And So It Begins....

The annual rite of passage in the NHL known as "Free-Agency Frenzy" has unofficially arrived with yet another salary dump (nous allons a la "Duump") by the Chicago Blackhawks. The oft-mentioned rumor of Kris Versteeg's possible departure became a reality earlier this evening as he was sent packing for the hockey-crazed town of Toronto in exchange for forward Viktor Stalberg, who is still working off his Entry-Level Contract. Also part of the deal are Toronto prospects Chris DiDomenico and Phillipe Paradis, both forwards, who will head west to the Windy City in exchange for Hawks forward prospect, Billy "Gonna Make You" Sweatt, who recently finished his hockey matriculation at Colorado College.

More activity is sure to come, although not necessarily until noon tomorrow when Canadians, and even scores of dedicated American hockey fans everywhere become transfixed to their television sets, computer monitors and twitter machines as they wade languorously in the swirling free-agent pool of dreams and heart-break. There will be many surprises, several gross over-payments by over-eager GM's and probably a few tantalizing trades of player personnel who are no longer welcome as a result of the free-agent free-for-all.

Will the stoic and pensive Rick Dudley have something special up his sleeve with which to shock the near hundreds of faithful Thrashers' fans, who will track and even chart every transaction as it hits the wire tomorrow? Only time will tell, but you can bet your ass I'll be holed up in my cubicle as the crazy spectacle unfolds. I am certain of one thing: my co-workers' alarmed bewilderment in reaction to my sudden Tourette's-like shouts of Thanksgiving, or more likely, sighs of hopeless despair, which shall release forth from my desk as I die a slow, painful death with each and every free-agency signing until that one majestic and misguided soul records his name on a contract offer sheet from the Atlanta Thrashers. Praise Jesus in advance!

Interesting Tidbit RE: Akim Aliu (Aah-looo):

From John Jaeckel's HockeyBuzz.com blog in which he waxes eloquently about "Bubba" Byfuglien -- did you know his name in Norwegian means "bird of the city"? I knooooowwww! -- as well as prospects Aliu and Morin. About Aliu, he writes:

"The Thrash gains a lot of grit and physicality in this deal, not to mention a physical(ly) elite talent (if not a complete hockey player at this point) in Aliu. At the 2009 Prospects Camp, Aliu was clearly the best player on the ice, including Kyle Beach, Shawn Lalonde and other recent high draft picks."

Awww, isn't that right nice of him to bestow young Akim with such ebullient praise?? Perhaps Dudley snuck into their Prospect Camp last summer before he moved his belongings to ATL. Let's just hope for Dudley's sake, JJ's right. If you want to read the rest of the blog, click HERE.

Light Your Torches and Summon the Battering Ram-mers or something...WE NOW HAVE A COACH!!! HOORAY!!!

IT'S OFFICIAL!!: CRAIG RAMSAY NAMED 5TH COACH IN THRASHERS HISTORY (BUT STILL AWAITING TORCHETTI CONFIRMATION): Someone please notify SabreCraig because the Thrashers have hired Craig Ramsay to be the next Head Coach of the Thrashers. Coming over from Boston, where he was chief assistant for several years, the long-time Buffalo Sabres checking-line stalwart will be joining his old friend and former linemate in Buffalo, Rick Dudley. And to top it all off, GM Rick Dudley has reportedly persuaded his long-time protege, John Torchetti, to be Ramsay's Associate Head Coach.

Unfortunately, TSN changed its tune and now attributes the rumor about Torchetti joining the Thrashers coaching staff to a report in the AJC (patently untrue!). Their revised statement reads:

"The Atlanta Journal-Consitution had earlier reported Blackhawks assistant coach John Torchetti could also join the staff as an associate head coach, although no such announcement was made Thursday. Torchetti was rumored to be the other leading candidate for the job."

Uh, y'all were the ones who first broke the story last night around 11:30 pm EST. Fan-blogger, "Iceman" Billy Tiller went so far as to post a link to the story about Torch's seemingly imminent hiring as Associate HC. However, now TSN's crack "staff-writer" seems to be shying away from the original proclamation. Was it purely conjecture? Or did the ASG owners say "absolutely not!"? At any rate, this back-tracking statement probably does not bode well for Thrashers fans who like the idea of Torchetti joining the staff. Oh well, Don Lever of our AHL affiliate Chicago Wolves seems to be a nice man capable of doing the job. We'll see, we'll see...

