30 Teams In 30 Days: Ilya Exiting Atlanta?

How far the one time, or rather the one year, mighty Atlanta Thrashers have fallen. The team that once featured a line of Ilya Kovalchuk, Marc Savard and Marian Hossa are coming off their second straight losing season in 2008-09 and have only one player remaining from that All-Star loaded forward line from 2005-06, Russian superstar and captain Ilya Kovalchuk.

Kovalchuk, as pictured on the right is the face of the franchise in Atlanta but this year will certainly provide an interesting year for the number one overall pick in the 2001 Draft. To put it simple, he's sick of losing and is in a contract year. In his case, have the Thrashers begun to try and build a solid team around the winger to solidify his allegiance to the only club he's ever known?

This summer, following a disappointing 35-41-6 season Thrashers GM Don Waddell sat down face-to-face with Kovalchuk and had what he called "constructive" talks with the winger. Kovalchuk, the heart and soul of Atlanta's franchise has been continued his strong play despite the team's lack of success as he is coming off his fifth straight 40+ goal season in Georgia. However, if the team is destined to falter yet again in 2009-10, will Waddell capitalize on Ilya's value in a trade as he did with Marian Hossa in 2008?

Before those talks begin, one needs to take a look at the relatively new look Atlanta Thrashers.

The biggest hope out in Atlanta this year is that first round draft choice Evander Kane will live up to the hype he was praised with throughout his tenure with the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League. It's not all hype however, as the 18-year old Kane broke the Giants single season record for goals when he put 48 by WHL netminders. He also added 48 assists, finishing with 96 points in 61 games on top of having a very strong World Juniors Championship with Team Canada.

Evander, named after former heavyweight Boxing champion Evander Holyfield will certainly get his nine games with the Thrashers to begin the season. As you are probably familiar with considering how the Bruins handled Milan Lucic in his rookie campaign, players under the age of 20 are given a nine game trial of sorts if you will before the team has to make a decision to either keep the player with the club or send him back to his juniors teams as the teenagers of tomorrow are not permitted to play in the AHL.

Regardless of how Kane performs for those nine games, the Thrashers also added 6'7 forward Nik Antropov to their roster. The 29-year old Kazakh is coming off a career year where he tallied 59 points between the Maple Leafs and Rangers. The right winger is sure to bolster the Thrashers rather weak right side attack and contribute effectively on the powerplay.

Joining Antropov is former fellow Maple Leaf teammate and Southeast Division alumni Pavel Kubina. Acquired in a deal that sent Colin Stuart (brother of Bruins defensemen Mark Stuart) and Garnet Exelby, a member of the original Thrashers team, Kubina comes in with one year remaining on a deal that pays the Slovakian blue-liner five million dollars in 2009-10.

Kubina's coming off yet another 40 point season with the Maple Leafs and is best known for his contributions to the Tampa Bay Lightning during their 2003-04 Stanley Cup run. The 32 year old defensemen is looking to continue his success on the powerplay with the Thrashers already strong core of defensemen in Ron Hainsey, Tobias Enstrom and Zach Bogosian.

Personally, Bogosian is my pick to have a breakout year in Atlanta. The 19-year old defensemen from New York is coming off his first season in the NHL where he registered 19 points in 47 games, finishing with a +11. After proving to be a solid defensemen ready for the NHL, it'll be interesting to see how he performs on the newly revamped Thrashers.

In net for the Thrashers will be Kari Lehtonen. The Finnish netminder is coming off a 19-22-3 season with a .910 save percentage. Despite his disappointing record, Lehtonen put together a strong end to the Thrashers season as he went 6-3-0 in his nine starts in March and April with a 2.65 GAA and two shutouts. Is Lehtonen finally hitting his potential as he showed shades of doing in 2008-09 or will the Thrashers begin to look to utilize Johan Hedberg or even Ondrej Pavelec?

A name generating interest in Atlanta has been New York Ranger turned free agent winger Nikolai Zherdev. Following an arbitration hearing that led to Zherdev's exit from Manhattan, the 24 year old is officially an unrestricted free agent. Although many rumors have led to Zherdev leaving the NHL and joining the likes of Sergei Zubov and Sergei Federov as Russian born players to go back and play in their home country for tax-free contracts, his name is beginning to be thrown into the Thrashers mix. With over 9-million dollars in cap space still free, GM Don Waddell undoubtedly has the money to throw yet another U.S.S.R star.

Here's a preview of what the lines will look like when the Thrashers return to action.

