"Oh Jesus!" What Was That? Oh, Just a Scandinavian Scat Cat!!

Sincerest apologies for the temporary hiatus from blogging, but I'm back to post a primer for my visit to Doo-luth, where I'll finally get a taste of hockey action at Thrashers' Rookie Camp -- the final prelude to the real "big boy" Training Camp slated to start on Saturday, September 18th. I'd like to say I was re-charging the batteries, but that'd be a lie. I was simply being lazy and spending too much time debating the good folks over at Billy T's "Iceman" Blog at AJC.com.

The new season is really starting to rev-up as the activity in Duluth moves from "easing-in-casually" (in the form of informal pre-camp workouts) to "ludicrous speed" in the span of a week. Thusly, we better gird our loins thoughtfully and wisely before the rocket launches for real on Friday night, October 8th. The pre-season "foretaste of the feast to come" is upon us and the boys, literally in this case, of winter are sharpening their skates and stoking their inner-fires for a chance to graduate to Big Boy Camp. I don't know about you, but I couldn't be more excited.

Already the action has been fast-paced and frenzied as reports from Duluth's all-rookie affair are trickling in from the interwebs and twitterverse. A group of about 24 young prospects, some seasoned more than others, are squaring off in a blue vs. white scrimmage of wills. So far it appears as though the more-seasoned players are making the biggest impressions, as they should. Most notably the mature Russian D-man, Andrey Zubarev, and Swedish Elite League sensation, Freddy "the Fly" Pettersson, are making their presence felt. And in the case of the Scandinavian "scat-cat" (stick tap to my lovely girlfriend K-belle of "blogtastico!" fame) Freddy Pettersson, the impression being made is an indelible, if not somewhat painful one. Just check out this sampling of tweets, blog comments and message board musings:

@Falconer18 of BirdWatcher's Anonymous fame tweets:
"Game One: @BWA_timmyf has some notes on the first rookie scrimmage. (Hint: he loved Pettersson)"

@BenThrashers of the esteemed Blueland Blog teases:
"Today's rookie camp scrimmage recap: http://bit.ly/bzalOQ Fredrik Pettersson stole the show."

BWA blogger, "timmyf", went on to write in his game recap:

"He didn't score a goal, but that's about the only thing you can hold against prospect Fredrik Pettersson. I got a chance to see him for the first time today and came away thoroughly impressed. He was all over the ice skating circles around the rest of the prospects. He also had several good hits. I was watching from the Breakaway Grill within earshot of Rick Dudley and Craig Ramsay. Dudley was frequently making comments about Pettersson, but more telling were his exclamations: "Oh Jesus!" at one point after Pettersson landed a big hit. "Look at this kid!"

Thrashers' fan "Tween_the_Pipes" gave us this perspective:

"In my opinion, the stand out in this scrimmage was Fredrik Pettersson. By all of his actions it appeared that he wants to make this team beyond all the other players. Zubarev played solid defense. Cormier looked uninspired. I didn't even notice Burmistrov. But Pettersson was a wild man. When I think Swede player I think speed & skill. But this guy has much more. The young man was all over the ice hitting, forechecking. In this one game he looked like the most complete package to me. He took one needless Boarding penalty. But I just chalked it up to his aggressive play. For 5'10" & 183 lbs. Pettersson stood above the 6'3" guys with his desire. Can you tell that Iwas impressed?"

I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. Freddy "the Fly" came to Duluth inspired. In fact, he seems to be on a mission to prove that Dudley was spot-on in his World Championships Tournament assessment that F.P. was more than deserving of an opportunity to crack an NHL roster. Let's just hope he doesn't crack any skulls with his hard-hitting along the way at rookie camp! But by all accounts I've seen, Freddy is beyond fierce and he is poised to make a serious push deep into Training Camp and perhaps even into the Opening Night line-up.

When we signed Pettersson last June, I wrote a somewhat prophetic blog about Freddy's prospects as a prospect and my corresponding excitement over finding a potential diamond in Swedish rough. Pettersson has worked hard to get here, and his success in the Swedish Elite League may very well be a harbinger of good things to come. I have seen some footage of his play as a member of the Frolunda Indians on the you-tube device and I came away very impressed. In fact, his one-timer is eerily reminiscent of another right-handed shot belonging to a very wealthy Russian living in Hoboken, NJ. But Freddy brings a grit and aggressive style to the ice that some might even consider a bit reckless for his frame.