Chicago Cap-Hawks? Need to Scalp Salary LATE UPDATE: Hawks Halfway Home After Swap w/ ATL

***LATEST UPDATE***: The blockbuster trade between the Chicago Blackhawks and your Atlanta Thrashers is in a holding pattern (no, not above Hartsfield-Jackson) as it awaits league office approval. But in order for the Thrashers to officially get their bounty of Dustin Byfuglien, Brent Sopel, Ben Eager and Akim Aliu (God bless me!), they will need to do something about the contract snafu that is holding it up. Apparently, the Thrashers, since free-agency has not begun, have more than the allowable 50 contracts on register at league HQ.

Chances are, Nigerian-born winger, Akim Aliu, will be held back until a later date so the Thrashers can relieve themselves of a contract. Todd White buy-out anyone? Hmmm, the tight-fisted ASG probably won't like that idea. We shall see. At any rate, before we dive in and analyze this trade closely, we will await for offical word that the deal has gone through. Till then, please note my Eklund-like prediction below right before the trade went down. Okay, so I didn't get it entirely!! Sidebar: Eklund actually broke the news first (DAYUM5)...wonders cease not!

***Original 6/23 Entry***

Unless you've been all-consumed by the maddeningly protracted effort of the US Americans to score one lousy goal (the US won in extra time to advance to the Round of 16) against an inferior Algerian squad in the World Cup this morning, your mind has probably wandered to the twitter machine a few times in hopes of finding some NHL trade news involving the Atlanta Thrashers. Many Thrash fans possess galvanized hopes that a dream-scenario trade with Chicago will unfold today, tomorrow or on Draft Day in L.A. With the Stanley Cup champion Hawks pressed firmly against the salary cap ceiling (even with the activation of the 5% inflator), Bluelanders everywhere would like to see GM Rick Dudley poach some prized talent away from his former employer.

How dire is the situation in Chicago? So dire that Hawks' GM, Stan Bowman, cannot tender Qualifying Offers (QO's) to his key RFA's (there are at least 6, perhaps 7 they'd like to keep) until they extricate themselves from salary cap prison. This link to nhlnumbers.com clearly indicates that the Blackhawks spent themselves right to the cap ceiling last season. In addition to base salaries, both Patrick Kane and Conn Smythe winner, Jonathan Toews, have likely earned every penny of their regular season bonus incentives. Beyond that, according to at least one source, the Hawks are also on the hook for a reported playoff performance bonus of $1.3M earned by Toews for his MVP post-season effort.

While it is tough to pin down the exact bonus figures and how far Chicago's non-compliance excess extends, there is sure to be a fairly stiff penalty for going over the cap ceiling. Making matters worse is the fact that such a penalty is to be assessed in the following season as a direct dollar for dollar reduction of the Hawks cap number in 2010-11. So despite the 5% (per TSN's Bob McKenzie, new Cap ceiling will be $59.4 M) increase in the cap ceiling, the Hawks will most likely be starting from Ground Zero, as in "oh shit, we have zero money left!!" In order to ice a full roster, the Hawks MUST clear several salaries off the books before June 28th, the deadline for tendering QO's to RFA's.

So as you can see, there will be a ton of interest expressed -- in fact, Bowman has said he has already been contacted multiple times by every NHL GM -- in several of the Hawks' playoff cogs, including center Patrick Sharp, forwards Dustin Byfuglien and Kris Versteeg and perhaps even D-man Brian Campbell. And there is no doubt the Thrashers could be a big player in the Chicago "Swap-Hawks" trade frenzy of 2010.

After crunching some numbers in a spreadsheet, I have come up with a pretty good rough estimate of what the Blackhawks adjusted salary cap ceiling will be next season. The bottom line number is quite startling compared to the expected league-wide ceiling of $59,440,000 or so. Per my calcs, the adjusted figure for the Hawks will be only $54,216,000, a difference of nearly $5.25 M!! Here's how I determined their cap penalty for next season:

-- under CBA, the max allowable cap ceiling was $61,060,000 (w/ bonus cushion)**

**bonus cushion is calculated as 7.5% of ceiling or $4,260,000

-- per nhlnumbers.com, Hawks' final salary was $60,724,000 (diff of $336 k)

-- expected bonus due to Toews for playoffs' MVP: $ 1,300,000

-- net effect of Toews' bonus applied as an overage: $ 964,000

-- Total Penalty in 2010-11: $4.26 M + $964 k = $ 5,224,000

Thus, if you subtract out the overage from the 2009-10 season, Chicago's cap ceiling is more than $5 M less than every other team in the league. This is not a good starting point for a team laden with restricted free-agents (RFA's), some of whom, like goalie Antti Niemi and D-man Niklas Hjalmarsson, are due big raises for a playoffs' job well done. Even if you only use a factor of 1.05 or 1.10 (RFA's are guaranteed QO's that are at least 5% or 10% higher than their previous year base salary depending on where their salary fell on the scale), the Hawks would need to shave off roughly $8.1 M in order to sign enough players to ice a full 20-man roster this fall.

