the NHL when it comes time for them to go pro.

The NCAA champions have been crowned and we're a few weeks into the junior playoffs now, so the list of prospects still playing at the amateur level is getting very, very short. Here's an update.

• C Angelo Esposito, Quebec Remparts. Quebec lost 4-1 to Gatineau 3-0 in the second round of the QMJHL playoffs. Esposito had 4 goals and 6 assists in 11 games and was -11.
• LW Michael Forney, North Dakota. The Fighting Sioux got thumped 7-3 by Boston College in the Frozen Four on April 10, ending their season.
• C Riley Holzapfel, Moose Jaw Warriors. Moose Jaw fell to Calgary 4-2 in the opening round of the WHL playoffs and Holzapfel has joined the Chicago Wolves.
• C Rylan Kaip, North Dakota. The Fighting Sioux got thumped 7-3 by Boston College in the Frozen Four on April 10, ending their season.
• RW Andrew Kozek, North Dakota. The Fighting Sioux got thumped 7-3 by Boston College in the Frozen Four on April 10, ending their season.
• RW Spencer Machacek, Vancouver Giants. Vancouver fell 4-2 to Spokane in the second round of the WHL playoffs. Machacek has 5 goals and 2 assists in 10 games. Machecek has joined the Wolves as an extra forward for the AHL playoffs.
• D Will O'Neill, Omaha (USHL). Omaha leads Sioux city 2-1 in the opening round of the playoffs.
• D Paul Postma, Calgary Hitmen. Postma continues to be the most pleasant surprise of the postseason, piling up 6 goals and 4 assists in 12 games. Fantastic numbers for a 7th round pick who is only in his second year of junior. Calgary plays Lethbridge in the WHL semi-final.

the Gladiators have advanced to the second round of the ECHL playoffs and kick off their series against the Carolina Stingrays tomorrow night in North Charleston. The Wolves lost their first playoff game, falling to Milwaukee 4-3 in overtime with Little, Sterling and Jesse Schultz scoring for Chicago. The AHL doesn't have a roster limit, so it's not unusual for the Wolves to carry some extra players to help out in practices and fill in if needed. Those players are frequently junior players signed to ATO's (Amateur Tryout Offers) after they get eliminated from their playoffs. Bryan Little did it last year and it helped him get a jumpstart on his pro career. Right now the Thrashers have four prospects on ATO's in Chicago- Arturs Kulda, Riley Holzapfel, Angelo Esposito and Spencer Machacek (who just signed his ATO yesterday and is in transit). None of them played last night, and that's not unusual given that the Wolves have been very successful with the lineup they've been using all season. The amateur guys are there to practice, learn about life as a pro, and be ready to jump in if needed, and they understand where they fit into the scheme of things, as is clear from this snippet from the Vancouver Province:

It's about time for another quick amateur prospect update, isn't it?

• C Angelo Esposito, Quebec Remparts. Quebec is trailing Gatineau 3-0 in the second round of the QMJHL playoffs. Game four is tonight. Esposito has 9 points in 9 games.
• LW Michael Forney, North Dakota. The Fighting Sioux play Boston College in the Frozen Four on April 10.
• C Riley Holzapfel, Moose Jaw Warriors. Moose Jaw fell to Calgary 4-2 in the opening round of the WHL playoffs and Holzapfel has joined the Chicago Wolves.
• C Rylan Kaip, North Dakota. The Fighting Sioux play Boston College in the Frozen Four on April 10.
• RW Andrew Kozek, North Dakota. The Fighting Sioux play Boston College in the Frozen Four on April 10.
• RW Spencer Machacek, Vancouver Giants. Vancouver is tied 1-1 with Spokane in the second round of the WHL playoffs. Machacek has 4 goals and an assist in 5 games.
• D Will O'Neill, Omaha (USHL). Omaha leads Sioux city 1-0 in the opening round of the playoffs.
• D Paul Postma, Calgary Hitmen. The Hitmen lead the Broncos 2-1 in the second round of the WHL playoffs and Postma has 4 goals and 4 assists in 9 games. Huge numbers for a defenseman in a defensive league.

If you have a hankering for some live playoff hockey don't forget about the Gladiators. They're up 1-0 in the opening round of their ECHL playoff run. Game two is tomorrow night.

