Posted by: Robbie on July 1, 2007 7:35PM EST Lots of smaller guys. This is the new NHL. Can I play now?

Posted by: bluelander on July 1, 2007 8:45PM EST Jon Sim is now with the Islanders... I really wish DW would have signed him again. And I'ld also like to have Hnidy back.

Posted by: tiff on July 1, 2007 8:58PM EST less scrappy?? are you kidding? he's scrappier, and yappier, and all around a tough guy. he didn't have a need to use his scrappiness so much in tampa, but if you go back into the records, when he was with the hershey bears, not only was he their MVP and best player, but he was also the first one to step up and take care of business. he may be small, but he's tough. he'll bring a lot to the team. this is a great signing.

Posted by: Hugh on July 1, 2007 9:15PM EST Eric Perrin should fit in very well with Atlanta. He's speedy, can play all forward positions. His versatility should be an asset. Go Thrashers.

Posted by: Max on July 2, 2007 9:05AM EST GREAT NEWS!!!! Perrin will fit very well the Thrashers. He will be one of the team's best defensive forwards. I won't be surprise to see him at the end of the season with 30 goals. Good move Don and the thrashers! Max

Posted by: Alan on July 2, 2007 12:02PM EST I hate to see Sim go, but Perrin should fit in well. Glad to see the other signings so far this summer! Go Thrashers!

Posted by: Anonymous on July 2, 2007 6:28PM EST its about time we fire waddell..yes perinn is good but we need a playmake like nylander or any good center. and also going back to' lst season...we didnt need to give up all that we did we still would of made the playoffs...bradon coburn was very good we traded him to get what zhitnik for maybe 8 more years he has left.....i really thought wadell would snag atleast one big name on the market i am not' asking for a drury or brier but come on wadell

Posted by: Anonymous on July 2, 2007 6:46PM EST We have 15 guys that can play on the third or forth line. We may even have 5th liners.

Posted by: TR on July 2, 2007 6:55PM EST This is a 32 year old player who has had one season of sservicable NHL experience. Are you kidding me, don't expect miricales at Blue Land next year.

Posted by: Harry Pohl on July 2, 2007 7:08PM EST I did not think it was possible, but the team just got SLOWER by replacing Greg DeVries with Ken Klee. One step up and two steps back.

Posted by: Mickey on July 2, 2007 11:42PM EST Wow. Ken Klee. How hordenous. Lets all give Waddell a standing ovation for this useless pick-up. Way to sink the ship Don.

Posted by: Anonymous on July 3, 2007 12:10AM EST fire wadell please....can we make some type of petition...you have screwed up last season and this upcoming season unless you sign zubrus or souray save your job wadell

Posted by: Jordan on July 3, 2007 2:13AM EST are you kidding me Wadell!!!!!! Klee is the best you can do. You cant give us one semi good player this year. I would have saved my money and not sighned these three guys and got Zubrus at least. You still have time to get him, and we need someone of his talent to save us from all these horrible pick ups.

Posted by: herb on July 3, 2007 9:42AM EST This is a typical Wadell move, just dumb as $hit.

Posted by: Babcha on July 3, 2007 9:54AM EST Perrin is a great move for Atlanta. Not a headliner, but what a playmaker. Wait til you see him play on a regular basis. He will be missed in Tampa.

Posted by: Mickey on July 3, 2007 10:36AM EST As far as the signings go so far, I rank Waddell a 5 out of 10. He re-signed Dupuis, good move. He got White, another good move, I was encouraged. He then got Perrin, a solid move, but could do without him, but I'll wait to see him play first. Then he gets Klee. That hit rock bottom. You already have Zhitnik and Havelid, why would you need 3 veteren defencemen? So you can hold back the youngens again??? And a multi-year deal too, yikes. If he wants to get back into it, sign Slava, fast. Aswell as a 2nd line forward, maybe. But get Slava. Losts of time left Waddell, get moving please.

Posted by: keep the faith on July 3, 2007 11:00AM EST The first three signings, I have no problem with (White, Perrin, & Dupuis) but the Klee signing is terrible. Atlanta was one of the oldest teams in the league last season and signing a 35 year old defenseman to a two year deal does not help the teams age factor especially considering there numerous young defensemen who are probably capable of playing in the NHL this year. Is it too much to ask to sign a center for Kovy? We have the best goal scorer in the league yet it looks like it will be two straight years he will have to play without a decent center. How long do you think Kovy is going to put up with that? As of right now, the team has two top 6 forwards, Kovy and Hossa. Is that number going to go up? Who else is going to play on the teams top 2 forward lines?