Ilya Kovalchuk - Todd White - Nik Antropov

Slava Kozlov - Bryan Little - Colby Armstrong

Evander Kane - Rich Peverly - Marty Reasoner

Eric Boulton - Jim Slater - Brett Sterling

Extra Skater: Jordan LaVallee

Pavel Kubina - Zach Bogosian

Ron Hainsey - Tobias Enstrom

Boris Valabik - Anssi Salmela

Extra Skater: Noah Welch

Kari Lehtonen

Johan Hedberg

Can the Thrashers compete in the Southeast? It seems possible on paper, but with the strength of both Carolina and Washington it appears that the Thrashers will have to be patient and keep on building towards the future, with or without Ilya.

Players To Watch: It'll be interesting to see how Evander Kane performs in the first nine games of the season and see if he'll stick around with the big club or return to the Vancouver Giants for another season. Angelo Esposito could also be an x-factor for the Thrashers in 2009-10, as you remember, Esposito was the key component of the Marian Hossa trade from 2008.

Prediction: 3rd in Southeast Division. 11th in Eastern Conference.

Free Agent Frenzy: 10 Best Centers

Nearing the end of the Free Agency Frenzy pieces, we now move to the center position. The center can be the anchor of the offense, the captain of the penalty kill and provide the edge needed for a goal with a decisive face-off win. This year's crop of centers is filled with players who've donned the 'C' on their jersey during their careers and for others, their penalty killing abilities have gotten them to where they are in their career today.

10) Joe Sakic - Someone needs to relay the message to Joe that it's over. He's won a couple Cups, has numbers that'll surely get him into the hockey hall of fame and there's simply no reason to return to the rebuilding Colorado Avalanche for a 21st NHL season. Sakic has just played in 59 games since the start of the 2007-08 season, but his production has still been there. His 52 points in those 59 games and role as one of the best captains in the NHL is still there, when he's healthy. Sakic can still compete at a high level, but can his body truly hold up for another season? Another reason as to why he's ranked at #10 on this list is because he's basically a lock to remain in Colorado and mentor centers such as Matthew Duchene and Paul Stastny, taking the fun out of him being a free agent out of him.

9) Rob Niedermayer - Being the brother of the Ducks captain Scott Niedermayer, it's unlikely we'll see Rob leave for anywhere else, but the option is still there. Rob Niedermayer is coming off a year of highs and lows. His 14 goals were his highest total since the 2005-06 campaign, but he also had a career-worst -17 in 79 games. Fact remains that Niedermayer's presence in a locker room and playoff experience of 104 career playoff games where he's registered 39 points will be gladly taken by any contending team.

8) Jason Williams - When the Atlanta Thrashers signed center Jason Williams over the summer of 2008 to a one-year 2.2 million dollar deal, the move was regarded as a signing that could prove to be a sleeper. Even though Williams had missed the final 35 games of the Blackhawks 2007-08 season with a sports hernia his numbers proved to be impressive as he posted 36 points (13 goals) in 43 games for Chicago. In Atlanta, the Thrashers found themselves in the basement once again due in large part to an anemic powerplay and the inconsistent play of their goaltenders and Williams was traded to Columbus. In Columbus, Williams took great advantage of the familiar division as he played with the Red Wings along with the Blackhawks in the Central throughout his career. His presence in Columbus gave the Jackets a solidified secondary scoring center to skate alongside Antoine Vermette and to largely take the pressure off Rick Nash to carry the team. In his 39 games with the Blue Jackets, Williams' 29 points and +5 made him an added weapon to their offensive arsenal. At 28 years old, the number of teams in the market for a center like Williams should be quite high.

7) Steve Sullivan - The journey of Predators forward Steve Sullivan has undoubtedly been a trying one. After missing the final 20 games of the Predators 2006-07 regular season and all 5 of their playoff games against the Sharks with a back injury, the Preds looked towards next year and the returning health of Steve Sullivan. However, his 'back spasms' led to the Ontario native missed all of the 2007-08 campaign where he required major surgery on his back. The surgery's rehabilitation almost forced Sullivan to miss the first 40 games of the Predators 2008-09 season. Upon his return, nobody could have expected that he'd return so loudly, where he tallied 32 points in 41 games for the Nashville Predators and eventually winning the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. Although he's played primarily as a left-winger during his tenure in Nashville, Sullivan is an experienced center, but his capability to play both positions only makes him more valuable.