As you've probably heard by now, Jordan LaVallee has been called up from the Wolves and will make his NHL debt tonight you can listen on 680 The Fan or watch on Center Ice). Once I know what line he'll be playing on I'll let you know. He will be wearing #50- the same number he wore in training camp. In other prospect news, defenseman Arturs Kulda, whose Peterborough Petes were eliminated form the OHL playoffs, signed an Amateur Tryout Offer with the Wolves and has joined them for the (presumably) the rest of their season. Here's an update on how the rest of the North American based prospects are doing in their respective playoff quests.

• C Angelo Esposito, Quebec Remparts. Quebec has a 3-2 lead in their first round QMJHL series and Esposito has 3 goals and  assists in those 5 games.
• LW Michael Forney, North Dakota. The Fighting Sioux play Boston College in the Frozen Four on April 10.
• C Riley Holzapfel, Moose Jaw Warriors. Moose Jaw fell to Calgary 4-2 in the opening round of the WHL playoffs.
• C Rylan Kaip, North Dakota. The Fighting Sioux play Boston College in the Frozen Four on April 10.
• RW Andrew Kozek, North Dakota. The Fighting Sioux play Boston College in the Frozen Four on April 10.
• RW Spencer Machacek, Vancouver Giants. Vancouver swept Chilliwack and plays the Tri-City Americans in the second round of the WHL playoffs.
• C Jesse Martin, Denver. Denver lost to Wisconsin in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Friday.
• D Will O'Neill, Omaha (USHL). The USHL season runs until April 5. Omaha has clinched their division title.
• D Paul Postma, Calgary Hitmen. The Hitmen won their series against the Warriors 4-2 and will play the Swift Current Broncos in the second round.

The season is winding down for the Thrashers, but many of their prospects are gearing up for the AHL, ECHL, NCAA and CHL playoffs. Here is a quick rundown of how the amateur North American prospects are doing:

• C John Albert, Ohio State. The Buckeyes fell short in the CCHA tournament and didn't get a bid to the NCAA tournment.
• C Angelo Esposito, Quebec Remparts. Quebec leads Chicoutimi 2-1 in the opening round of the QMJHL playoffs.
• LW Michael Forney, North Dakota. The Fighting Sioux play Princeton in the opening round of the NCAA tournament on Saturday. North Dakota finished third in the WCHA tourney.
• C Riley Holzapfel, Moose Jaw Warriors. Moose Jaw trails Calgary 2-1 in the opening round of the WHL playoffs. Game three is tonight.
• C Rylan Kaip, North Dakota. The Fighting Sioux play Princeton in the opening round of the NCAA tournament on Saturday. North Dakota finished third in the WCHA tourney.
• RW Andrew Kozek, North Dakota. The Fighting Sioux play Princeton in the opening round of the NCAA tournament on Saturday. North Dakota finished third in the WCHA tourney.
• D Arturs Kulda, Peterborough Petes. The Petes fell 4-1 to Belleville in the opening round of the OHL playoffs.
• RW Spencer Machacek, Vancouver Giants. Vancouver leads the Chilliwack Bruins 3-0 in the opening round of the WHL playoffs. Game four is tonight.
• C Jesse Martin, Denver. Denver faces Wisconsin as a two seed in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Friday.
• D Will O'Neill, Omaha (USHL). The USHL season runs until April 5. Omaha has clinched their division title.
• D Paul Postma, Calgary Hitmen. The Hitmen will try to tie up their opening round WHL series with Riley Holzapfel and Moose Jaw tonight. They trail 2-1.
• RW Matt Siddall, Northern Michigan. Northern Michigan's season is over after finishing third in the CCHA.

As for the ECHL and AHL prospects, the Gwinnett Gladiators have clinched a playoff spot and are battling for position. they open the ECHL playoffs at home on April 8 while the AHL's Chicago Wolves are first in their division and conference and wrap up their regular season on April 13.

While the Thrashers are battling to make some ground in the playoff race their prospects are working hard to make their cases for next season as they help lead their minor league, college and junior teams to the post season.

Since his rights were acquired at the trade deadline Quebec Remparts forward Angelo Esposito has piled up three goals and seven assists in just three games. If Esposito doesn't make the Thrashers out of training camp he'll be back in the QMJHL for one more season.