Charged with the daunting task of deciding who should stay and who should go, GM Stan Bowman has made it publicly clear that Toews, Hjalmarsson, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Dave Bolland, Marian Hossa and even Sharp are not for sale. Suprisingly, Niemi didn't make this list. Perhaps he is in play as much as anyone since the Hawks will not be able to move Cristobal Huet's albatross-around-the-neck contract worth $5.625 M yearly. Thus, Bowman will be fielding a myriad of offers for various players...some good, some bad and some that are just right. In my estimation, Atlanta is a serious player as Dudley already covets one of their coaches, John Torchetti, for employ in the Peachy City.

Certainly it would seem logical that Dudley would make a play for someone like the imposing Byfuglien, who is not only a force in the crease as a forward, but can also play defense thanks to his superlative puck-moving skills. But what would it cost to acquire such a versatile player? According to Pierre LeBrun of ESPN in his 6/22 blog recap, "a first round pick and a prospect." Well, the Thrashers can certainly get the attention of Bowman since they have 2 first round picks as well as a bounty of near NHL-ready prospects like Patrice Cormier, Ivan Vishnevskiy and Paul Postma. Although Bowman would probably prefer a pick closer to the middle of the first round (see Florida with # 15 via BOS), the Thrash have more cap flexibility to take on salary as well as prospects to choose from.

Personally, I like the idea of offering up the 24th pick, Vishnevskiy (D) and perhaps an additional prospect such as Eric O'Dell (acquired from AHM) if Bowman was willing to throw in the rights to RFA and two-time Stanley Cup winner, Andrew Ladd. Ladd is a rugged 24 y/o 3rd-line winger who is capable of scoring between 15 - 20 goals. Ladd just turned 24 and would be a much more affordable option over UFA Colby Armstrong (RW), who most likely will go to market. I see Ladd as a perfect complement to center Jim Slater and either Patrice Cormier or the recently acquired Freddie Pettersson. 'Big Buf' would solidify the Thrashers 2nd line and provide a force with which to be reckoned on the power play, something ATL desperately needs.

Of course, the permutations and options abound!! What would you like to see Dudley do (right)?

Mock Draft Cont. (# 6 - #24) and Other Stuff:

UPDATES: Busy news day (well, afternoon) with the release of the 2010-11 NHL Schedule, Hall of Fame induction announcement (congrats to Dino Ciccarelli...long overdue!!), Player's Union voting to activate the 5% Salary Cap escalator clause and thus extending the CBA through 2012, and finally, the big blockbuster deal between Florida and Boston involving Nathan Horton and the 15th overall pick as the key pieces. Makes this whole mock drafting thing seem pretty darn silly now doesn't it? Well, we shall continue on with it just the same, but not spend too much time with picks 9 thru 24...why stop at 24 you ask?? Because the Thrashers pick again at # 24 and after that, I could not really care less!

Now that I have revealed my prediction for the Thrashers at # 8, I might as well switch to "speed-draft" mode (Ass Mode if you're a fan of Craig Ferguson!) and knock this puppy out! Afterall, it's tough to wax eloquently about players whom you've never seen play! And really, the most important question at this year's draft extravaganza is: will there be any cheese & spinach-stuffed cannolis, compliments of Maggiano's, at the Thrashers Draft Party on Friday night?!

#6) TBL - Brandon Gormley (D) Moncton Wildcats -- newly minted GM Steve Yzerman would probably love to make a splash in his first NHL Draft by picking a player possessing some pizzazz, whether it be the sensational Swiss known as El Nino or a dynamic Russian winger like Vladimir Tarasenko, each of whom would certainly send a thrilling jolt of electricity down the legs of under-performing center Vinny Lecavalier. However, Yzerman learned GM'ing whilst serving under a more conservative regime in Detroit. Simply said: Tampa needs defense. And a murky goaltending situation makes Gormley the smart choice here.

#7) CAR - Nino Niederreiter (W) Portland Winterhawks -- with the prospect of a dramatically reduced payroll (self-imposed as owner Peter Karmanos looks for new partnership) and a flood of young players expected to crack the line-up this season, CAR will look to replenish their organizational prospect depth by taking the best player available in Niederreiter. Plus, he already looks good in red. But all jokes aside, CAR will need to re-load the prospect pipeline with a talented forward since both Drayson Bowman and Zach Boychuk are expected to play significantly larger roles in Raleigh this season.