6) Robert Lang - When the Montreal Canadiens acquired veteran center and 87-playoff game veteran center Robert Lang, the feeling among the Northeast Division was something along the lines of "Oh, (expletive).". Lang's addition into the already stacked Montreal offense seemed to push the Habs over the top. As most of the Montreal Canadiens roster either didn't live up to expectations or didn't stay healthy, Robert Lang became the biggest offensive threat on the Habs offense. In 50 games, Lang scored 18 goals and tallied 21 assists, finishing with a +6. His 17 points on the powerplay proved to be just what Montreal needed when centers such as Saku Koivu and Tomas Plekanec failed to produce numbers that made the 2007-08 Habs so effective. Despite Lang's season being ended by a torn achilles tendon injury, the 38 year old still has the skills to be a great supporting center to any contending club.

5) Saku Koivu - The oft wrongly criticized (my opinion) Montreal captain Saku Koivu appears to be leaving Montreal. After a rumored deal was put on the table for Alex Kovalev to take off as full-time captain, it's hard to imagine a scenario where Koivu returns to Montreal willing to resign as captain. At 35, Koivu still has the endurance and stamina to compete at a high level. He was ranked 3rd for Montreal's time on ice among forwards, and Koivu's exceptional two-way play found the Finland gaining great time on the penalty kill and powerplay. In my opinion, he'll end up in Minnesota to provide some veteran leadership on a young club and play along side his little brother Mikko.

4) Nik Antropov - The Kazakh winger and center truly had a career year. He set a new career high in points with 59 for the Rangers and Maple Leafs, and also had a career low -14 in 81 games. The 6'6 center, who is also able to play on the wing scored a total of 28 goals, a new career high. It's beginning to appear as if Antropov's reaching his potential and entering the prime of his career as he's scoring more goals than the season before since the lockout. The 1oth overall pick in 1998's NHL draft scored 3 points in the Rangers 7-game series loss against the Washington Capitals and was often the only player looking to actually care out there by the end of it. His late season efforts with the Rangers certainly increased his stock and with the cap space freed up by Naslund's retirement in New York, Antropov has a decent chance of staying in red, white and blue and in Manhattan.

3) Mats Sundin - At this time last season, all the talk was about free agent center Mats Sundin and where he was going. Montreal was the favorite, then Detroit was, then New York was and by the end of it, Vancouver left as in the winner...in December. The Mats Sundin saga was similar to that of Brett Favre's which by the end of it got progressively more annoying and by the end of it, we had had enough. Regardless of the story, Sundin provided to be the extra edge the Canucks needed to win the division. Sundin instantly became a captain of the Canucks powerplay where he scored 14 of his 28 total points in 48 regular season games. In the Canucks chase for their first Stanley Cup ever, Sundin's presence and poise helped the Canucks effort. His 8 points in 8 playoff games and shooting percentage of 20 showed that the 38 year old's still got it. Approaching 39 and still without a Stanley Cup championship on his resume, the Swedish native will more than likely end up signing with a Stanley Cup favorite for one final go round.

2) Michael Cammalleri - The Calgary Flames forward absolutely tore goaltenders apart this season. Following a 2007-08 season hindered by a rib injury, the 27 year old lefty went on a torrid powerplay pace through 2008-09 and becoming the Flames best offensive weapon. His 19 goals and 14 assists on the powerplay were tops among Calgary players and his 3.5 million dollar a year salary is sure to go up. Poising the question, does Calgary have the cap space to retain the Ontario native? Following the trading for the rights to Jay Bouwmeester, the Flames have less than 24 hours to re-sign the defensemen before he becomes a free agent. In all likelihood, if Cammalleri is bound to return to the Saddledome, it'll be if Jay Bouwmeester is not in Calgary.

1) Henrik Sedin - One half of perhaps the most expensive prize of this off-season, Henrik Sedin and his twin brother Daniel are both free agents at the stroke of midnight on July 1st. The rumored asking price in total for the twins comes out to about 126 million dollars over the next 12 years and to be honest, they're worth it. Henrik is coming off another strong season in British Columbia where he posted 82 points with 22 goals in 82 games. The Sedin's also create a supreme threat on the powerplay, Henrik especially with his 22 assists on the powerplay. Another reason why he's touted as the best free agent center by me is because of his durability. In his entire 8-year NHL career, he's missed just 10 games and has become more effective every season.

Eastern Conference Deadline Deal Reviews

Alright, this is seriously pretty lame. I'm going through grand withdrawals without any hockey involving the Bruins since Sunday. The good news is that this gave me a chance to review some of how the deadline deals are working out for the teams that were busy on March 4th. I think it's fair to say we start locally within the Northeast Division and stay in the Eastern Conference.

The Northeast Division

The Mark Recchi Deal

- This is the definition of a rental. The 41 year old veteran is on what many consider his final run for another championship. In 9 games with Boston he's produced 6 points (4 goals 2 assists) and is proving to be a viable weapon for the Bruins 3rd line with Kobasew and Bergeron. In Tampa, Matt Lashoff is experiencing success in just a few games with the Lightning. He's registered 4 assists in 5 games. The other P-Bruin the Bolts acquired in the deal Martins Karsums hasn't found the same success Lashoff has, registering only 2 points in 10 games.