Out in Vancouver 2007 third round pick Spencer Machacek is on a tear and just earned WHL Player Of the Month honors. The 19 year old had eight goals and 19 assists in February and was +13. Machacek should be a serious contender for a roster spot next season. George over at Talking Thrash has a write-up on the Alberta native.

Meanwhile, up in Chicago Ondrej Pavelec was named the AHL's Goaltender Of The Month for February:

Regardless of what happens this season for the Thrashers the future looks good.

Another Prospect Development Camp is in the books, and though I didn't get to see as much of it as I would have liked I still came away impressed. The quantity of prospects may be down from past years but the quality has gone up. Plenty of the attendees will get invited to training camp in September and I can think of about half a dozen who will be fighting for spots on the Thrashers' roster before the year is over. 2-3 could make it right out of camp.

And then there's Ondrej Pavelec, who has every intention of challenging Kari Lehtonen for the starting job in Atlanta in the near future. Odds are he won't get a chance as long as Johan Hedberg is here, but if Pavelec thrives in Chicago I'm all for having him start a "goalie controversy" at next summer's camp. As Craig Custance wrote in the AJC earlier this week, Pavelec wants to be better than Kari. Some people think that's awfully bold of him to say, but if he wasn't willing to say it I wouldn't want him in our system. Who wants prospects that have already decided that they're never going to be as good as our current roster players? I want people that think they can be the best, and that's the kind of attitude Pavelec has.

Enough from me though. What did you think of Prospect Camp this year? Who impressed you? Who do you think could fight for a roster spot this year? Who is a strong contender to get called up from Chicago? Was there anyone that showed a lot more than you expected? Keep in mind that there were some solid prospects who didn't come to the camp for one reason or another- guys like Nathan Oystrick, Mark Popovic and Boris Valabik on the blueline, and then more experienced players like Colin Stuart, Darren Haydar and Jason Krog who have done well in Chicago.

Fire away in the comment section, and please leave a name, real or otherwise, so we don't have "anonymous" posts from multiple people.

We still have some prospect features in the works that will be posted over the next few days, so keep checking back.

Repeat after me... Prospect Development Camp is not a tryout. It will not be used to decide who does or doesn't make the final Thrashers roster and it will not make or break any one player's career. It's used to judge how much progress the prospects have made since last summer, or since the Thrashers last checked in on them. It's to give them a taste of NHL  life and to let them know what is to be expected of them when it comes to fitness, nutrition, work ethic and off-ice behavior.

All of that being said, the performances of the prospects during scrimmages and drills shape the attitude of the organization towards them. They have to show that they're working and they have to show that they've made progress in their development.

Yesterday evening I headed up to Duluth and watched the 4-on-4 scrimmage along with plenty of fans and team staff. It was about what you'd expect from a scrimmage in the middle of the off-season, and some of the players were clearly rusty from not having played in anything resembling a game in two or three months. There wasn't as much offense as I had hoped (the final score was 4-1 for the red squad) and it was mildly disappointing that three of the five goals were scored by undrafted invitees. but still- it was hockey in July, and that's never a bad thing, right?

I suspect there would have been more offense and more speed if the guys hadn't practiced for 90 minutes before the scrimmage (they had a 30 minute break before it started).

The scrimmage was broken into two 25 minute halves, with the score being 1-0 after the first half. It's worth noting that the lone goalie of the four who didn't give up a goal was Chris Kamal, the son of Dan Kamal. Dad was definitely proud as he watched from up in the Breakaway Grill.

Overall several players stood out for me. Up front Colton Fretter had a good first half, throwing his body around and generating some quality chances. He has a nice combination of speed and strength and was playing with an edge. He's not Thrashers property anymore, but I imagine the team is keeping a close eye on him. Bryan Little had plenty of chances to show off his puck-handling abilities but nobody was able to convert on his cross-ice passes that came after his rushes. He's definitely a pass-first player. He might have been able to score a goal or two if he had been more selfish. I liked his hustle though, and he looked tireless. Likewise for Jordan LaVallee, who conserves his energy by skating mostly in straight lines. If someone gets in his way he just goes through them. Nice and simple. Brett Sterling had a relatively quiet scrimmage, but he went to the net every chance he got. The GM of the Wolves joked that it probably didn't feel like a real game to him because nobody was punching him in the face or trying to knock hi on his tail in the crease. Sterling is used to taking plenty of abuse, and it helps him ramp up his intensity level. He always seemed to be n the ice at the same time as Colton Fretter and the pair had a knack for running into each other every shift.