Posted by: Joe on July 3, 2007 6:09PM EST Come on Waddell...I hate to state the obvious again but the klee signing was real bad. The #1 priority now to get urself out of this mess is to sign Slava. He and Hossa lit it up last year, especially at the start. The first 3 signings are good, but if you keep signing depth players, players like sterling, popovic and ostyrick wont get to develop, also bring in haydar...he tore it up in the AHL.

Posted by: Jay War on July 3, 2007 6:44PM EST I'm Glad De Vries is gone, maybe he will work out better in Nashville. My confusion is why don't we bring in the younger guys to the NHL and save our money for the positions we need(such as re-sign Kozlov), not to mention it could save our draft picks instead of making deals with mediocre players. However I do believe Andy SUtton is a valuable player just not at the free agent price he's asking (He's blocked more shots than all but 2 of our goalies from the 2005-2006 season, so many people hate Sutton, but really can't produce a valid reason why, he plays smart defense instead of Hanson Brothers Defense.) I do agree Waddell is screwing the pooch on this. I'll miss Michael Garnett too, great goalie with a lot of potential. Bring in HAYDAR, STERLING, and give VALABIK a chance, can't hurt any worse than a Don Waddell being in charge of signing- now Valabik- he's Hanson Brother Defense. J

Posted by: Mickey on July 3, 2007 8:36PM EST I'm wondering where Waddell's thinking is. First he chooses not to re-sign Belanger, who was by far the best trade last season, and worked his butt off. He is losing Slava as everyday moves on. I wouldn't be surprised if we don't have Hossa after next season either. After that rediculous trade which wasted out draft picks and sent Metro to St.Louis for Keith Tkachuk, Waddell said "the future is now". Ya don't say. Almost all the young players who've spent the past 2-3 seasons in the minors, are PROVING themselves to play at the NHL level, and showing they are ready to play NOW. Why sign slow, back-broken defencemen, and hundreds of depth forwards, when you have depth already in the system?!?! You spent years on those draft choices, they are panning out, now use them. If I were the youth in the system, I'd be thinking of what more can I do? Watch Philly for example Waddell, after being the worst team last season, they will prove themselves this year. Breakout the notebooks Don, you've got a lot to learn.

Posted by: Anonymous on July 3, 2007 8:50PM EST are you kidding he didnt sign belanger?? wow waddell you better have something HUGE up your sleeve to make up for the crap yo uve done in free agency

Posted by: storstark on July 6, 2007 3:16PM EST I have been supportive of DW for the most part, but his insistence on maintaining an old NHL defense is really going to put the Thrash in the toilet. It doesn't matter how many goals we score with the speed of our D. Ben says that Klee is better than we're giving him credit for, but essentially our purportedly top three D-men, Havelid, Zhit, and Klee, ALL suffer from the same criticism, that they are too slow to stop a speedy front line. It's not that Klee is by himself terrible, it's that putting him in the middle of our defense doesn't mitigate ANY of it's glaring problems and doesn't particularly contribute anything new other than a warm body that more often than not knows where to be on the ice. I can't say that's a ringing endorsement. Waddell positively INSISTS on defensive mediocrity.

Posted by: Lightning Fan on July 7, 2007 1:22PM EST Ah man im scared knowing that Eric Perrin is now playing for you Thrashers. He will most certainly be missed in Tampa. You guys have a great player whos got the skill to do anything. Im a Lightning fan and just found out the news that Martys best friend is now playing against him in the SAME DIVISION!! Well this will deffinately make for some great competition. Good luck guys!

Posted by: Anonymous on July 8, 2007 7:26PM EST Personally I'm very happy to see Sim go. His skating and passing simply were not good enough. He focused far too much on the yap scrap and no where near enough to good fundamental GAME WINNING play. Perrin was a good signing. Allowing Hnidy to get away was a mistake. I really think we need Stefan back. His year in the west would make him a wiser and better player.

Posted by: Perry on October 8, 2007 12:55PM EST My heart was broken this summer when I learned that Perrin was moving to the Thrashers. I had just started watching hockey with my recent move to Tampa and Perrin was my favourite player. He is a very solid player and an agile skater who was never noticed for his full potential which really started showing at the end of the last season because of the other big names on the ice with him. I guess I will be watching more Thrasher games this season to see how well he is doing. Of course what I am really hoping is that we see him again with the Lightning!

Posted by: Cristina Anjos on October 26, 2007 3:11PM EST Yes Sir!