In an effort to keep bringing you fresh content between the end of the Thrashers' regular season and the beginning of the off-season action (coach hirings, player signings, draft preview, etc) I banked some end-of-season interviews and pieces that will be rolled out every few days. Here's the first.
 

When he scored 10 goals and 10 assists as a rookie in 2005-06 Jim Slater showed some offensive promise. In 2006-07 his goal production dropped to five goals while his assists went up to 14. This past season Slater struggled offensively, especially in the first half of the season. He didn't pick up his first assist until Nov. 6. His second came almost a month later. By the All-Star break he had five assists and no goals. Then he went on a relative tear, scoring goals in brief bunches. Goals in consecutive games on Jan. 30 and Feb. 1. Another pair on Mar. 1 and Mar. 2. Then he finished off the season with four goals in six games.

Fortunately for Slater, he is an adaptable player and a student of the game. A staple on the Thrashers' energy line this season, Slater used his speed to forecheck and pressure the opposition. When Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis were dealt at the trade deadline and Todd White injured his shoulder, Slater quickly became a fixture on the Thrashers' penalty-killing unit where he scored the first and second short-handed goals of his career.

For Slater to take on a bigger role with the Thrashers he needed to find a niche, and the way he killed penalties towards the end of the season he jut might have found it. He also had a solid faceoff percentage this season (52%).

A checking center that kills penalties and has strong numbers in the faceoff circle. Could it be that Slater learned a thing or two from his perennial locker room neighbor- Bobby Holik?

Before he packed up for the summer I asked Slater what he'd learned from the Thrashers captain who served as a bit of a mentor for Slater both on and off of the ice. Here's what he had to say.

What have you learned from sitting next to Bobby Holik?

Slater: "Well, my ears hurt for one thing. But seriously, I think I got learned a lot on a personal level. He's a very knowledgeable guy about a lot of different things going on around the world. Listening to him talk about things like that really makes you stop and think about what's going on in the world. There's always two parts to a story and Bobby usually has both of them down pat. You might think that you have one view of a subject and he's good at showing another view that gets you to think about it. I've really enjoyed that about him and I've learned a lot about American history, politics, and a lot of different things going on in the world from him. It's been great learning from him."

And on the ice?

Slater:  "Well, on a hockey level, he and I have a great relationship on and off the ice. He's hard on me but I know he means it in a good way. He knows the game so well and he's been around so long. I just appreciate being able to sit like a guy him and have him take the time to care about me and my career and have him teach me the ins and outs of the game."

You sat beside Scott Mellanby when he was here too. How would you compare Mell and Bobby?

Slater:  "They're very similar. They both worked really hard on the ice and both cared so much about the team. But neither one really yells a lot. They go out and lead by example, but when something needed to be said they'd be the first to say it. My first two years Mell was definitely the best candidate to be the captain, and this year you looked around and Bobby had control of the locker room. He was the best candidate for us. There's lots of leadership at the top in this room, but this year we just couldn't get the job done."

With the possibility that Bobby could leave as a free agent, is there anyone you as being a natural to take on the captaincy or a bigger leadership role?

Slater:  "You never know. There could be a lot of movement in the summer and you never know who you're gong to get via free agency or trades, but I hope we can get Bobby back. He's good for this team. He works hard every night. I'm close with him on a personal level and hopefully they can work something out."

It's incredibly rare for a pending unrestricted free agent to publicly say that they won't return to a team the following season, and none of the Thrashers' potential free agents made that statement in Duluth yesterday as they spoke to the media before leaving for the summer.

There are always lines to read between though.

General Manager Don Waddell, who made it clear that he would be perfectly happy if he never had the title of head coach again, said that he has not told any players that they will be back and has not told any that they won't be back.

Most free agents prefer not to tip their hand, which is likely why Bobby Holik would only say that returning "is an option." Given how frustrated he seemed to be with the way the season went it would be surprising if he had any desire to come back to Atlanta.

Johan Hedberg, on the other hand, openly said that he wants to be back and that he feels a responsibility to help turn the club around.

