"When the Thrashers selected Patrik Stefan with their first pick in their first draft in 1999, general manager Don Waddell said: "This is a very big day for our franchise. We've made it no secret how we feel about Patrik and what kind of player he is."

Three years later, when Waddell made Kari Lehtonen the first goalie the franchise drafted with a No. 1 pick, the Thrashers' GM said: "Our scouts say that he is the best amateur goalie coming out for the draft in the last 10 years. He can make the difference for our team for a lot of years to come."

Stefan was a bust and is now out of hockey. Lehtonen's career has been a roller coaster and he is now in Dallas. No deep analysis necessary here.

When Lehtonen was traded Tuesday night to the Dallas Stars, it punctuated the franchise's largely inglorious draft history, primarily with their early selections. We know that the lifeblood of any team - particularly an expansion club - is the draft. Maybe that's why we're constantly checking for a pulse in Philips Arena. This deal comes five days after the team's best choice, Ilya Kovalchuk, was traded to New Jersey over money. It comes five years after another top pick, Dany Heatley, was traded in the aftermath of a tragic car crash."