Spencer Machacek was quietly solid, going to the net and banging along the boards. He's almost a smaller, less experienced Jordan LaVallee. They've both won Memorial Cups, so they're clearly doing something right. Riley Holzapfel was also quiet, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. He didn't make mistakes and seemed to have a knack for doing things the easy way, making crisp passes instead of trying to stickhandle through a crowd. On the blueline Grant Lewis was the cream o the crop, digging the puck out of corners, making nice outlet passes to the forwards and jumping up when the opportunity came. Chad Denny did much of the same for his squad, but Lewis looked a bit more polished and confident. You could tell Denny was looking for chances to use his slapshot, but everyone knew it and made sure he didn't get it off. At one point he faked a defenseman out of his skates as he wound up for a shot from just inside the blueline and then skated around the defender. I want to say it was Grant Lewis but it might have been Arturs Kulda (who was simple yet solid in his own end). That leaves Tobias Enstrom, who was the smallest defenseman on the ice, but still managed to come up with the puck more often than not. Enstrom is incredibly good with his stick, whether he's poke-checking the puck from opponents or battling along the boards. He's appositionally sound, but you can tell he's still adjusting to the smaller North American ice surface.

Overall it was an entertaining scrimmage, but I'd like to see them open things up a bit more on Thursday evening when they do it again. I'm sure the fans would like to see a little bit of razzle dazzle from the future Thrashers.

For other reports on Monday's scrimmage check out The Falconer and Jennifer over at Southeast Shootout.

The lighting at the Duluth IceForum really isn't conducive to taking pictures, so this is about as good as I could do with my ultra professional camera this morning up at the prospect camp. The above picture is of the defensemen and two of the four goalies (Ondrej Pavelec and Chris Kamal).

I love watching the prospects but I have trouble trying to evaluate them based on drills, simply because they're so different from game situations. Given that this was the first day I'm going to hold off on any type of scouting reports and just stick to things that caught my eye.

• Dan Turple is a giant. I'm pretty sure he's grown since last summer, and he's definitely a legit 6-6. It's not unheard of for heights to be stretched a little in player bios but there's clearly no need to pad Turple's height. He makes Kari Lehtonen look short.
• Jordan LaVallee looks bigger than he did last summer, and Guillaume Desbiens is a beast on skates. I don't know what Guillaume's NHL prospects are, but I wouldn't mind seeing him get a shot sometime in the next year or two.
• Tobias Enstrom can skate and shoot as advertised. He's not a big guy, but he's incredibly smooth on the ice.
• Ondrej Pavelec has the quickness and technique to cover a whole lot of the net. It's not a stretch to think that he could find himself competing for an NHL spot in a year or two, especially when you consider that Hedberg and Brathwaite's contracts expire after the 2007-08 season.
• Chad Denny isn't the only defensive prospect with a cannon of a shot. Arturs Kulda (a late 2006 pick) showed some unexpected shooting prowess, picking some corners and blasting shots on net.

I got a chance to talk to a few of the guys this morning as they took a snack break before some meetings.

Tobias Enstrom is excited about playing in North America this year and came over with the intention of making the Thrashers roster. He did everything there was to do in Swedish hockey over the last four seasons and he says he's up for the challenge.

Spencer Machacek (the Thrashers first pick in this year's draft at 67th overall) is enjoying his first taste of a pro camp. Most of the players at the camp were here last year, so there aren't many rookies. Spencer is taking it in stride and soaking it all in. He doesn't claim to be a high-skill player but takes pride in being a two-way grinder that can do the dirty jobs. He models his game after the play of Doug Gilmour and he pointed out that Gilmour won a Selke Trophy for his defensive prowess. How many young forwards can you name that come into camp talking about Selke Awards instead of Hart and Art Ross Trophies? That's a good sign if you ask me. Spencer is rooming with Chad Denny, who was one of his opponents in the Memorial Cup tournament that saw his Vancouver Giants skate away with the title.