"I would really like to come back and they have an interest in bringing me back," he told the media in Duluth on Sunday. "I'm pretty confident that we should be able to get something done. From a personal standpoint I think it would be very positive to come back and try to turn this thing around again and make it right. You hate to leave like this. There's a lot of us that want to come back and realize what our problems are and try to fix them. It feels like preparation for next year has already started. The determination to come back next year and make it better is definitely going to be there. It's going to be a critical year for us as a franchise."

A large part of making it through that critical year will be getting solid goaltending from Lehtonen and his would-be partner. Hedberg liked what he saw from the young this season, even though Moose himself struggled.

"I think Kari played really well, especially down the stretch when he got peppered on nights. Under these circumstances just looking at my numbers I know these are by far the worst of my career. Compared to some of his numbers, it's one of the best save percentages of his career. It's a symptom of playing really good."

For the record, Kari's .916 save percentage was the best of his NHL career, not counting his four-game stint at the tail end of the 2003-04 season when he posted two shutouts in four games to give himself a stunning .953 save percentage, while Moose's .892 was his worst save percentage ever.

Hedberg had nothing but praise for Lehtonen and how he handled the pressure of the season and how he found a way to make games meaningful for himself even after the Thrashers were eliminated from playoff contention..

"I think he did really well down the stretch. Even though the games didn't mean anything, it's even harder to play sometimes. He was one of the few bright spots there. It's something for him to build on and just keep doing the right things all the time. He has tons of talent and he has a very bright future ahead of him. It's all up to him what he wants to do with it."

Kari is also a free agent this summer, although he is restricted and can only leave to play for another team if the Thrashers opt not to match an offer sheet. Don Waddell has gone on the record saying that any offer sheet to Lehtonen will be matched, so don't expect him to be going anywhere. Waddell said on Sunday that he would not entertain trade offers for Lehtonen at this point and he talked about the strides he has seen Kari make this season. The key for the young goalie will be battling through bad games so that his off nights are still better than average. If the defense gets an upgrade this summer as anticipated Lehtonen's off nights should be fewer and farther between.

There's plenty more to share over the next week or so, so keep checking back. And don't forget to tune in tonight for the Draft Lottery results. There's nothing else going on in the sporting world tonight, is there?

I was up in Duluth this morning as players packed up, met with management and got checked out by the team doctors. There was no shortage of interesting comments from players and Don Waddell addressed the media for over 20 minutes. After a ling, tiring season I'm taking this afternoon to relax and then I'll get to work on the season recap stuff out over the course of the week. Keep checking back starting on Monday. You'll probably want to know what Moose had to say about his future with the team.

With the season over with attention is quickly shifting to tomorrow night's Draft Lottery which will be aired live on TSN, Versus and the NHL Network. If you can't be in front of the TV for what could be the biggest moment in franchise history you can watch the video live on atlantathrashers.com. The video will stream in the first top story panel. The Thrashers finished 28th in the league standings, so depending on the results of the lottery they could draft 1st (if they win), 3rd (if Tampa, LA or anyone that finished higher than 22nd in the league wins or drop to fourth (if a team between 23rd and 27th wins). Everyone slated to go in the Top 5 is going to be a solid pick, but Steve Stamkos has the potential to change a team's fortunes instantly. If the Thrashers can't nab him here's hoping someone other than Tampa Bay does.

On the ice he's a hard-working winger who likes to get his nose dirty, whether it's by going to the net, digging the puck out of the corner or laying an opponent out with a bone-jarring hit. From the moment the puck drops until the final horn sounds Colby Armstrong is all business.

Off the ice it's another story. The 25 year-old winger took some time to answer a few random questions for me to give fans a bit more insight into what makes "Army" tick.

Did you actually grow up in your listed birthplace of Lloydminster, Saskatchewan (population 24,028).

"No, no. I was born there but I grew up in Saskatoon (population 234,000). Big props out to Lloyd though.. It's a little border town and I like to give them something. My dad says there's a picture of me in the rink but I've never actually played hockey there."

Do you have any siblings?

"I have a younger brother and older sister. My younger brother (Riley) plays for Worcester in the San Jose system. He's a good little player. He plays center and right wing, so he does it all. Feisty little guy. Not too little, but feisty with good hands. He can score."

"My sister is a personal trainer in Saskatoon. She does her own thing. She tries [to give training tips] all the time. She has some good ideas. She's played a lot of competitive soccer, so she's a good athletic girl. She knows what she's doing. She knows her stuff for sure."

