November 5
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Kari Lehtonen underwent another back surgery on Friday. The procedure was to remove edges of bone that were applying pressure to nerve roots in his back at two locations. The surgery was performed by Dr. Paul Maurer at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, N.Y. The locations on the back were different than the location of the surgery he had on July 20. The team says he will be sidelined for 6 to 8 weeks. Thrashers had a late optional skate on Wednesday. They start at 1 p.m. We'll need to check the status of Ron Hainsey, who missed both games in Canada. He left last Friday's practice with an undisclosed injury that coach John Anderson said was "day-to-day." I will let you know if I find ..."
October 27
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The big question was: How good are the Thrashers? The bigger question is: How good are the Thrashers without Ilya Kovalchuk? The high-scoring forward suffered a broken bone in his right foot Saturday night and is expected to miss four weeks, the team announced after its star player underwent a CT scan Monday. The team captain who was tied for the NHL lead with nine goals, Kovalchuk was hit in the foot by a shot during the first period of the 4-3 loss to San Jose. "It's never good when you lose your best player, top scorer, captain," defenseman Zach Bogosian said. "There is not much we can do about it. We just have to come together as a team and step up. That's the bottom line. Everyone ..."
October 25
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The Thrashers lost more than a game Saturday. They lost Ilya Kovalchuk. Kovalchuk took a shot off his foot in the first period and did not return in a 4-3 loss to San Jose. The exact nature and extent of the injury was not immediately known. Thrashers coach John Anderson said Kovalchuk would visit a doctor Monday to determine the next course of action. "He'll have a scan and an X-ray, and we'll figure out what it is," Anderson said. "He was walking, but tentatively, otherwise he would have come back and played." The Thrashers' captain, who entered the game tied for the NHL lead with nine goals, played only 3 minutes, 54 seconds in four shifts. It was another slow start that led to the ..."
October 24
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Goaltender Kari Lehtonen is no closer to returning to the Thrashers than he was soon after offseason back surgery. According to Thrashers general manager Don Waddell, Lehtonen again experienced pain in his legs while rehabbing from July surgery to repair a herniated disc. He recently received another epidural injection to reduce inflammation, and he has stopped skating. Waddell said Friday that Lehtonen is scheduled for another examination by doctors to determine the next course of action. Waddell said he would not label the current situation a setback. "When you are dealing with the back, everyone heals at a different rate," Waddell said. "He is progressing very slowly." Lehtonen signed a ..."
October 20
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The Thrashers are working on a contract extension for forward Rich Peverley, according to a person familiar with the situation. The new deal is expected to be announced in the next several days."
October 19
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The Thrashers are working on a contract extension with forward Rich Peverley, according to a person familiar with the situation. A deal is expected to be announced within the next several days. Peverley, claimed off waivers from Nashville last season, is second on the team in scoring this year with seven points, including four goals. He trails only Ilya Kovalchuk in both categories. Peverley had 35 points (13 goals, 22 assists) in 39 games after the Thrashers claimed him last season. Kovalchuk's fast start It's not often that Kovalchuk doesn't get a shot on goal but that was the case in the Thrashers' 4-2 win at New Jersey on Friday. The Thrashers captain was shut out. That was not the ..."
October 1
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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It is unlikely that Ilya Kovalchuk will re-sign with the Thrashers before the start of the regular season on Saturday. General manager Don Waddell said Wednesday he remained "confident" that a new deal with the Thrashers' franchise player would be reached and sooner rather than later. "I don't think it's going to get done before opening night," Waddell said. "We're going to talk again in the next 24 hours but I don't see it getting done." Waddell later added: "I don't think we'll be talking about this at Christmas time." Waddell previously said he'd thought there would be a new deal struck before the start of the season. Kovalchuk is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. ..."
September 29
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The Thrashers released goaltender Manny Legace and forward Dan Fritsche on Monday, cutting the training camp roster to 25 players. Legace and Fritsche were both in camp on pro tryouts. The release of Legace leaves the Thrashers with three goaltenders – Johan Hedberg, Ondrej Pavelec and Kari Lehtonen, who is several weeks away from returning from offseason back surgery. The Thrashers still must trim their roster by two players before Wednesday's 3 p.m. NHL deadline for opening day rosters."