Grant Lewis is excited to be in camp and is relieved to have a freshly signed contract. He wasn't particularly worried about it, but he said he was glad to get it out of the way. I asked him if he would have come to the prospect camp without being under contract and he said he definitely would have if he had been invited. The benefits outweigh the risk of injury. Grant is three credits short of graduating from Dartmouth with a degree in psychology and though he doesn't plan to work on getting those credits right away he does intend to graduate and thinks he might get into sports psychology down the road when his playing career is over.

It's going to be a busy week for the Thrashers we staff as we get ready to move the site onto the NHL publishing system (21 teams have already made the move) but I'll be going up to Duluth as often as I can. The highlights of the week are going to be the 4-on-4 scrimmages on Monday and Thursday evening, so ideally I'll have reports from those.

Meanwhile, feel free to pick up the slack and send in scouting reports of your own. Who is catching your eye up in Duluth and who have the surprises been?

There are plenty of young prospects to keep an eye on over the next week at the Thrashers' annual Prospect Development Camp. There's AHL rookie sensation Brett Sterling who piled up 55 goals with the Chicago Wolves, or 2006 first-round pick Bryan Little, who also projects to be an offensive star. Or Chad Denny- the defenseman with a blistering slapshot who loves to hit. Then there's Ondrej Pavelec, who was at the dangerous end of many of Denny's rockets from the point as a goaltender in the QMJHL this past season.

But one of the rising stars who didn't necessarily stand out last season might have one of the best chances of actually making the Thrashers roster in September.

Jordan LaVallee quietly put together a respectable rookie season in the AHL, scoring 16 goals and adding 18 assists as he learned the pro game before going on a tear, potting seven more goals and an assist in Chicago's 14 playoff games. Not bad for a rookie.

Looking back on his season during the playoffs the Oregon native who grew up in Massachusetts was happy with how things had gone.

"It was a great season. I think I learned a lot. We had a lot of great veterans on this team that were able to teach me a lot of the little things and obviously Coach Anderson has been around the game a long time so he always knew how to lend a helpful hand. So I think I learned a lot this year."

As a 6-4, 210 lbs winger LaVallee has power forward written all over him, and he doesn't mind throwing his weight around in the corners or using his size to make some space in front of the net. All he had to do this year was learn how to take care of that body, which is still packing on muscle.

"It was my first year out on my own not being with a family or anything," said the rookie pro who was used to being billeted with a host family while playing junior hockey with the Quebec Remparts. "You learn pretty quickly that you've got to get the right stuff in you. You have to be sure you're getting solid meals and not eating too much crap in between."

Coming out of last summer's prospect camp the Thrashers were happy with LaVallee's progress after coming back from a serious concussion in 2005 and they knew he had the physical tools to succeed. But this is the new NHL and size alone isn't enough. That's why he was told by the Thrashers staff that he needed to focus on his skating.

"They wanted me to work on my foot speed and my skating stride. That's something I put a lot of work into last summer after that camp and all this year. I think just being in the pro game, which is faster than what I was used to in junior, has helped that a lot."

It helped enough that LaVallee has gone from being a blue chip prospect taken in the fourth round (116th overall) in 2005 to being one of the most talked-about prospects in the Thrashers' system. He has been mentioned as a player who can play in a variety of situations and who could play on an offensive line or be effective as a checking or defensive forward. He simply doesn't have any glaring flaws in his game, and that fact has led to strong reviews from Atlanta's scouts, coaching staff and management. While the praise has probably been higher behind closed doors than it has been in front of the young forward (lest he get the idea that he doesn't need to keep working hard), LaVallee has gotten updates on where he stands.

"I've been getting very positive feedback from the staff in Atlanta and this summer will be very important for me," he said back in May. "The fact that my name has come up (as someone who should compete for a roster spot) is a very good thing to me. It means I'm on the right path but it means I can't slow down at all."

And that's exactly the attitude the coaching staff will be looking for this week at the Prospect Development Camp.

On top of his size, strong two-way play and good hands LaVallee will have one more ace up his sleeve in training camp when it comes time to decide if he's ready to play for the Thrashers. He has a huge head start on learning Bob Hartley's system thanks to a year spent playing for Patrick Roy in Quebec. When Roy decided to take over the coaching duties of the Quebec Remparts QMJHL team which he owned and managed he needed someone to act as a mentor while he learned the ins and outs of coaching. He turned to his old coach from Colorado- Bob Hartley. As a result the Remparts played a very similar style of hockey to the Thrashers, and LaVallee may have an advantage over other potential new players as a result.