What is your most formative hockey moment?

"Everything was the same as most kids as far as the steps I took in hockey, but then in junior our team (the Red Deer Rebels) ended up winning the Memorial Cup (in 2001-02). For me that was a big step in my life and career for sure- just seeing what it takes to win. To be around a group of guys that were brought up together through junior and then won together- it's such a great feeling that every year I kind of judge my season to that year in junior. It's kind of weird. I look back at what we had and kind of compare it to whatever team I'm on now. It's a year I'll never forget for sure."

What were your favorite TV shows and movies as a kid?

"I'm a huge TV fan. I'm a big couch guy- I even list it as a hobby-laying on the couch. When I was a kid it was probably The Flintstones. I'd go home every day at lunch and watch The Flintstones. Inspector Gadget too. It was always on at just the right time. Then after school I was a big Fresh Prince of Bel-Air fan. Those were definitely my favorites. As for movies- Dumb and Dumber. It's a classic."

What was your music taste like when you were a teenager?

"When I was younger we always had Collective Soul in the dressing room. Oh- and AC/DC. I was a huge AC/DC fan. Since I was such a big hockey fan every time I heard a new song I'd be like "Aww, this is such a great dressing room song. We have to play this in the dressing room." So I was a big fan. I went a little crazy over Britney Spears for a while, but that passed a long time ago. But back when she came out? I was a big, big fan, along with everyone else on my hockey team."

Now that you've been in Atlanta for a few weeks have you had a chance to take in the sights at all?

I went to the aquarium. That was cool. I 'd heard a lot about it and had to check it out. The whale sharks were cool. So were the seals. I read that you can swim with them and I'd love to do that. And I have to check out Coke. Other than it's just been eating out every night and getting used to some Southern cooking. I haven't hit up a BBQ place yet but it's on the list. We're just checking out the restaurants all around town- me and Kiwi, Boris and Bryan Little. We're making the rounds."

If you have any questions that you'd like me to ask Colby or any other players submit them in the comments section and I'll see what I can do. For the record, Colby has not been approached about doing any commercials for local car dealerships.

Sports Unlimited Magazine (SU) just posted some thrashers features and both of them are available online for your reding enjoyment.

The first profiles Swedish rookie sensations Toby Enstrom and Nicklas Backstrom. The second highlights the unorthodox career path of Eric Perrin who just might be the second most pleasant surprise of this season (behind Enstrom). I give Don Waddell all the credit in the world for taking his lumps and biting his tongue when criticized when he has every right in the world to point to guys like Eric Perrin and Tobias Enstrom who have greatly exceeded expectations.

Both articles make for a good read, and if you like what SU offers feel free to let them know. They like feedback, and feedback from hockey fans could lead to more hockey content.

I'm going to shamelessly piggyback on Craig Custance's AJC blog post to point out that Erik Christensen is going to be out for a little while and Boris Valabik is getting called up shortly (I'd tentatively expect him in the lineup on Wednesday).

I really like what I've seen from Bryan Little since he got here in February and with the way he and Christensen have played, along with Perrin, I'm not sure there's a pressing need for a top line center next season as people have been saying all year. Don't get me wrong- if one were available that would still allow the Thrashers to address other needs I'd be all for it, but the young guys have stepped up and are showing that they can get the job done. That's great news as it allows management to focus on other more pressing areas of need over the summer.

In other blogging news, I'm becoming a fan of Thrashers 411, and not just because they're sticking up for the Thrashers. They have a good team of writers and they do their homework. Whether you like what they have to say or not you can count on their work being well written and carefully researched when necessary. Good for them.

It's the little things that you miss when you move thousands of miles from home, especially when home is in another country.

Last week Eric Perrin, Chris Thorburn and Eric Boulton (who share one corner of the Thrashers locker room) were having a conversation about McCain's chocolate cake, an eastern Canadian confection that comes in a foil pan and is coated in gooey frosting (or icing depending where you're from). Desperately needing a break form what has quickly become depressing hockey talk I opted to mix things up and ask the three jokers in the corner (who are prone to talking at once and over each other like the Hanson brothers from Slapshot) what their favorite snack foods from home are that they can't get down here. For the record Eric Boulton is from Halifax, Nova Scotia on the east coast, Perrin is from Laval- a suburb of Montreal- and Thorburn is from Sault Ste. Marie in northern Ontario, just across the border from Michigan's upper peninsula. The guys welcomed the distraction fro the current state of affairs as much as I did and they were enthusiastic with their answers.

