OffThePost.org

Screw you Panthros, you hosed my prognostications 2 years running. At least this team has a franchise cornerstone (2 in fact if Kane pans out), goaltending depth, an actual GM (nutty as he is) and an owner. Okay, well, the owner thing is still in litigation, but you get the point.

But taking a closer look, given all the major missteps and tragedies that have beset this franchise they're actually in pretty good shape. I also like the moves they've made thus far in the offseason. They've quietly built a decent blueline core with Enstrom and Bogosian and I think Kubina will regain the form he had in Tampa now that he's out of Toronto. At the very least it gives them a cannon at the point on the power play. Hopefully he'll fare better than previous veteran defenders in the ATL. Not sure what to make of Anssi Salmela.

Up front, the team has Kovalchuk for one more year, and the more I think about it the more I like the signing of Nik Antropov. No, he isn't fast, he isn't flashy, but he puts up decent numbers and I would assume will mesh well with Kovalchuk and Slava Kozlov.

And then there's Evander Kane. I would assume he'll make the team straight out of camp, after that, I'm not entirely sure where he fits in exactly. Seems to me like he has a built-in linemate in Colby Armstrong. There's also Bryan Little and Marty Reasoner. I'm not going to count Todd White. Dare I say it, the Thrashers actually have something resembling depth at center.

The Thrash have some cap space remaining. I read on AJC.com that the team might be interested in bringing aboard Alex Tanguay, and if the lack of interest for his services continues I won't be surprised if he lands there. There's also the fact that the team still has three goalies and only two spots...one has got to go, and it's probably Kari Lehtonen. We'll see if Waddell...or Rick Dudley...has anything more up his sleeve. So far though, the team hasn't ****ed up for once.

Kovalchuk-White-Antropov
Kozlov-Peverley-Little
Kane-Reasoner-Armstrong
Boulton-Slater-Machachek
Stewart

Bogosian-Enstrom
Kubina-Hollywood
Oystrick-Salmela
Valabik

Lehtonen/Pavelec/Moose

If this were Montreal we might get to see a top line of Sterling-White-Little, but oh well.

Hey Giants fans, was Evander a better wing or center?

I am a big Bogosian fan, he looks like the real deal. I also like that he fought (and got whupped by) Donald Brashear in his first NHL game. Welcome to the NHL kid!

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Bryan Little is the key here. He potted 31 goals last year, and gives the Thrash the outside chance of having two 40 goal scorers on one team.

Antropov could be a 75-point player here. He won't necessarily be that good, but he should rack up the points alongside Kovalchuk.

The defence is better, as they actually have a top-4, although Lehtonen is still a problem in goal. Maybe this is year Pavelec takes over the reigns.

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Anyone see Kane's goal in the Thrash/Devils game tonight? I'll have to see if YouTube has it.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/gameTrax?gameId=2009101702

Best start in franchise history, and the first team to beat Buffalo in regulation this year.

Most of this is due to the stellar play of Ilya Kovalchuk, who has only been surpassed by one other Russian in goal scoring thus far.

Why the heck are they not using Bogosian on the powerplay? He had a great shorthanded goal last night, looked like a high-end forward breaking down the wing and whipping one in. They gotta get this kid some PP time. I think they might actually be using Todd White on the point instead of him?

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Well, it was a nice start at least but now...

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=296200

Kovalchuk out 2-4 weeks.

Well, if they weren't using Bogosian on the point before during the PP I imagine they'll use him now!

Sure enough they did, and he scored a nice PP goal on a 1-timer. He also added a great goal on a rush with 1 second left.

Bogo is for real.

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I saw that last night. Awesome goal.

Unfortunately, Antropov, Enstrom, Little, Kubina, and Kozlov have exactly ZERO GOALS between them...inexcusable, especially now that Kovalchuk is out. Man up, Atlanta. Guess this might be a preview of what'll happen if Waddell fails to re-sign Kovalchuk...yeesh.

I thought it'd be fun to bump this thread.

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Injustice? Cobain died and Eddy Fucking Vedder lived to haunt us with his shitty fucking voice, trite lyrics and his Eddy Vedderness.



- Ancient Chinese Proverb

Atlanta Flame Dan Bouchard talking shit about Bettman, ASG and the parasitic, vain Don Waddell

Before the sale: http://www.tsn.ca/window/podcastcentre. ... 051611.mp3

After: http://tsn.ca/window/podcastcentre.aspx ... 053111.mp3

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I started to wonder if Av was sniffing glue, talking about Kovalchuk still being on Atlanta. Then I saw the date on his post.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.