"I think it helps me a lot. "Patrick plays almost the same system that Hartley runs in Atlanta, so that really gave me a two-year head start with his system. I know it already so it won't be hard for me to adjust."

And the system isn't the only similarity between the Thrashers and Roy's Remparts.

"Playing for Patrick- he's a real intense guy," said LaVallee. "He loves to win. It's what he does and it's what he did his whole career."

Sound like any other coaches you're familiar with?

At this point in the off-season it's hard to know how many roster spots will be up for grabs in training camp in September, but as long as there's one slot for a winger Jordan LaVallee's size, skill, experience and hockey smarts should keep him in the mix.

Click here for the complete Prospect Development Camp roster and schedule.

Well, now that Tobias Enstrom is officially under contract let's talk about these prospect signings and where they fit in the grand scheme of things.

First up- Myles Stoesz. It's pronounced like the word "stays" from what I've gathered, and the kid is tough as nails. He's listed at 6-2 and 190 lbs in his profile but he's up to 210 and is a nice physical winger if you catch my drift. Look him up on YouTube. He's not going to be a goal-scorer or a playmaker, but guys of his skill set will always be in demand in the NHL as long as they aren't a liability when they're on the ice. The only time I've seen him play was at prospect camp last summer, and he didn't stand out as being behind the others when it came to puck-handling and skating. As a seventh round pick that was taken to beef up the grit factor he'll be considered a resounding success if he plays in the NHL. From what I've read Gladiators coach Jeff Pyle wants his ECHL club to be grittier next season, so he should be a welcome addition if he lands there. His "enthusiasm" would probably be welcome in Chicago too, though Guillaume Desbiens does a fine job for the Wolves.

Next- Tomas Pospisil. I liked what I saw from his last summer at prospect camp. He's a skilled forward who averaged more than a point per game in the OHL. Don't expect him t be a superstar but he could be a good depth guy wherever he plays. He  signed a tryout contract with the Wolves after his OHL team got bounced form the playoffs and while he didn't get to play he did get a taste of life in the AHL. I would expect him to start his pro career in Chicago where he could help fill any holes created by other prospects making the Thrashers squad out of camp.

Third- Chad Denny. I've written plenty about this kid and there's nothing not to like. He does it all. As Dan Marr says, he could play forward or defense in the NHL thanks to his combination of speed, size and offensive ability. The Thrashers have plenty of prospects who will be impact players in the NHL, but Denny might be one of the most exciting, and he's the defensemen we've needed for a while. When he makes the team his slapshot and passing ability will be invaluable on the power play. Is it a coincidence that he's from the same neck of the woods as Al MacInnis? Did you know that the Thrashers have never had a defenseman score 10 goals in a single season? Hopefully it happens before Denny gets here, but I'd expect him to break that dubious mark if it doesn't. Not many defensemen make the NHL straight out of junior hockey though, so Denny has his work cut out for him. Never say never, but don't expect him to be on the Thrashers opening night roster. There are a lot of guys in front of him on the depth chart (Popovic, Valabik, Oystrick...), but Denny should be fun to watch in the preseason.

Fourth- Ondrej Pavelec. I'll be honest. We dodged a bit of a bullet here. Based on Craig Custance's AJC article it sounds like Pavelec considered going back in the draft instead of signing with us. If he had he likely would have gone reasonably high in the first round since so many of the teams at the top of the draft order (Chicago, Philly, LA, Phoenix, Washington) could use a hot goaltending prospect. He might have even had a chance to play in the NHL this year. Instead he signed with the Thrashers after meeting with his agent and Don Waddell face-to-face in Toronto. Getting him signed was a huge accomplishment for Don, and he deserves plenty of credit for pulling it off. Pavelec definitely has all of the tools to be an NHL starting goaltender, and a year or two from now he could be in Atlanta playing alongside Kari Lehtonen, giving the Thrashers two of the best young goalies in the NHL. Pavelec is tall (6-2), quick, and fundamentally sound and the sky is the limit for the young Czech. Like Pospisil he made the wise decision of coming to North American to play junior hockey before turning pro and that should pay off fairly soon.