If you happen to be shopping in a Canadian grocery store here is their wish list:

• Coffee Crisp candy bars (or chocolate bars in Canada)  There's no American equivalent and it was the first thing out of Eric Boulton's mouth when the trio was asked what the missed. It's made of layers of wafers that sandwich a creamy coffee-flavored chocolate filling.
• Oh Henry and Mr. Big candy bars: Everyone's favorites as kids because they were the same price as other bars but twice as big.
• Smarties: Down here they're those powdery Halloween candies that come n a roll. In Canada those are called 'Rockets' and Smarties are closer to M&M's, except they have a softer shell, they're flatter, and they're made with milk chocolate.
• Ketchup chips: You put ketchup on fries, and those are made out of potatoes, so why wouldn't you make ketchup flavored potato chips? Every self-respecting chip maker sells them  in Canada, including Lays.
• All Dressed chips: An experiment in flavor gone right, all dressed chips pack a punch that's something reminiscent of salt and vinegar, ketchup, barbecue and a few other tastes all mixed together.
• Jos Louis: Pronounced like the boxer and the arena, it's a round chocolate cake covered in chocolate with a white frosting in the middle. Made by Vachon they're particularly popular in Quebec and the east. Chris Thorburn likes them enough that he was going to get family to bring some down when they come to visit this weekend.
• Flakies: Also made by Vachon (the Little Debbie of Canada). None of the trio could remember the real name for these fluffy pastries, but it turns out they're actually called Flakies. They puffy, light, and have an incredibly sweet cream filling. Eating more than one could send you into sugar overload. Eric Boulton didn't remember them but they're a favorite of Eric Perrin.
• McCain chocolate cakes: The food that started the whole conversation. They come in varying sizes and are great with a cold glass of milk. The cake is kind of fudgy and they're best kept in the fridge. McCain makes plenty of products that are available in the US (most notably french fries) but they tend to keep their Canadian and American product lines separate. Eric Perrin didn't want to limit himself to just the cake- he said he'd eat anything from McCain.
• Kraft Peanut Butter: Lest you think these guys are only concerned with junk food, Eric Perrin and Chris Thorburn both miss extra creamy Kraft peanut butter.

Colby Armstrong was occupied during this discussion and his stall is at the other end of the wall, four or five lockers away from Boulton. He wanted to add to the list though and his choices were decidedly less sweet. Along with the list above the winger from Saskatchewan misses Shreddies (a woven whole grain cereal from Nabisco that's a lot denser and heavier than Chex) and Pillsbury pizza pops. His exact words were "Pizza pops are the best. Make sure you put those on there. They're my favorite thing in the world, I swear." They're more or less miniature calzones made for the microwave or toaster oven, but they put Hot Pockets and their flaky crusts to shame.

So there you have it. These guys might be finely tuned professional athletes but they have the same kind of junk food indulgences as the rest of us (national tastes notwithstanding), even if they can't partake as often. You can bet that Eric Perrin will have a cupboard stocked with Jos Louis in his Laval home this summer though.

Is the glass half full or is it half empty?

The Thrashers didn't win on the weekend and haven't won any of their last seven games, but they did pick up a single point in three straight games. From a points perspective they could have gone 1-1-1 and wound up in the same spot in the standings, eight points behind the Canes.

Regardless, the team can't be happy with leaving points on the table on Saturday and Sunday, especially after playing well enough to win both games (the first three minutes of the Pittsburgh game notwithstanding). The Thrashers had a chance to make up some serious ground on Carolina and instead the weekend was a wash- Carolina won their sole game and Atlanta earned two points in two shootout losses. That's obviously not going to be good enough to get them into the playoffs.

