"The text message might have been the best part.

After Thrashers general manager Don Waddell signed unrestricted free agent Nik Antropov on Thursday, his cellphone buzzed with a message from Ilya Kovalchuk.

Great job" it read.

A whirlwind week in the Thrashers' offseason continued with the signing of Antropov to a reported a four-year, $16 million contract. The Thrashers did not disclose terms of the contract.

Antropov gives the Thrashers a top-6 forward, an offseason priority. They also traded for top-4 defenseman Pavel Kubina on Wednesday and drafted nine players last weekend, including forward Evander Kane. The No. 4 overall pick could make the NHL roster next season.

"Antropov really fits our needs," said Waddell, who contacted Antropov's agent at the noon start of the NHL free-agency period Wednesday. "This is the guy we targeted in free agency from the beginning. … I've said all along we didn't need a lot of pieces, just a few key pieces."

In the 29-year-old Antropov, the Thrashers get a sizable forward at 6-foot-6, 230 pounds. He had career"