#8) ATL - Ryan Johansen (C) Portland Winterhawks -- since GM Rick Dudley seems to prefer players who are "miserable SOB's" (referring to Jeremy Morin's tenacious and relentless pursuit of goals), I am not sure the baby-faced Johansen fits the profile. And predicting what the soft-talking, stoic Dudley will do with this pick is like trying to pick the winner of the Kentucky Derby...there are just too many variables. But there is very little doubt that the Thrashers' prospect pool is lacking when it comes to play-making centers.

The other centers worthy of consideration with this pick, Jeff Skinner of Kitchener (and Morin's teammate) and Alexander Burmistrov of Barrie, have more than enough skill to warrant the 8th overall pick, but I think Johansen's 6' 3" frame and high-ceiling for maturity will be tough to pass up. Dudley loves kids who are hard to play against (see Patrice Cormier) and young Ryan, who was not afraid to assert himself in the rough and tumble WHL, may just prove to be a baby-faced assassin with a nasty edge.

ASS MODE ENGAGED:

#9) MIN - Mikael Granlund (LW) HIFK of SM-Liiga in Finland -- creative and crafty, Granlund fits the profile of a Wild forward: small and Finnish with a high hockey IQ!

#10) NYR - Aleander Burmistrov (C) Barrie Colts -- as GM of the Rangers, Glen Sather doesn't have the same worries as others when it comes to convincing Russian kids to stay in the NHL.

#11) DAL - Derek Forbort (D) U-18 US Natl Team -- after trading blueline prospect Ivan Vishnevskiy to ATL for Kari Lehtonen, look for GM Joe Nieuwendyk to jump all over Forbort with the 11th pick -- his blend of size and skating ability matches Dallas' needs to a, well...'D'...sorry!

#12) AHM - Jeff Skinner (C) Kitchener Rangers -- despite the hype surroundng a potential love affair with California-born Emerson Etem, GM Bob Murray will need a center as aging pivot Saku Koivu has only a couple good years left. Jeff Skinner goes to Disney Land! That is, if the Thrashers don't snatch him up first.

#13) PHX (via CGY) - Jack Campbell (G) U-18 US Natl Team -- it doesn't take a genius to see that the U-20 World Championship hero, Jack Campbell, would be the perfect heir apparent to Ilya Bryzgalov, regardless of where the franchise plays in two years.

#14) STL - Emerson Etem (W) Medicine Hat Tigers -- after perhaps flirting with the idea of selecting the Russian star forward, Vlad Tarasenko (from the KHL), GM Doug Armstrong then realizes all of his budget is going to pay newly acquired goalie Jaro Halak (see Alan Walsh). Speedy winger Etem might be the perfect choice to succeed the soon-to-retire Paul Kariya.

#15) FLA (via BOS) - Dylan McIlrath (D) Moose Jaw Warriors -- GM Dale Tallon will probably dance his way to the podium to select this fearsome hulk of a boy-human to defend not only the crease, but also prized puck-mover Dimitri Kulikov. Also, let it be noted that, in light of today's trade for Dennis Wideman, I fully expect Tallon to now draft a forward at # 3 to replace departed winger Nathan Horton -- either the gnat-like Niederreiter or wild-card Connolly whose blend of size and skill may make more sense.

#16) OTT - Jonathan Merrill (D) U-18 US Natl Team -- late rising stock makes Jon Merrill an intriguing proposition for GM Bryan Murray, who will surely go with a defenseman at this spot. Merrill's size, hockey IQ and instincts make him a very attractive option for the Sens.

#17) - COL - Austin Watson (LW) Peterborough Petes -- tenacious, high-energy winger Austin Watson is a seamless fit for the burgeoning COL squad. He is sure to compliment an offense that already features a potent trio of skill-forwards: Stastny, Duchene and Mueller.

#18) NSH - Tyler Toffoli (C) Ottawa 67's -- GM David Poile has a knack for recognizing talented and rugged players to play his signature "Smashville" style of hockey, but the need for play-making skill may make it impossible to pass up this under-rated center with soft hands.

#19) LAK - Quinton Howden (LW) Moose Jaw Warriors -- LA doesn't have many glaring needs and will certainly have the luxury of taking the best player available at their spot. That's why I think GM Dean Lombardi will opt for one of the speediest skaters in the draft pool, Moose Jaw's lanky, 2-way specialist Q. Howden.

#20) PIT - Vladimir Tarasenko (LW) Sibir of the KHL -- if Tarasenko is still on the board when the Pens are due to pick, GM Ray Shero may be salivating at the podium by the time he steps up to select this skilled Russian winger, who can play Jari Kurri to Sidney Crosby's Wayne Gretzky. Tarasenko has already proven he can play with grown men by potting 13 G in 42 games of KHL play and PIT has the cache (and the cold, hard money cash, eh?) to persuade the young man to play stateside.