September 25
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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While Thrashers coach John Anderson said that the team would make roster cuts Thursday, team officials have decided to wait. The roster has 37 players; the roster limit for the regular season is 23 players. The deadline is next Wednesday. The Thrashers play their fifth preseason game Friday night at Carolina and will likely use that game to take a longer look at players on the bubble. Anderson said he will start Manny Legace, a pro tryout invitee, in goal against the Hurricanes. The 36-year-old Legace, waived last year by the St. Louis Blues, was an all-star in 2008 and helped the Detroit Red Wings win a Stanley Cup in 2002. The team acquired Anaheim defenseman and former Thrasher Steve ..."
September 17
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The Thrashers will bring Maxim Afinogenov, who played in Buffalo last season, into training camp for a pro tryout. He is expected to arrive Thursday night. Afinogenov was injured much of last season, but the 6-foot-1, 191-pound Russian forward led the Sabres in scoring in 2005-06 with 73 points. "He's a high-end guy, a skill guy," Thrashers general manager Don Waddell said. "It doesn't hurt. We'll see what happens.""
August 25
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Thrashers general manager Don Waddell described the ongoing contract negotiations with star Ilya Kovalchuk as "constructive" and said Monday that he is optimistic that a new deal would be completed. Waddell said the two sides have exchanged contract proposals. "We've had several face-to-face meetings," Waddell said. "We've had some very, very long discussions." Kovalchuk, the franchise's all-time leader in goals, points and games played, is entering the final year of his contract. The earliest the team could begin negotiating a new contract in the offseason was July 1. Waddell has said previously he wanted to get a deal done before the start of the season. The Thrashers report to training ..."
July 21
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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In the past several weeks, the Thrashers have signed a free agent forward (Nik Antropov), traded for a top-four defenseman (Pavel Kubina) and drafted potential top scorer (Evander Kane). Whether they keep the only player that most people walking around the streets of Atlanta can actually identify is another matter. Negotiations are expected to heat up this week between general manager Don Waddell and Ilya Kovalchuk's agent, Jay Grossman. The two sides aren't saying much publicly that they haven't said before. Waddell sent me an email Monday, saying: "It's our goal to sign Ilya to a long-term deal." Grossman declined comment. (He's known as a tough agent, but issuing negotiating rhetoric to ..."
June 30
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The Thrashers made qualifying contract offers to seven players Monday, ensuring that they will remain with the team for the 2009-10 season. The club made the one-year offers to restricted free agent forwards Colby Armstrong, Jordan Lavallee and Jim Slater, defensemen Scott Lehman, Grant Lewis and Boris Valabik and goaltender Kari Lehtonen. Forward Chris Thorburn and goalie Dan Turple were not made offers, making them unrestricted free agents on Wednesday. The Thrashers said they will continue negotiations with Thorburn and expect to re-sign him."
June 29
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The Thrashers made qualifying offers to several restricted free agents on Monday. The Thrashers made qualifying offers to restricted free agents Colby Armstrong, Jordan Lavallee, Scott Lehman, Kari Lehtonen, Grant Lewis, Jim Slater and Boris Valabik. Offers were not made to Chris Thorburn and Dan Turple, meaning they will become unrestricted free agents on July 1."
June 12
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
columnist Mark Bradley
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This has Marian Hossa written all over it, only in larger letters. The Thrashers dumped their second-best player at the 2008 trading deadline because they knew they couldn't re-sign him. Their best player is about to enter the final season of his contract, and Don Waddell shouldn't let Ilya Kovalchuk enter it as a Thrasher. Kovalchuk was the NHL's 11th-highest-paid player in 2008-2009, and some club will make him one of the top five come 2010-2011. It would be an upset if that team is the Thrashers. And if they can't keep him, they should trade him. Last month Waddell, the Thrashers' GM, told esteemed colleague Chris Vivlamore he wouldn't trade Kovalchuk this summer or at the deadline or ..."
May 28
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The track record is clear. The Thrashers have made one playoff appearance in nine seasons in Atlanta. They didn't win a game. One thing has been constant over the past 10 years — general manager Don Waddell. Ownership has changed. Players have come and gone. Heck, there is even a new sweater. Still, Waddell remains. So as the franchise faces perhaps the most critical off-season in its history, there are questions. Will Waddell remain to lead the Thrashers into their next phase? And if so, why will this time be different? Waddell has no plans to leave. He told the Journal-Constitution in a recent interview that there have been no talks with ownership to replace him. Waddell would not reveal ..."