There's still some hope though, and this is going to be a big, big week for the Thrashers. It starts on Wednesday night when Carolina comes to town. The Hurricanes don't play between now and then, so if the Thrashers can win in regulation they can close the gap between them and Carolina to six points, and that's a manageable margin. Minnesota comes to town on Friday for the first time in a long, long time, and they'll be playing their third game in four nights. Who do they play Thursday night? Carolina. So be a Wild fan on Thursday. then Saturday night the Thrashers go down to Florida where they tend to play well as often as not.

I know this is going to sound like a stretch given that the Thrashers haven't won in over two weeks, but hear me out. If the Thrashers win Wednesday night the gap gets narrowed to six points. If Carolina loses to the Wild and then Atlanta beats the Wild on Friday then the Thrashers are just four back. A win in Florida and a Hurricanes loss to a surging Buffalo on Saturday puts the Thrashers two back.

It might not seem realistic, but I honestly believe that the Thrashers can make up some ground if they keep playing the way they played on Saturday and Sunday. They came out hitting, they blocked shots, they put the puck on the net on a regular basis and they put traffic in front of the opposing goalie. That's a recipe for success, and if they stick to it they'll win more often than not. If they can get some help from the Wild and Sabres this could be a huge week for the Thrashers.

As soon as I get word on the status of the banged up players I'll let you know, but the young guys seemed to rise to the occasion on the weekend when they filled in for Todd White (lacerated elbow), Ken Klee (groin) and Nic Havelid (elbow). None of the injuries seem to be too serious and hopefully everyone recovers quickly, but I'm not opposed to a brief youth movement while they're out. You can't go wrong giving guys that have something to prove more ice time.

The Sporting News has an interesting article on their site (hat tip to James Mirtle) about people posing as NHL players on MySpace and Facebook. After recent events involving player pictures being posted online the NHL has decided to go around to the teams and hold workshops on the dangers of the internet. If you go on Facebook or Myspace it isn't hard to find pages set up by people claiming to be pro athletes and the Thrashers haven't been immune. Profiles for Kari Lehtonen and Marian Hossa have recently been flagged as fraudulent and have been removed.

So if you're digging around and come across a page for Ilya Kovalchuk or another NHL superstar, odds are it isn't them. To the best of our knowledge none of our roster players have legitimate profiles on either Myspace of Facebook.

When an NHL team has an 0-6 record there are a limited number of changes they can make if they want to turn their season around.

Trades are difficult to make because every other team in the league knows you're in a tough spot and they'll make you pay dearly for any pieces you try to acquire. Teams at the bottom of the standings in any sport- not just hockey-  rarely come out on top in the short term in trades. If they're lucky they can acquire good prospects and raft picks as they dismantle a team, but if they plan on being competitive right away that's not an option. The roster we have is the one that has to win games, and heading into this season few people expected this kind of performance from this group of players.

If the roster wasn't going to get blown up the only available change was at the head coaching position. Bob Hartley has accomplished many things over the course of his professional coaching career and I have no doubt he'll accomplish more before his career comes to an end, but for one reason or another he wasn't able to coax a consistently strong effort out of this particular group of players.

As Bobby Holik and Garnet Exelby said in the AJC, part of the responsibility for that failure lies with the players themselves, but there are 23 players and one coach.

So Bob Hartley is no longer the head coach of the Atlanta Thrashers and this team is now tasked with proving that they have the talent and the ability to win some hockey games. No player likes to be responsible for getting a coach fired, and this should be a big wake up call to everyone in the Thrashers locker room.

Everyone here in Duluth was on the same page after the announcement. Don Waddell mentioned that he's heading into his new role as interim coach with the mentality that the team has an 0-0-0 record it's a clean slate. Exelby said more or less the same thing, stating "We're going to look at it like tomorrow is the first day of the season."

This team and this company are still committed to winning and to winning this season. Asked today if the outlook or goals for the Thrashers have changed due to their start Atlanta Spirit CEO Bernie Mullin was firm.

"Absolutely not. We want to put a winning team on the ice and go deeper into the playoffs than we did last year."

For that goal to be accomplished the change had to come now. Waiting 10 or 12 games into the season would have been too long. This team is capable of digging itself out of a hole, but the hole could only get so big before it would be impossible.

As for the search for a new coach, it begins immediately but don't expect Waddell to rush it.

"Timetable is less important than finding the right person to coach this group of players" he said.