#21) DET - Mark Pysyk (D) Edmonton Oil Kings -- I would not be surprised if there is a run on Russians (Kuznetsov, Kabanov etc.) at this juncture of the draft as teams like LAK, PIT and DET have the prestige and big-time budgets to tantalize talented Russian prospects away from the KHL. However, GM Ken Holland knows that a D-man as fast and smart as this should not fall this far in the draft. Pysyk becomes the heir apparent to Brian Rafalski in DET.

#22) PHX - Nick Bjugstad (C) Blaine H.S. (MN) -- after getting to select a player at # 15 thanks to the Olli Jokinen trade with Calgary, PHX GM Don Maloney gets to play with house money at their well-earned draft spot. At 6'5", Bjugstad is a freak of nature who has the hands of a 5'10" center. His long reach, hockey sense and ability make him worth the risk for the 'Yotes.

#23) BUF - Beau Bennett (RW) Penticton Vees of the BCJHL -- since GM Darcy Regier rarely makes much noise when it comes to trades and free-agent signings, perhaps he'd like to flex his risk-reward muscle (what? don't you have one?) for a change by selecting the high-scoring -- to the tune of 2 points per game -- winger from the weaker junior 'B' league in British Columbia.

#24) ATL - Stanislav Galiev (RW) St. John Sea Dogs -- at this point in the draft, anything can happen and many rumors are swirling that GM Pimp Daddy Dudley will look to parlay this pick (via New Jersey in the Kovalchuk pre-deadline deal) into an established veteran who can bolster the ATL offense now, not later. However, should the Thrashers hold onto this pick, do not be surprised if they take a flyer on this dynamic Russian winger, who has toiled for two years playing stateside, first in the USHL and last season in the QMJHL.

According to scouting reports, Galiev possesses a great deal of creativity in dishing the puck and sees the ice very well. While his goal-scoring production in St. John did not match up with the chances he created, his puck-handling and passing skills may be too good to pass up. From what I've read, he sounds like a young Max Afinogenov without the blazing speed and ankle-breaking moves. The Thrashers need to stock the shelves with skilled, play-making forwards so a player like Galiev, with bountiful up-side potential, may be worth the risk at # 24.

Making a Mockery of the Mock Draft

6/21 UPDATE ON MY PERSONAL DRAFT CONJECTURE: BOSTON GLOBE: Fluto Shinzawa (is there a better name in sports journalism??) is reporting that Bruins' GM, Peter Chiarelli, recently spoke with Oilers' GM, Steve Tambellini, over the weekend to discuss potential draft deals. Specifically, they bandied about the idea of a deal that would allow the Oilers to keep the first overall pick, but require an asset from the Bruins, who could then choose between Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin. But, as per usual, it "sounds as though no deal is close."

However, I would like to point out that this is exactly the sort of thing I was thinking of when explaining my rationale behind the Oilers possibly selecting Tyler Seguin. If Boston is really that high on Hall, then they've got enough ammunition (in the form of tradeable players and the 15th overall pick) to perhaps persuade Tambellini to fork over Hall. Don't you think EDM would certainly enjoy having the 15th pick so they could grab U-20 World Championship hero, Jack Campbell (G) to bolster their back-stop situation, which seems shaky at best?

Also, Chiarelli said that he wouldn't trade the second overall pick and would likely select Seguin if the Oilers were to select Hall, but he's willing to entertain offers for any of their other 3 picks in the top 45 of the draft -- Boston possesses the 15th, 32nd and 45th picks overall.

***Original 6/20 Entry***

For the last several days, I have been perusing many different websites and blogs in an effort to absorb as much useful information as possible to take a somewhat informed stab at predicting the first 25 picks of the upcoming NHL Draft, which will be conducted on 6/25 in Los Angeles. The problem with this idea is that, the more you delve into the deep reservoir of information, the more overwhelmed you become with the array of "enlightened" opinion and well-reasoned analysis. Whether it's a website featuring a media-annointed expert or a fan-blogger with gobs of experience, finding any degree of consensus is damn near impossible.

Thus, I have decided that the only way to make this futile exercise in prediction interesting at all is to take a more daring approach to the early summer blogging ritual known as the Mock Draft. Here goes...something? Something that will hopefully tweak your curiosity bone and give you pause, or at least make you chuckle with dismay! Okay, even that seems to be a bit of a "stretch-goal" for this endeavor as I still hope to avoid any accusations of absurdity and outrage from the masses when I publish this mockery of a mock draft.