An interesting fact about Denny and Pavelec- both were taken by the Thrashers in the second round of the 2005 Entry Draft before the Thrashers used their third second round pick to take Andrew Kozek (who is entering his junior year at North Dakota). The picks used to draft Denny and Pavelec were acquired from Philly and San Jose when Atlanta traded down twice in the first round before taking Alex Bourret. Only one of the players taken between Atlanta's original pick (8th) and their actual pick (16th) has played significant time in the NHL (Anze Kopitar) and meanwhile the Thrashers snagged two top prospects who are going to be impact players in the NHL.

Finally- let's talk about Tobias Enstrom. How badly does this team need another defenseman capable of carrying the puck out of the zone or of making a crisp outlet pass to a streaking forward? Don Waddell himself says that he's excited about him and it's being assumed by a lot of people that Enstrom will start the season in Atlanta. That's a lot to expect from an eighth round pick (there aren't even eight rounds in the draft any more), but Enstrom's play in Sweden has raised the expectations. He's been called the best defenseman in the Swedish Elite League, and though 28 points might not sound like a lot it's an impressive total for a defenseman in a low-scoring league. I'd expect Enstrom to be given every opportunity to make the team coming out of camp.

So that's five players signed and none that got away on signing deadline day. Because Russia didn't sign the IIHF transfer agreememnt the Thrashers retain the rights to Andrei Zubarev and Ilya Nikulin. Waddell has until August to take care of any NCAA prospects who graduated this year.

I've said it before and I'll say it again- the future is looking bright for the Thrashers.

Well, I'm back from Chicago, and I have a feeling I'll never be allowed to go on the road again. Sure, the Wolves games I went to on Friday and Sunday weren't technically road games since the team was playing at home, but I was on the road the Chicago lost both. that makes me 0-4 at post-season games I've attended outside of Atlanta this season. Maybe I'll just see if we can send Jennifer in my place next time.

The Wolves are in an 0-2 hole and they're going to have their work cut out for them trying to get out of it.

The bright side is that they've bounced back from 0-2 deficits twice in the past, including in 2000 when they lost the first two games at home and went on to win four straight, eliminating Houston. They're also the best road team in the AHL, so they have that going for them. And they've been averaging 4.00 goals per game in the post-season, so I'd be surprised if Hamilton can limit them to two goals again like they did yesterday. If the Wolves can get to Carey Price and score four or five goals like they're used to doing they'll bounce back. Both Chicago goalies are capable of shutting down Hamilton's offense, and I don't expect Kyle Chipchura to keep playing at the pace he played on the weekend when he almost single-handedly beat the Wolves. The ship will get righted and the Wolves will return to their winning ways. Don't forget to check in on the Wolves Playoff Blog as the series continues in Hamilton without me.

Here are Jsaon Krog's thoughts on what the Wolves need to do:

"We need to focus on the little things and stop going for the big play. Do what got us here. We have the best road record in the league so we just have to forget about the series record and go to Hamilton with the attitude that we can win on the road. Just take it one game at a time."

As for my actual trip- it was great to get caught up with all of the young prospects who should be competing for spots with the Thrashers in the near future. I'll be writing up the interviews and posting them on the site over the coming days and weeks as we head towards prospect camp, so keep checking back. The first one (with Bryan Little) is already up. I talked to a lot of guys, but I'm most looking forward to writing up the interviews with Boris Valabik (who is anxious to prove himself this summer after having what he described as the most disappointing and worst season of his career due to injuries) and Jordan LaVallee (who is very thoughtful in interviews and who had some interesting things to say about how playing for Patrick Roy in Quebec City has given him a leg up on the competition).

LaVallee struck me as the most NHL-ready of the young forwards, and that's not a knock against Sterling, Little, Stuart or any of the other young prospects. In the brief time I got to see him play (two games isn't a lot of time for someone who isn't a trained scout to evaluate a player) he did a great job both with and without the puck. He won puck battles in the corner at both ends of the ice and while some players look lost without the puck he doesn't. He was always going to the net, screening the opposing goalie, or banging along the boards. the question for LaVallee shouldn't be if he'll make the NHL, but when he'll make it. He can easily turn into a good utility forward who can play on a checking line or energy line and jump up to contribute on offense when it's needed. He's just a smart hockey player (who knows his way around computer repairs and GPS coding), and a great find as a fourth-round pick.

That's it for now, but make sure you check out Craig Custance's Monday Beat Blog entry, as well as his article on Mark Popovic.