When asked how hard it would be to interview candidates while he is on the road for seven straight games as the interim coach Waddell pointed out that it might make things easier. The trip includes stops in cities like Toronto, Chicago, Montreal and Ottawa that are big hockey cities. There are a limited number of candidates in the Atlanta area so hitting the road might not be such a bad thing.

If you want to see or hear the full press conference from this afternoon you can listen to the audio here or watch the video here.

When the off-season rolled around way too early for the Thrashers last spring plans began to take shape for the 2007-08. More speed was needed. A center of Ilya Kovalchuk was a top priority. So were replacements for soon-to-be free agents on the blueline.

As management headed into the free agency period they could do one of two things- see the summer as an arms race where they felt pressured to match the signings of their rivals or look at off-season as a chance to stick to a blueprint and improve the team incrementally, just as they've done each and every summer since the 2001-02 season when the Thrashers finished with 54 points.

It wasn't a tough decision, but it is one that has led to columnists and pundits around the league to assume that the Thrashers did nothing and are therefore no better than they were last season. Many experts (I'm looking at you John Buccigross) even think the Thrashers are headed in the wrong direction and that they'll drop in the standings compared to last year. Few are picking them to repeat as Southeast Division Champions.

Those of us that follow the team closely know better. I will put myself on record as saying that the roster taking to the ice tonight at Philips Arena is the most talented squad the Thrashers have ever sent out to start a season. Do you remember last fall when the Thrashers stormed out of the gates, going 12-3-3 and picking up 27 of a possible 36 points as they lost just three of their first 18 games in regulation time? That was a franchise-best start, and there's every reason to believe that this roster is better than that one. They might not start as strong since they have to play 10 of the first 14 games on the road, but line for line this is a quicker and more well-rounded squad that would beat last year's version in a best-of-seven series every time.

Don't believe me? Let's take a look.

Here the opening night rosters for the two season:

As you can see, seven of 13 forwards are back (not counting Steve Rucchin who hasn't skated with the team since February) and three of seven defensemen. Each departing player takes with them their own unique set of skills and faults just as each incoming player brings something different. Rather than compare player to player it makes more sense to compare the lines since no player can play successfully in a vacuum.

Forwards

Last year:
Slava Kozlov- Niko Kapanen/Glen Metropolit/Jim Slater - Marian Hossa

Kozlov and Hossa didn't seem to mind the revolving centers but it got to the point where they more or less played with each other and ignored their pivot. Nobody clicked with them until February when Eric Belanger arrived and he wasn't able to get anything going with the two talented wingers in the playoffs. Any line with two scoring wingers can be successfully, but it takes a triple-threat line to really give the opposition fits. Hossa and Kozlov (or Hosslov if you prefer) were constantly keyed in on by the opposition's top defensive players because they rarely had a center that would make them pay.

This year:
Slava-Kozlov- Bobby Holik- Marian Hossa

Bobby Holik isn't an offensive powerhouse but he knows what to do in the corners and in front of the net. He's big, he's strong, he takes up a lot of space and if you leave him alone he'll make you pay. Teams can't cheat by doubling up on Hossa and Kozlov if Holik is on the ice with them. He's also a better faceoff man than anyone that centered this line last season. This line has to be better than it's equivalent at the beginning of last season simply because Holik is a factor, unlike his counterparts last fall. His numbers will improve by virtue of playing with offensively gifted players.

Last year:
Ilya Kovalchuk- Steve Rucchin- Jon Sim/Scott Mellanby/Glen Metropolit

The audition to be Ilya's winger went about as well as the one to be Kozlov and Hossa's center. Scott Mellanby ended up getting more time on the line than he wanted simply because Sim and Metropolit weren't consistent. Both were streaky and though both were tenacious forecheckers they weren't good at creating their own scoring chances. Steve Rucchin was solid defensively but struggled to help Kovalchuk on offense. Rucchin had seven assists before last Christmas. One of them was on a Kovalchuk goal. With the bulk of Kovalchuk's offense coming on the power play teams were able to send out their best defensive combinations against the Hossa-Kozlov line. Rucchin wasn't a threat and though Sim and Metropolit started strong they both faded offensively as the season wore on.

