Trade Rumors and Free Agent TalkTrade rumors, transactions, and free agent talk. Rumors must contain the word RUMOR in post title. Proposals must contain the word PROPOSAL in post title.
I had the details of the Keith Tkachuk trade to Atlanta up on my blog before the local paper--something Kukla noted at the time. Several big name bloggers emailed me and asked how I pulled that off.
I also knew about the Coburn/Zhitnik trade but I was at the game and couldn't post anything on my blog.
Atlanta has a small hockey community and there are people that like to talk about their job.
I'm actually a bit suprised that we re-signed Moose. Looks like DW is getting geared for Kari to get snagged on an offer sheet. It'll be good to see Moose in blue next season, but I hope like hell Kari doesn't walk (though I wouldn't blame him for wanting out).
Blues would take Kari. He's a good young talent and We are in need of a starter after Legace leaves. You guys have Pavalec so your set for the future. Moose is a solid goalie and he's a great back up. Good signing by ATL.
If all else fails, and Kari does walk, we still have Alex Kangas as well as Pavelec. The kid had an incredible freshmn year setting record numbers for the Golden Gophers and winning the WCHA final 5 mvp. Only the second player to win the award on a losing team. He also won Minnesota's team MVP, only the third freshman ever to do that. If he keeps his play up to that standard, i'd be willing to let either Kari or Pavelec go.
Blues would take Kari. He's a good young talent and We are in need of a starter after Legace leaves. You guys have Pavalec so your set for the future. Moose is a solid goalie and he's a great back up. Good signing by ATL.
Blues should make an offer to the Thrashers.
The Thrashers need more talent at C and D badly and they don't need two starting caliber Goalies. (Pavelec is ready to play in the NHL.) I wouldn't be completely shocked if there is a trade before the summer is over where team acquires a defenseman for a goalie.
I wouldn't be completely shocked if there is a trade before the summer is over where team acquires a defenseman for a goalie.
Wouldn't suprise me if DW packaged the Pitts pick and Pavelec or the rights to Lehts at the draft for some d help. The only thing that worries me there is that Kulda (assuming he keeps up his development in Chi-town) has a chance of stepping up in the 09/10 season along with Bogo/Doughty which makes out D a lot better, add in the (adimttedly remote) possibility of Nikulin FINALLY coming over and we are even better in our end. At that point, it almost seems painful to drop a franchise goalie, but that's the advantage of having 3 killer goalies in the system; you can take a risk with a trade at this years draft and it probably won't hurt you too much over the long run.
The Thrashers need more talent at C and D badly and they don't need two starting caliber Goalies. (Pavelec is ready to play in the NHL.) I wouldn't be completely shocked if there is a trade before the summer is over where team acquires a defenseman for a goalie.
Smart move by the Thrashers. Hedberg is a fan favorite and plays well. I was susprised to see him in net against Colorado when I went to a game in March. He didn't play as well then, but you could see he was a fan favorite and it was great to hear the fans there say: "Moooooose." Great experience, and an amazing arena.
__________________ Gudbranson fanboy and defender for liiiiiife!
Hedberg also has won the Thrashers Players Player Award the last two years, voted on by the team. Very rare to see a backup goalie win an award like that, so he is well respected in the locker room as well.
Pavelec has been pretty inconsistent in the AHL, I wouldn't bank on him being ready to start in the NHL yet.
The Thrashers would be much better off retaining Lehtonen and perhaps trading him later down the road when his value is at a more realistic level for his talent. Of course, that would also require some defensive improvements for the rest of the team first.
The Thrashers web guy accidentally put up the headline and then took it down but someone got a screen capture of it.
I can personally vouch that this is true and the team will issue a press release shortly.
Looks like insurance in case Lehtonen holds out (RFA this summer) and that way they can start Pavelec with Hedberg as back up.
No it's not, it's a team keeping it's backup goalie. You don't want a 21 year-old backup goalie when you already have a franchise goalie.
Teams don't make moves based on your thought. Not in June. And not "just in case." Pavelec will likely spend another year in Chicago and come up when the Thrashers are ready for him to backup.
i was hoping the pens could swipe him back up again
To replace who? Fleury is the starter, and Sabourin is signed for one more year as the backup. If we were to make a change, I'm sure the organization would prefer to re-sign Conklin ahead of Moose. Conklin earned a lot of respect throughout the organization this past year, I would suspect.
Plus, we also have Curry and Brown progressing nicely. So, we don't have a need for Moose at this time.
He's one of the better backstops out there, but do the Thrashers really need him? Assuming they sign some free agent scorers, f they had a tandem of Pavelec and Lehtonen in goal, the one who doesn't perform by the deadline (assuming they're in a position to make the playoffs) they could trade for somebody big. Yeah, I know, look how well that worked 2 years ago, but Tkachuk's getting into his latter years and while he's a veteran presence, the Thrashers desperately needed a center instead (Doug Weight? ). Either way, Don Waddell's decision, not mine.
Great signing by Atlanta if true. Hedberg has to be one of the better true back up goalies in the nhl. Played great in Vancouver when he was here. I guess Marc Crawford won't be the new coach of the Thrashers now.
He's one of the better backstops out there, but do the Thrashers really need him? Assuming they sign some free agent scorers, f they had a tandem of Pavelec and Lehtonen in goal, the one who doesn't perform by the deadline (assuming they're in a position to make the playoffs) they could trade for somebody big. Yeah, I know, look how well that worked 2 years ago, but Tkachuk's getting into his latter years and while he's a veteran presence, the Thrashers desperately needed a center instead (Doug Weight? ). Either way, Don Waddell's decision, not mine.
I suggested to me that one of the Lehtonen/Pavelec duo might be traded to bring in a defenseman or center.
