Lucky Sevens?

So yeah, it's been a while. The ladyfriend and I went to Raleigh to enjoy an away game that was a great one (more on the experiences with this later). We enjoyed the Tampa game from the comfort of our homes, and got disgusted at the gnat that is Martin St. Louis. And we enjoyed sneezing, coughing, and whining during the heartless and mistake-filled loss to Carolina last night.

And then there are these two trades that Don Waddell put together in the past couple of days.

I guess now's not the time of year to start slacking on updates or anything, really.

Just addressing these trades, it's pretty shocking that there was a straight-up trade with Philly, Coburn for Zhitnik. Coburn provided promise for the next few years. Immediately, he didn't come into the team's framework for success. And I'm guessing that's understandable. I mean, after Waddell's ridiculous "guarantee" that the Thrashers were making the playoffs last season, he really needed to pull through this season. But looking at both of these trades (Zhitnik, and Glen Metropolit and everything under the kitchen sink for Keith Tkachuk), it just seems to me that we overpayed a ton for players for the present.

Like I said, Coburn provided promise for the future, and we gave that up for an aging Zhitnik. And then we give up Metropolit (who was an early fave of mine, just because of that name that I always mispronounced, and I preferred it that way) and a bunch of draft picks for a NAME. Sure, Tkachuk can provide that spark and has some great seasons under his belt. But now? I don't know, it just doesn't seem that much like a great deal. Especially with all that we gave up.

Look around the league and you'll see somehow other teams are figuring out the trade market. Carolina gets Anson Carter (who also could provide a great spark, but has yet to find any kind of chemistry this season with Columbus) for a fifth-round pick in '08. Anaheim shops out young d-man Shane O'Brien to Tampa for some goalie and a first-round pick in '07. Despite Carter having a career season with the Sedins in Vancouver last season and having nothing going on in Columbus, I still think that he's nothing to really laugh about. On a team like Carolina, he can cause some serious damage for the opposition (especially division-rivals Atlanta). So to get a legitimate threat for sooooo little is pretty outstanding. And once again Anaheim works their magic by planning for something big later on and getting a first-round pick in next year's draft for #4 or #5 defenseman to the Lightning. Don Waddell should see something here, things that were put on the table already and figure out how the market works. I'm sure that Waddell made an offer to John Davidson and either JD jumped at the chance or really twisted DW's arm (and leg, and neck...) to get this deal done for Tkachuk.

It's common knowledge that this is a big season for everyone - fans, players, GMs, and coaches. With these moves, Waddell gambles tons for instant success. Will all of this work pay off in the end and the Thrashers will not only make it into the playoffs but be a legitimate threat once there? We'll see. But with these moves, it's apparent that playoffs-or-bust is not what's being looked at here. Everyone knows that what the team brings to the table is playoff-worthy, but how far could the current team go? Would a quick first-round exit really mark a successful season for this franchise? Personally, I don't feel like that's really much of an accomplishment - to squeak into the post-season and then find ourselves with an early exit.

Stack the team now, try to really make a statement for the rest of the season and hope it lingers into the next season and then maybe more success will come. I'm assuming that's the mentality behind these trades. Regardless, I'm hoping that these moves put a cattle prod up the team's collective ass and get something started. After last night's effort against Carolina (and the defensive lapses that resulted in a few goals), it's clear that something needed to be done. Here's to hoping that this works out and that we once again sit at the top of the Southeast Division at the end of the season.