#1) EDM - Tyler Seguin (C) Plymouth Whalers -- while GM Steve Tambellini certainly seems enamored of consensus # 1 Taylor Hall, he may very well view Seguin as his top-line pivot of the future. EDM is loaded with young players such as Jordan Eberle, Linus Omark and last year's # 1 pick, Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson, all of whom may be better suited to playing the wing in the NHL. Tambellini is on record as saying "there's (no) wrong answer" in choosing between the two so I would not be surprised if Seguin gets the nod as top dog.

#2) BOS (from TOR) - Taylor Hall (LW) Windsor Spitfires -- barring some kind of "looney tunes" trade scenario, I suspect GM Peter Chiarelli will do the "safety dance" at the drafting podium when he takes Hall to replace former winger Phil Kessel, who was traded to TOR before last season when contract talks stalled. Unlike most teams, BOS is deep at center for years to come with the likes of Marc Savard, David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron. Who knows? Perhaps Chiarelli offers to flip the 15th pick to EDM as incentive to leave Taylor Hall on the board?

#3) FLA - Erik Gudbranson (D) Kingston Frontenacs -- while many South Florida hockey fans seem to covet highly-touted prospect Cam Fowler (D), my gut tells me that new GM Dale Tallon will opt to take the bigger, more mature Gudbranson to add some grit and muscle to a blueline that already features two talented, puck-moving D prospects. Russian youngster Dimitri Kulikov already has a year in the NHL under his belt and the offensively-gifted D-man prospect Colby Robak may be ready to make a serious run at the roster at camp this fall. With aging veteran Bryan McCabe (35) likely to depart after this season, the final year of his contract, Tallon may prefer picking the imposing Gudbranson to fill the eventual void.

#4) CBJ - Brett Connolly (RW) Prince George Cougars -- again, the consensus around the blogosphere is that D-men will be selected with picks 3 thru 5 because the trio of Gudbranson, Fowler and Gormley is simply too good to pass up. While CBJ certainly seems a bit thin when it comes to offense from the blueline, they are even thinner when it comes to right-wingers who can put the biscuit in the basket. Faced with uncertainty as to who will man the right side of the 2nd line, I think GM Scott Howson will surprise some folks by tabbing Connolly since he is probably the most NHL-ready forward (assuming the hip is fully healed) available after Hall & Seguin. Seriously, can it be THAT risky when the choices are either unproven prospect Mike Blunden or journeyman Chris Clark??

#5) NYI - Cam Fowler (D) Windsor Spitfires -- okay, so I took the easy way out and went with Cam Fowler here. Can you blame me? I have no doubt in my mind that GM Garth Snow probably fancies the idea of young, Swiss forward Nino Niederreiter streaking down the wing like Mike Bossy alongside John Tavares for the next decade to come. Shit! Who doesn't seem to love the flamboyant and charismatic kid from Switzerland? He's nearly achieved rock star status without anyone having seen him play outside of the World Juniors last December. But the Isles, who gave up a whopping 264 goals last year, need more depth on the blueline. And even though Fowler is more of offensive-minded D-man, his puck-possessing skills and fluid skating make him near impossible to pass up with the 5th overall pick.

What's Up with the Thrashers' Coaching Search? Mike Russo Can Connect the Dots!

Since the Thrashers don't really have a deep-scooping beat writer -- no offense to Chris Vivlamore who writes very well and does a good job reporting during the season -- with the depth of NHL experience required to make well-calculated and perspicacious predictions, we often must rely on the likes of Pierre LeBrun of ESPN and Kevin Allen of USA Today. That's why, when I'm desperate for some inside-info on the Thrashers, I often turn to the well-travelled Michael Russo, who is not afraid to dish out some of the more scintillating scuttlebutt found anywhere in NHL reporting circles.

If you don't believe me, check out his latest entry in Russo's Rants where there is often more than just Minnesota Wild chatter. Mr. Russo has covered the Tampa Bay Lightning as well as the Florida Panthers in his time as a hockey beat writer and, as a result, has become quite intimately familiar with both Rick Dudley and John Torchetti, the man most commonly believed to be the favorite for the Thrashers' head-coaching vacancy. It may be just one man's carefully concocted opinion, but his logic is sound in his assessment of Torchetti's prospects in Atlanta:

"As for Torchetti, I'm guessing there's a chance he may be moving on from Chicago. He's sure to get some opportunities, especially in Atlanta, where he's already received permission to talk to them. Torchetti's held interim head jobs before in Florida and Los Angeles and is definitely ready to be a full-time head coach. But as I've written on here before, Craig Ramsay may be offered the head coaching job in Atlanta, which would leave the associate coach for Torchetti. Thrashers GM Rick Dudley, I believe, wants to hire both. He respects the heck out of both of them. But because Ramsay likely can't leave Boston unless he's a head coach, Dudley may have to offer him the head job if he truly wants him in Atlanta."