Pettersson potted 20 goals in 55 games last season for the Indians in the relatively low-scoring SEL. But even more impressive is the fact that he has managed to step up his offensive output in the playoffs scoring .42 goals per game -- 10 goals in 24 games -- as opposed to his rate of .21 during his 3 regular seasons. And if you haven't listened to his interview on Thrashers TV or read his Q&A with Ben Wright at the Blueland Blog, then you are really missing out on a charismatic and charming individual who is not afraid to mix things up in the kitchen as well as on the ice!

Consider yourself forewarned of this blogger's crush on one Fredrik Pettersson, the 21st century Renaissance man. Here are some youtube videos that may help you form your very own Cam Neely-sized man-crush:

Pettersson's hat-trick in outdoor game (two after the 1:40 mark):

Pettersson practicing his one-timer...look familiar??

Another game video (go to :34 sec mark for Hyper-Fly):

Can Freddy Modin be THAT Guy?

You know, the guy Duds was talking about. That guy our general manager, Rick Dudley, told us he was thinking about signing when pressed about the issue of replacing all the goals scored by once-upon-a-time Russians. You know, that guy. That guy who is capable of scoring somewhere in the realm of 15-25 goals all the while providing veteran leadership on the ice, along the bench and in the clubhouse room? Yeah, THAAAT guy.

Thrashers fans everywhere are debating -- and in some cases chastising -- the Labor Day move by Dudley to bring in the venerable Swede to bolster the team's offensive corps, which still appears to be a bit short on scoring. The burning question right now is: "can the big guy still bring it?" After 3 fitful -- and for Fredrik Modin, extremely frustrating -- seasons of intermittent injuries and rehab therapy, can "Freddy Mo" still produce?

Looking back on Modin's career, there was a time when the 6' 4", 220 lbs of strong-skating Swede was on the verge of becoming a pre-eminent power forward in the NHL. During the most productive stretch of his career -- a 7-year period between 1999 and 2007 -- Modin scored 167 goals or an average of nearly 24 per season. During that span he appeared in 445 games, playing in at least 76 games every season save for one (2001-'02), which coincidentally was his lowest year of output (.38 PPG) since his rookie season in 1996-'97.

While Modin has experienced some highs and lows -- a high of 31 goals in 2005-'06 and a low of 14 goals in 2001-'02 -- he has been fairly consistent in his rate of production for those 7 years. Other than the injury-marred season of 2001-'02, his points per game rate never dipped below .526 during that period. He even posted a PPG rate of .60 or better in 4 of those 7 years. And it is no coincidence that his four highest goal-scoring seasons were those same 4 years of .60 or better PPG production.

Unfortunately, age and injuries caught up with the left-winger and slowed his production to that of a 4th line grinder. In mid-October of 2007, shortly after his 33rd birthday, Modin suffered his first in a rash of injuries that ruined his year. First it was a groin pull and then a recurring series of back spasms sidelined him for 2.5 months and 35 missed games. When he came back from the bad back, he then experienced nagging hamstring and groin issues (as well as the flu!) that kept him out of another 10 games. All in all, he missed 59 games in that lost year.

In the subsequent season (2008-'09), Modin had a difficult time finding any semblance of consistency. Despite a relatively healthy start, Modin could only manage to produce 2 goals and 7 assists (with a -9) in his first 17 games played. He briefly caught fire in early December scoring 5 goals in 7 games played. But he quickly cooled, suffering this time back-to-back goal-less streaks of 8 and 13 games during a long winter of futility. After that, the injury bug bit him again as a knee-injury cost him 25 more games between 2/16/09 and the end of the season.

Needless to say, the 2009-'10 season was one to forget even though he managed to play in 44 contests split between Columbus and playoff-bound Los Angeles. He saw his ice-time reduced significantly though as he logged mostly 3rd line minutes for both teams. After averaging close to 17 minutes per game in the previous two seasons, he only played about 14:45 minutes per game last year. Thusly, Modin never hit stride and potted only 5 goals total for the season. However, he flashed a glimpse of his former self during the playoffs when he banged home 3 goals in six contests against Vancouver.