The Montador Deal

- Steve Montador's biggest battle since being the Bruins has been the flu. He's found himself watching the game from the Press Box as of late due to Matt Hunwick's recent hot streak. In Montador's 5 games with the Bruins he has just 1 assist and a +1, which really isn't a knock to a guy who had 20 points in 65 games. Meanwhile, Petteri Nokelainen has been stellar for the Anaheim Ducks, scoring 3 goals in 9 games with the Ducks and a +3.

The Tellqvist Deal

- When Ryan Miller went down, it's safe to say the Buffalo Sabres post season hopes did as well. In the absence of Miller, the team needed another goalie to plug in. They did so by acquiring Mikael Tellqvist from the Phoenix Coyotes for a 4th round draft pick. Tellqvist has gone 1-1-0 for the Sabres with a 3.18 GAA. He'll probably be placed on waivers as Ryan Miller is returning very soon and veteran Jocelyn Thibault being a more suitable back-up.

The Moore Deal

- On March 4th, the Maple Leafs traded Dominic Moore to Buffalo for a 2nd round draft pick. Moore, an Ontario native was having a career year with the Leafs, scoring 41 (12G 29A) points in 63 games. However, Moore has struggled fitting into the Sabres offense in a lesser role, scoring in just 2 of his 9 games with the Sabres.

The Leclaire Deal

- The Ottawa Senators goaltending woes have seemingly just grown larger and larger. First, hot head Ray Emery jets off to Russia to essentially fight trainers over the off-season. Then Martin Gerber falls apart and ends up in Binghamton. Alex Auld, the NHL's journeyman who continues to put up solid numbers begins to shine for the Sens, then gets apparently over-worked too early and collapses. Leaving Brian Elliot to man the ship. The Senators addressed their goaltending future by trading Antoine Vermette for Blue Jackets goalie Pascal Leclaire. Leclaire's ankle surgery forced him to be shelfed for the rest of the season, but the 26 year old netminder posted solid numbers in 2007-08 for the Jackets, recording 9 shutouts and a 24-17-6 record.

The Gerber Waiver Deal

- The Switzerland native goaltender was a mainstay in between the Senator pipes, that was until he found himself on waivers and in Binghamton of the AHL. That was until the Maple Leafs claimed Gerber off re-entry waivers. Since then he's posting a 4-3-0 record with a 2.89 GAA. Gerber's currently serving a 3 game suspension for shoving a referee.

The Atlantic Division

The Havelid Deal

- This wasn't technically a deadline day deal, but it's a deal nevertheless. I thought this was one of the biggest steals of the Deadline Week, as the Devils gave up just Anssi Salmela for the 35 year old Havelid. Salmela has done well with the Thrashers, registering 3 points in just 7 games with Atlanta, the same amount he scored in 17 games with New Jersey.

The Antropov Deal

- On March 4th, there was perhaps no bigger winner in the Eastern Conference than the New York Rangers. Their biggest splash was landing Toronto Maple Leafs 6'6 forward Nik Antropov. Antropov has proved to be no slouch for the Blueshirts, scoring 5 goals and earning 4 assists in his 11 games as a Ranger.

The Morris Deal

- During the Coyotes fire-sale, Derek Morris' name was thrown around in almost every proposed deal. Once again, the Rangers landed a big name on the market. The price for Morris however, was very high as the Rangers gave up Dmitri Kalinin, Petr Prucha and Nigel Dawes. In 11 games with the Coyotes Petr Prucha has scored 1 goal and has 5 assists while Kalinin has posted 4 points in 11 games and Dawes has produced 2 points in 9 games. Meanwhile, in the city that never sleeps Morris' has registered 4 points in 11 games with a +3.

The Guerin Deal

- Billy Guerin, one of the NHL's few remaining pre-lockout power forwards. When the Penguins acquired him it was official, the Pittsburgh Penguins were a team that will return to being a dangerous offensive minded team. The Penguins only lost a conditional draft pick and Guerin has been simply on fire for the Pens. He's scored 3 goals and has 10 points in 10 games for the Penguins and since his acquisition the Penguins are 7-1-2.

The Carcillo Deal

- Just what the Flyers needed right? Another goon capable of killing someone out on the ice. They got just that in their trade for Phoenix LW Daniel Carcillo. The Flyers lost more than they gained in this trade if you ask me as they traded Scottie Upshall and a 2nd round pick for Carcillo. Since becoming a Flyer, Carcillo has registered 46 PIM in 11 games.

