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!!