Apparently that was enough evidence to convince Rick Dudley that Mr. Modin had something left in the proverbial gas tank. But is that tank even half full? If so, Freddy might be able to post 10-15 goals playing moderate -- heavy on occasion -- 3rd line minutes as well as 2nd unit power play duty. For his career, 46 of his 225 goals are on the PP (20.4%), including 6 in the last 3 injury-plagued campaigns. Prior to that, 23 of his 82 (28.0%) goals came with the man advantage. Make no mistake, Modin is a closer. He seals the deal on the PP using his unique blend of size, skill and deft touch. If healthy, Modin can most certainly provide a lift to a Thrashers PP that struggled mightily after the departure of Ilya Kovalchuk.

A LOOK AT MODIN, BY THE NUMBERS:

Cup Year: 57 pts in 82 gms (29 goals - 5 PP) / .695 PPG / 14.1 shooting %

'05-2006: 54 pts in 77 gms (31 goals - 12 PP) / .701 PPG / 14.0 shooting %

'06-2007: 42 pts in 79 gms (22 goals - 6 PP) / .562 PPG / 10.0 shooting %

'07-2008: 12 pts in 23 games (6 goals - 2 PP) / .523 PPG / 14.6 shooting %

'08-2009: 25 pts in 50 games (9 goals - 2 PP) / .500 PPG / 8.0 shooting %

'09-2010: 11 pts in 44 games (5 goals - 2 PP) / .250 PPG / 7.5 shooting %

HOW HE DO IT? MODIN'S METHOD - LAST 40 GOALS:

Medium / long-range slapper from top of circle or just inside - 2 of 40 (5%)

Open ice breakaway or hard drive to net in transition - 4 of 40 (10%)

Rebound put-back or loose change deposit at goalmouth - 12 of 40 (30%)

Re-directed shot on PP or tap-in / re-directed pass - 8 of 40 (20%)

Wrister or 1-timer in slot, at bottom or below the circle - 11 of 40 (27.5%)

Wrister or 1-timer at face-off dot or above / at top of circle - 3 of 40 (7.5%)

The sample size of my "study" is large enough to begin to understand how Modin operates. 50-60% of his goals come from in tight, at the crease or in the slot off a quick feed. He still has very good hands and cannot be knocked off a loose puck easily. Give him the puck in the right place at the bottom of the circle or in the slot and he'll score it. He has a cannon of a shot, but his snap-shot is even more lethal than his slapper. And finally, his long reach helps him get to loose pucks that D-men cannot handle easily.

Assuming his legs and groin are healed, Modin may very well be capable of cracking the 15-20 goal plateau playing in a system -- one with which he should be familiar from his time with Coach Ramsay in Tampa -- that should be a bit more offense-friendly than the one he didn't much enjoy in Columbus. I can certainly understand the bewilderment and puzzled disbelief this UFA signing has caused, but should the soon-to-be 36 year-old manage to stay healthy, I don't see why Freddy Modin can't resurrect his career, which deserves a better ending by the way, here in the city of Atlanta -- a city that once raised itself up from fiery, smoky ruins. Hopefully for the citizens of Blueland, Freddy Modin doesn't go down in flames.

Modin lämnar Kings för Atlanta Trashers

Okay, if you know what this means, then feel free to click on this link and peruse the Aftonbladet for all of the scuttlebutt. But for those of you who only speak English, it looks as though the T-birds have added another Swede to the roster before training camp. And before you get too excited, Modin is 35 years of age and hardly an upgrade to our current line-up.

However, his experience and crafty skill-set may be able to help the team in spot minutes as the 13th forward. But unless he has spent the last two months "soaking" in a fancy hyperbaric chamber to rescusitate his banged-up body, his contract to play in Atlanta is probably nothing more than insurance in case some of our young "chitlins" don't pan out at camp. Get it? Just a little bit of cooking humor to slake your appetite for delectable Thrashers' news nuggets. THIS, I DO FOR YOU.

In the meantime, I'll go back to pining for more Matthew Modine in Hollywood produced films. Oh tell me where have the greats gone?

And this just lifted off the buffet of tweets du jour...enjoy this yummy morsel of James Mirtle reportage:

@mirtle: "There are reports overseas that Fredrik Modin is close to or has a deal with Atlanta."

Well then, it MUST be true!

Lastly, hat tip to aaronb of Bird Watchers (not-so)Anonymous for breaking the news on their blog here in the States.