This year:
Ilya Kovalchuk-  Todd White- Brett Sterling

Speed. That's the biggest difference this year. Todd White and Brett Sterling are both powerful skaters and neither one of them ever stops moving. As a rookie Sterling is a bit of a wild card but you don't score 55 goals as an AHL rookie with just luck and talented linemates. You have to know where to be and when to be there and you have to have a knack for jumping on loose pucks. Sterling lives around the net and should be in prime position to bang in rebounds when Kovalchuk doesn't find the back of the net. His preseason play showed that he's just as tenacious as Sim and Metropolit but he's a more natural goal-scorer. 20 or more goals as a rookie isn't out of the question if he can hold down a spot on this line and earn some power-play time. White is just as good as Rucchin defensively but he has the speed to keep up with Kovalchuk at the other end and he knows his job is to get Ilya the puck and then be ready to hustle back on defense. The pair is already showing signs of clicking, and with Kovy that counts for a lot. He's not easy to play with because he loves to freelance, but he's happy to share the puck when he has linemates he trusts. That trust is already building between Kovalchuk, White and Sterling, who has already been told by the Russian sniper to shoot any chance he gets. There's no reason to think this line won't outscore last season's version and Ilya won't be held to 76 points again. Todd White might not be seen as an offensively minded center by a lot of people but keep in mind that he was Daniel Alfredsson's regular center for two seasons in Ottawa, so he knows how to play with talented wingers. Not only will this be a more dangerous line offensively, but if it can stick together long enough to develop some chemistry it should be solid enough defensively to help Kovalchuk become a plus player for the first time in his career.

Last year:
Brad Larsen- Bobby Holik- JP Vigier

The meat and potatoes line. You didn't get anything fancy when they took the ice but they got the job done night after night as they went up against some of the best offensive players in the league. They didn't score though. The trio combined for just 17 goals and 38 points by the end of December. Scoring wasn't their job, but it would have helped keep the other teams if they had been more of an offensive threat like they were when Pascal Dupuis replaced Vigier on the line late in the season.

This year:
Eric Perrin/Brad Larsen- Bryan Little- Pascal Dupuis

JP Vigier was always one of my favorite Thrashers but he wasn't blessed with speed and that was never more evident than after he came back from knee surgery last season. The third line could outwork anyone and draw penalties with the best of them, but they lacked speed as a unit. Say good-bye to that problem. Dupuis and Perrin have speed to burn and Little can still outskate anyone that was on last year's third line. Larsen was out for most of training camp with a wonky back so it's hard to know where he'll fit in this lineup. If he plays on this line he brings some size and grit. If not the line is faster and much more dangerous offensively. Eric Perrin's 36 points from last season trump's Holik's 29 and tops the combined output of Larsen and Vigier in 2006-07. Dupuis showed the ability to score off the rush and use his speed to pounce on mistakes and Bryan Little is a gifted center who will probably earn some power-play time before long. This could be the most offensively skilled third line the Thrashers have ever had and anyone that overlooks them will pay for it. It wouldn't be a stretch to see any or all of these players (with the exception of Larsen) hit 20 points and that would have them ahead of the Holik form last season. It wouldn't shock me if Perrin, Little and Dupuis each averaged around 30 points each by the end of the season which would make them one of the higher scoring third lines in the conference. There's no doubt that this is a more dangerous line than last year and it should be just as sound defensively, albeit less physically imposing.

Last year:
Jim Slater- Nikko Kapanen/Glen Metropolit- Eric Boulton/Jon Sim

Last year's fourth line was cobbled together out of players that weren't clicking on the other lines and it didn't have an identity until late in the season when Metropolit was traded and Kapanen was waived. The best forms of the line (Slater, Metropolit and Boulton or Sim) worked as an effective energy unit that could crash the net and wear out the opponent through forechecking and hard work. They didn't see a lot of ice time though and they weren't out in many key situations.