April 24
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Marty Reasoner will become an unrestricted free agent if unsigned by the Thrashers by July 1. But his contract status will not change in the immediate future. Blame it on travel plans. Thrashers general manager Don Waddell has said he hopes to re-sign the center during the offseason. However, there have yet to be contract talks, according to Reasoner's agent. "We really haven't had any discussions about it," Stephen Bartlett said. "Don has been traveling, and I'm about to do the same. We have agreed we will have a meeting of the minds. "We are optimistic. Marty enjoyed playing in Atlanta, but it's far from a done deal.""
April 23
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Marty Reasoner will become an unrestricted free agent if unsigned by the Thrashers by July 1. His contract status will not change in the immediate future. Blame it on travel plans. Thrashers general manager Don Waddell has said he hopes to re-sign the center during the offseason. However, there have yet to be serious contract talks, according to Reasoner's agent. "We really haven't had any discussions about it," Stephen Bartlett said. "Don has been traveling and I'm about to do the same. We have agreed we will have a meeting of the minds. We are optimistic, Marty enjoyed playing in Atlanta, but it's far from a done deal.""
April 2
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Forward Slava Kozlov's second-period tap-in Wednesday night against Buffalo extended his goal-scoring streak to three games. He has goals in five of the past six games and seven of his past nine. Forward Colby Armstrong, who assisted on Kozlov's goal, extended his scoring streak to five games. Doctors appear to have put the brakes on goalie Kari Lehtonen's comeback from what he and the team refer to only as an "upper-body injury." Lehtonen went through half a practice Tuesday but did not participate in Wednesday's morning skate. "It doesn't look like we'll have him for the weekend," said Thrashers coach John Anderson, whose team plays Friday at Florida and Sunday at Washington."
March 16
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Here's the latest on the injury front. The Thrashers say Jim Slater's condition will be evaluated by the team's doctors on Monday and that he is doubtful for Monday night's game against Washington and Tuesday night's game at Pittsburgh. No word yet on who would/will be called up from Chicago. Ilya Kovalchuk's injury is scheduled to be re-evaluated Monday, too."
March 3
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Eric Perrin hopes to be playing for some team other than the Thrashers come Wednesday evening. "I'd be a liar if I didn't say that," Perrin said after Monday's practice. "It's no secret things haven't gone the way I wanted them to." The forward's playing time has dropped 20 percent since last season. His scoring has dropped by more than 50 percent with his shift to the checking-centered third and fourth lines. His happiness has dropped even further as he has felt let down by a franchise he worked for on and off the ice. Less than a year ago, he received the Dan Snyder Memorial Trophy as the Thrashers player who "best embodies perseverance, dedication and hard work without reward or ..."
March 3
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The Thrashers traded Niclas Havelid and a minor leaguer to the New Jersey Devils for Anssi Salmela on Monday in a move that swaps a 35-year-old Nordic defenseman who might soon return to his native country for a 24-year-old Nordic defenseman recently arrived in the United States. Salmela, who has played for the Finnish national team, has only 17 games of NHL experience. Game 18 is expected to come with the Thrashers next week in Colorado, after Salmela plays a short rehabilitation stint with the minor league Chicago Wolves. He took a blow to the head in his last game with the Devils. Havelid, who becomes an unrestricted free agent if not signed before July 1, has played nine NHL seasons, ..."
March 2
Globe and Mail
columnist Eric Duhatschek
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This is how the sands can shift in the ridiculously close NHL standings, with the trading deadline less than 72 hours away: At the all-star break, during the final week of January, it looked as though the only bona fide seller in the Western Conference would be the 15th-place St. Louis Blues, a team undermined for much of the season by injuries, limited scoring and so-so goaltending. The Blues featured at least one tradable commodity - left winger/centre Keith Tkachuk - who would be of some interest to a contender. Every week, a new version of the Tkachuk to the Boston Bruins rumour made the rounds. In the meantime, the Blues quietly chipped away at the gap between them and eighth place. ..."
March 1
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Defenseman Niclas Havelid and forwards Marty Reasoner and Eric Perrin are unrestricted free agents unless they are re-signed before July 1. Often, teams out of the playoff hunt try to get what they can for unrestricted free agents at the trade deadline, which this season falls at 3 p.m. Wednesday. "I don't think everybody's on the trading block, but there's certainly some guys at the end of their contracts," Thrashers coach John Anderson said before Saturday's game. "You have to get some type of value for them, and that's understood. … I hope nobody gets traded, quite honestly, and we push on from here, but that's probably not the reality." "I'm 35 years old. My contract is up. There's a ..."