And if you're looking for a bit more insight as to what role Torchetti served as one of the assistants for the Stanley Cup winning Blackhawks, Russo delivers again with this:

"He's a very good coach (referring to Mike Yeo, who was recently named HC of the AHL's Houston Aeros). After my first year, our (Chicago's) power play was struggling and I wanted to do [Pittsburgh's] power play with the lefties --where they had Malkin, Crosby, Whitney, Gonchar. So I called him, and they were in the Eastern Conference, so he gave it to me and it was very effective and helped jump-start our power play here. That's a friend right there. Really good guy. I think the players are going to like him a lot too because he's not too far removed, but he's definitely a coachable coach. The way he played you knew he was probably going to be a coach because that's how he played the game -- like a coach.

Lastly, if you want even more insight into the development of John Torchetti, the coach, then click on this link to many a Russo article and let your raw excitement for knowledge envelop you like a warm blanket on a cold winter's day! Happy reading!!

IKEA = Next Big Blueland Sponsor?

Considering the most recent news development coming out of Thrasherville -- the free-agent signing of 23 y/o Freddie Pettersson from the SEL -- it would seem logical for the marketing department to target the Swedish retailer IKEA for some corporate sponsorship love (at least a few dasher board ads behind the "Moose" right?) this season in Blueland. Or shall we just start a campaign to change the name to Sverige Atlanta?!

Hell, a shoulder patch with the word "IKEA" would hardly be an eyesore on the Thrashers' uniforms. And what better way to engender long-term loyalty from our assemblage of plucky and talented Swedes? Should Carl Klingberg and Fredrik Pettersson both manage to crack the line-up this fall, and Johan Hedberg returns to man the nets for the T-birds, the team could feature as many as six Swedish-born players. A veritable Swedish Six-pack if you will.

Let's see, what other Swedes might be available to sign in free agency? How about Henrik Tallinder to round out our D-corps? A trade with Dallas for winger Fabian Brunnstrom or an offer sheet to poach center Alexander Steen? Nah, I think I'd rather have Alex's old basement than his services as a player...what do you think? Needs a big-ass flat-screen eh?

Ooof!! A Meaty Swedish Rumor Surfaces & Afino-GETNO Love from GM Dudley

EDIT: Luckily, I prefaced my entry with a comment about not posting rumors. Well, THIS is the reason! High-evah! Talks with Fredrik Pettersson's agent are ongoing. So it does appear the Pinstriped Pimp of Puckdom likes what he sees in the feisty little Swede. Or is this the work of that maverick son-of-a-gun, Don Waddell, running wild with the ASG's money again??? Well??? He was spotted spying on undisclosed players during the recently staged World Championships in May. Please, somebody tell me whom to trust!! I can't take it anymore!

While I certainly don't intend on making a habit of posting rumors -- trades, potential UFA signings or otherwise -- things are way too dull these days on the Thrashers news front. So, I give unto you...THIS. What??? You don't speak Swedish!!? Well, the article translates a little something like this (thank you Google, Lord of all internet communication):

"Here is the premier division next star to leave for NHL. According to HockeyExpressen.se is Frölunda Striker Fredrik Pettersson ready for Atlanta? Elite has lost over 30 players to the KHL and NHL, and it ("it" being a contract I assume?) is not yet final. Fredrik Pettersson, who chased by several NHL clubs in recent times, is thus the next player to draw.

"We are long past for documents with an NHL club and it will probably be ready before the day is over", said Petterson's agent, Donald Bodén. Bodén would not say which club it is about but, according to data HockeyExpressen.se is Atlanta as the recently acquired 23-year-old and according to data HockeyExpressen.se transition is also explained.

"Pettersson has a great season behind him, where he impressed big in Frölunda. Among other things, with 20 goals in the regular season and three goals in the playoffs. He was also a member of the Swedish team which took bronze in World Cup Germany."

Not mentioned in this article is the not-so-unimportant nugget that Pettersson is a teammate of Thrashers 2nd round draft pick in 2009, Carl Klingberg, who just signed his ELC (entry-level contract) with Atlanta a few weeks ago despite expressing his desire to play one more year in Sweden to the Swedish press. Perhaps GM Rick Dudley is putting the full-court press on Klingberg in an effort to convince him to eschew the final year on his SEL (Swedish Elite League) deal in favor of coming stateside to play with a familiar face in Atlanta.