The Southeast Division

The Cole Deal

- I think it's safe to make it fact: Erik Cole can only do good when he's in a Hurricanes jersey. The 'Canes made this deal happen by trading Justin Williams to Los Angeles for Patrick O'Sullivan. O'Sullivan was then traded to Edmonton for Cole. Cole struggled for the Edmonton Oilers this year, but seems to have found his game with the Hurricanes, scoring 10 points in 11 games for Paul Maurice's 'Canes.

The Eminger Deal

- Rarely is a significant deal made within a division. This is still true. The Panthers went out and tried bolstering their playoff chances with a trade for Lightning defensemen Steve Eminger. Eminger has done literally nothing in a Panthers uniform as he's point-less in 8 games with a -1. The Lightning received Noah Welch and a 3rd round draft pick in return and Welch has done even less than Eminger has in his 9 games with the Bolts.

Time To Pull Trade Trigger?

There may be another 19 days until the March 4th NHL trading deadline but it's certainly on the mind of fans already. This year, the Bruins will undoubtedly be buyers, looking for that veteran or added depth to help their quest for their first Stanley Cup in 37 years. With left-winger Marco Sturm done for the year the Bruins have his 3.5 million dollar salary and plus to work with to bring in another player. Let's start with the obvious: the Bruins are not in the market for Ilya Kovalchuk, Marian Gaborik or Vincent Lecavalier, nor should they be. All 3 players have high salaries not to mention their astronomical asking price.

With Ryder out for another 3 weeks, Kessel struggling to regain his scoring touch and the cooling down of Blake Wheeler the Bruins should definitely consider all their options. In my opinion, player such as Petteri Nokelainen, Vladimir Sobotka, Matt Lashoff, Matt Hunwick and even Manny Fernandez in certain situations can be used as trade bait. For the right price, I can see Peter Chiarelli throwing in a 1st round draft pick to sweeten the deal. With these players potiental and age to the Bruins advantage, they need to see who's on the market in order to potientally add that one piece for the Cup Run.

Let's start in Toronto where Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke is beginning the selling of center/right-winger Nik Antropov. Burke has publicly stated that he does not see Antropov being apart of the Leafs future and with an expiring contract, one can bet that he'll be looking to move the 6'6 forward. With a 2.2 million dollar salary he doesn't come as a big risk not to mention Burke's familiarity with the Bruins from his Anaheim days. Antropov has struggled in spurts this year, including a dreadful stretch where he went goal-less in 16 games straight but the upside is there when you factor in his size, potiental, and powerplay production (5 PPG, 5 PPA). His -15 isn't anything to write home about but realize how terrible the Maple Leafs and their goaltending has truly been. Antropov's stock has undoubtedly gone up given his latest hot streak of scoring goals in 4 of his last 7 games.

In St. Louis the Blues just won't die. Making the situation with Keith Tkachuk that much more diffecult for potiental buyers. Although the Blues find themselves in 14th place, they're just 8 points away from the 8th seed. There's no question the Bruins would be interested in a veteran such as Tkachuk, but his health and St. Louises asking price could give the Bruins a reason to stand back. Tkachuk's trade to Atlanta in 2007 only strengthens the Bruins desire to stay away from the Medford native.

There's no team that demonstrates the word 'bubble-team' better than the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers are currently 3 points away from the 5th seed and 7 points away from the 15th seed. However, the Oilers are insistent upon the idea that Erik Cole is on the market. Cole, a player capable of playing both LW and RW has struggled fitting into the Oilers offense, producing just 22 points in 54 games. However, his best days came with Carolina where he posted 50+ points in his final seasons along with a total of a +26. Cole is a gritty player who fights for every possession and has a knack for scoring too, a perfect fit in the Claude Julien system. Given the Oilers rumored asking price (Sobotka and Lashoff) the Bruins should definitely keep a close eye on this one.

Perhaps the most intriguing option resides in Anaheim. Chris Pronger, a physical and ferocious defensmen is rumored to be on the block by the Ducks. Pronger currently makes just over 6 million dollars and is under contract for 2009-10 which makes the idea of trading for him more difficult given the Bruins current salary-cap predicament. There's no question the idea of having Chara and Pronger on the ice for 20+ minutes in the playoffs is an intriguing option for Boston and a terrifying one for their opponents his salary may not fit into the Bruins budget without the B's having to give up a key piece of their team. One idea I had is a three-way trade in which the Bruins send Manny Fernandez to Colorado, Colorado sends Jordan Leopold to Anaheim and Pronger comes to Boston.