February 15
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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In his throwback Dan Bouchard No. 30 Atlanta Flames sweater, Marty Fischer was dressed for the icemaker chill of Philips Arena. But he is a man who has loved and lost at hockey before, and merely the thought of the Thrashers going the way of those old Flames was enough to send a shiver through him. Worried about the future of hockey in Atlanta? "The way things are going, yeah, it's worrisome," said the 60-year-old die-hard fan from Marietta, while awaiting a faceoff at a recent Thrashers game. In 1980, Atlanta lost one NHL team - those old Flames - to the Canadian wilderness. "It was like a divorce," Fischer remembered. And Calgary got the kids. And now, another set of uncertainties swirl ..."
February 4
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Thrashers general manager Don Waddell said Tuesday he remains "absolutely" committed to first-year coach John Anderson despite the team's struggles. Anderson was one of nine NHL coaches hired last offseason. Two of them already have been fired: Tampa Bay's Barry Melrose after 16 games and Ottawa's Craig Hartsburg on Monday. "There's not even anything being discussed about that," Waddell said when asked about Anderson's job status. "Every situation is different. Obviously the expectations in both those other cases were probably much higher. … We knew this was going to be somewhat of a learning curve. What we have to do is prove that we have made the right decisions and finish this year as ..."
February 3
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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You didn't have to look at the number on his back or the hair spilling from under his helmet to know who the new guy was skating Monday with Ilya Kovalchuk and Rich Peverley. All you had to do was look at his nose and the white stop-the-bleeding plug in one of his nostrils. Yes, Chris Thorburn was back practicing on what coach John Anderson refers to as the Thrashers' "big line." Who else but Thorburn fits in with the big-time scorers but sticks his nose in there like a grinder? OK, maybe Colby Armstrong, but Armstrong is 30 pounds lighter, an inch shorter and not as rhinologically gifted. "It's not a small nose," Thorburn said, "so there's a lot of blood in there." If you're looking for a ..."
February 3
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The Thrashers activated defenseman Garnet Exelby Monday and placed forward Jim Slater on injured reserve. Exelby missed the last 21 games with a leg injury. Slater injured his shoulder on Jan. 20. His moved to injured reserved is retroactive to Jan. 21."
January 11
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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• WHITE HOT: With a goal and two assists Saturday, Thrashers center Todd White had his first three-point game of the season. He has 20 points in the past 16 games. His 41 points in just over half a season are more than he had all of 2007-08. He should easily eclipse his previous career-high season of 60 points with the Ottawa Senators in 2002-03. • KOVY'S STREAK: Ilya Kovalchuk scored a goal for the third consecutive game and the fifth time in the last six games. • ON THE GO: Saturday's 8-4 loss at Florida wrapped up an endurance-testing run of 14 Thrashers games in 26 days. Atlanta went 5-8-1 in that stretch. • BAD FINISH: "For two periods we played a pretty good game," White said. "The ..."
December 11
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Thrashers news Wednesday night was all about what didn't happen and what won't happen. The Thrashers played one of the NHL's best teams and didn't win but also didn't come away without a point. And the Thrashers' general manager reiterated that he didn't and won't talk about trading Ilya Kovalchuk. "I can't deny it any harder than I already have," Don Waddell said during the Thrashers' 3-2 loss to the New York Rangers. The Kovalchuk reports began in October and haven't let up. First, he was supposedly going to Toronto, then to Montreal. This week, Canada's Sun Media newspapers reported unnamed NHL sources said the Thrashers had "serious talk with several teams" about trading their star ..."
December 4
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
columnist Mark Bradley
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We all expect Ilya Kovalchuk to leave when his contract expires after the 2010 season, but there's no need for Don Waddell to wait. The general manager should clear the air that befogs his last-place team. He should trade Kovalchuk now. Kovalchuk has flashed past the point of diminishing returns. He has averaged 42 goals over his first six seasons; he's on pace to score 24. He has averaged 3.7 shots per game over those six seasons; he's averaging 2.8 shots now. He's playing like a man who wants to be elsewhere. Can we blame him for that? Not really. The Thrashers have been awful for most of their existence, and Kovalchuk has been a Thrasher since 2001. Esteemed colleague Mike Knobler wrote ..."