According to a scouting report published on the esteemed on-line prospect scouting service, Red Line Report, Pettersson's smallish frame (5' 10", 185 lbs) does not dissaude an affinity for a gritty and relentless hard-checking, high-energy style of play. If you've been paying attention to Dudley and his comments to the local press you would know that such a style of play is very much fancied by the Atlanta GM. At 23 years of age, the former 2005 5th round selection of the Edmonton Oilers may very well get an extended "look" at September's pre-season camp.

In other news, if you can call it that, Chris Vivlamore of the AJC, has posted a new blog with pretty much the same news reported weeks ago in this blog. Basically, Donald Meehan, Afinogenov's agent, is still scratching his head publicly about the Thrashers puzzling one-year contract offer to the pending UFA, who seems to desire a return to the Peachtree City for more than just one more year of NHL hockey. But alas, the one-year offer may be GM code for: "thanks for a great year of service, but we're not sure you fit into our plans beyond this season, even though we may struggle to score goals because we have so many young players assuming larger roles on the team." Or something like that. At any rate, it has sparked a little bit of debate on Vivlamore's current blog entry. Check it out if you want to join the party of yearning and longing for additional information -- something which most often seems quite scarce this time of year...*SIGH*.

This, That and Ricky Barnes' Terrific Trousers!

U betta' believe I'm back like Jimmy Slater, in case u be thinkin' it was just peace, see ya later! Yo, this blog ain't won any broad appeal, but just like the Chronicle, I'll be keepin' it real!! Fo' shizzle yo!! Mr. Speaker is back in da' house!!

What better way to re-enter the blogging fray than with a haphazardly Ricky "Kyle" Barnes imrpovised rap diddy almost as lame and foolhardy as the not-so-smooth, free-stylin' non-sense Kris Versteeg was "rapping" during Chicago's downtown Cup celebration fiesta?? Here's a link to the madness. Sorry, but I'm too lazy to embed the sucker.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Video-Versteeg-raps-Kane-jokes-on-cabbies-at-B;_ylt=AsyfFZdAa4Wrt2708WRMMth.ppJ4?urn=nhl,247674

Yes, it has been quite a long time since I have updated this passion-filled hockey journal with a new entry. And for that I apologize. But much like Ricky Barnes' golf game tends to break down under the pressure of Sunday title contention, I felt my lust for generating "incisive" and flowery prose ebbing away ever so ungently as the long-grinding march to hopelessness (the quest for the Stanley Cup playoffs that is) seemed to take its toll on my creative will.

But just like the unexpected return to prominence of Ricky Barnes -- who wandered forlornly for years and years through the forest of golfing despair -- I too have returned with a renewed zest and vigor to bring you consistent and compelling blogging content, mostly about the Thrashers, but also about things as inane and ridiculous as Ricky Barnes' fashion sense. Actually, I LOVE those pants!!!

So what in God's name does Ricky Barnes and his cutting-edge-of-fashion trousers have to do with the Thrashers?! ABSOLUTELY FREAKING NOTHING!!!! But they are resplendent, no?

What prompted me to get off my lazy duff and finally return to the oh-so-arduous (tongue in cheek warning) task of blogging was a very well-written and thought-provoking essay on the merits of press credentials for those of us who care enough to express our passion for all things Thrashers in a neat and tidy thing known as a blog. What a terrible word to use for something that captures one's penetrating insights and fanciful expressions of prose? But I digress.

Here is a link to Rawhide's blog-post about the potential role of blogs and internet-based media to plug the sometimes gaping hole in hockey coverage vis a vis newspapers and such:

http://blogs.ajc.com/iceman-thrashers-blog/2010/06/11/the-pressing-issue-with-thrashervilles-bloggers/

Other than that, not much has been going on of late with respect to your Thrashers. But now that the Blackhawks have claimed Lord Stanley's most prized chalice of hockey lore, the Thrashers new GM (the ever-magnetic Pimp of Puckdom), Rick Dudley may finally finish his earnest his pursuit of a new bench boss by interviewing 'Hawks Assistant Coach and erstwhile pupil and mentee of Dudley, John Torchetti. Whether he wants the job remains to be seen, but should he scoff at Dudley's overtures of employment, Craig "The Rammer" Ramsay should be there to save the day at the behest of his former teammate and long-time friend.

While that is going on, I shall leave you with this: a picture of the first player to realize that the Thrashers are on the cusp of hockey greatness, Jimmy "Skandalous" Slater, who was kind enough to pose for this snapshot last January during the Casino Night festivities. Welcome back Jimmah! We look forward to watching your skandalous skating exlploits for the next couple of years and hopefully thensome. Thanks for the love man.