This year:
Chris Thorburn- Jim Slater/Eric Perrin- Eric Boulton/Brad Larsen

If Eric Perrin holds down one of the spots on the third line then Chris Thorburn, Eric Boulton and Brad Larsen will probably take turns being a scratch. They all play a physical style that leads to aches and pains (for them and the other team) and they could all benefit from an occasional night off. Assuming that's the case you can expect this combination to be just as effective as last year's fourth line except this time around they have the added size and enthusiasm of Chris Thorburn. The kid loves to hit and he plays with an almost reckless abandon. He hasn't gotten much press over the summer but Thorburn cold quietly be a key addition. He's not going to be a game-breaker but he throws punishing hits and keeps everyone on their toes. He also has the disposition to be a solid checking line player- he's not going to complain about not being used properly- he'll just go about his job and do what's asked of him. You'll always know what you're getting with this line, and that's a good combination of hard work and plenty of enthusiasm.

Defense

There's been a higher rate of turnover on the blueline than at the forward positions this summer and with that turnover comes questions. The pairings aren't set in stone yet and there will likely be some experimenting with combinations as the coaching staff gets a better feel for the strengths and weaknesses of the newcomers. Let's take a look at what should be the opening night pairings.

Last year:
Niclas Havelid-Andy Sutton

They started the season as the top pair and stuck together until Sutton's foot injury in late November. They were the best shot-blocking tandem in the league. They had stretches where they were outstanding and other stretches where they gave up way too many scoring chances. Early in the year they made crisp outlet passes but as the season wore on they wore down.

This year:
Niclas Havelid- Alexei Zhitnik

This combination played together for the last month of the season and in the playoffs. Zhitnik has stronger puck skills than Sutton and is more disciplined, although just as physical when needed. Havelid benefits from not having to be the go-to-guy all the time when it comes to puck-carrying. This should be a reliable pairing that can move the puck and occasionally jump into the play. Havelid and Zhitnik should be a reliable pair, especially if the other pairings can play well enough to help reduce their ice-time and keep them fresh.

Last year:
Greg de Vries- Vitaly Vishnevski

It seems like it was a few seasons ago but de Vries and Vishnevski were a regular pairing for the first part of last season. de Vries was the puck carrier while Vishnevski supplied the muscle and big hits. Unfortunately some of those hits were ill-timed and Vishnevski spent a few nights in Hartley's spacious dog house.  

This year:
Garnet Exelby- Ken Klee

Neither player will take risks with the pucks and neither one is going to be caught wandering in the offensive zone instead of taking care of business in their own end. The pair could easily be split up if the coaching staff want to put each of them with a younger defenseman or with a more offensively minded player, but if they stick together they'll be a no-nonsense physical unit that wears down opponents. Klee is a perfect mentor for Exelby and he'll help him mature as a defensman as he makes the transition from being a third-pairing player to a second-pairing defender.

Last Year:
Garnet Exelby/Steve McCarthy/Shane Hnidy/Braydon Coburn

It started of as Exelby and McCarthy. Then McCarthy's shoulder got hurt so Hnidy cracked the lineup. A week after that Ex came down with mono and missed five weeks, prompting the recall of Braydon Coburn who saw some time for two weeks before McCarthy came back. The Thrashers played eight different defensemen before the first of December and as a result the third pairing struggled to come together. McCarthy started strong but wasn't as assertive offensively after returning from his shoulder injury in late November. Hnidy performed well for stretches, showing more skill than was expected from someone who had built their reputation on physical play.

This year:
Any combination of Tobias Enstrom, Steve McCarthy and Mark Popovic

As a rookie Enstrom is a bit of an unknown but he showed flashes of brilliance in the preseason. He'll get power-play time and he could earn his way up to the second pairing. He's small but fearless and he might be the best puck handling defenseman on the team. If not he's right behind Alexei Zhitnik. McCarthy struggled with injuries and confidence last season before being bumped from the lineup when the Thrashers acquired Zhitnik. He's determined not to let that happen again and will do whatever it takes to avoid being the odd-man out. Mark Popovic is another rookie defender who has done well in brief call-up stints. He might be the most well-rounded of all of the Thrashers defensemen- he skates well, has decent size, is comfortable carrying, passing and shooting the puck and he's not afraid to get physical. Any combination of these three players is going to be more capable of moving the puck last season's third pair and all three can make clean outlet passes to forwards- something that Exelby, Hnidy and Coburn struggled with last year. Don't be surprised if Exelby and Klee are split up and put with two of these defenders to give the Thrashers three balanced defensive units.