On the Schneid?

Dan Boyle, please take note of how you treat the other teams in the NHL.

So last week, the Thrashers traded Ken Klee, Brad Larsen, and one of the babies (Chad Painchaud) to the Anaheim Ducks for Stanley Cup-winner, two-time All-Star, two-time Olympian, and flat-out ridiculous defenseman Mathieu Schneider. It came as a surprise to me and, at the same time, it wasn't that much of a shock. Everyone knew that Schneider was getting shipped, but I never expected him to end up in Atlanta. I especially didn't plan on sending Klee, Larsen, and Painchaud for him.

Really, three-for-one seems like a lot. And maybe it is. But we're talking about Mathieu Schneider for an aging defenseman who wasn't exactly the most mobile on the ice, an aging forward who really didn't belong on the team (because he rarely produced and was mildly effective on the penalty kill), and a prospect who may/may not pan out. I'm surprised that's all that we gave up for Schneids. I guess that Anaheim wanted Teemu Selanne that bad.

But back to the point. Blueland Blog's Ben Wright recently got together with Schneider and discussed some aspects of Schneid's game and his attitude toward the trade that sent him to the right (as opposed to left) coast. Apparently, he's liking what he's seen from the Thrashers defensive corps and that's nice. What really struck me, however, was the following comment:

Atlantathrashers.com: I'm sure Thrashers fans would be thrilled if you were able to start your career wearing 18 and end it in 18 if it meant you were staying here in Atlanta.

Schneider: "That would be tremendous. I would love to see that happen."

Throughout the entire feature, Schneider doesn't sound disappointed in the trade or the end result (i.e. ending up in Atlanta). Remember when Dan Boyle, upon hearing that he could've been on the waiver wire, commented that he'd rather get traded than getting picked off of the wire... by a team like Atlanta?


Original picture is linked!

Take a page out of Mathieu Schneider's book, Danny B. Schneids is a class act and I'm thrilled to have someone like him on this team. Sure, the ownership may suck. And perhaps we don't have the best general manager in the league. But what remains is hockey and especially some respect for the players who play it. I'm hoping that Boyle doesn't disrespect the Thrash (though he did play for the Bolts, so the possibility is there), but when you put the Thrash down, you put the entire organization down, too. Because of the rivalry, I cannot stand the Bolts and that's because of what they represent (at least in the past) - leadership and their winning ways. They always created problems for us in the past, whether it be in "simple matchups" (like there is such a thing when each game against divisional opponents means something) or pushing for the playoffs. It's fun to go to Tampa/Atlanta games because there's a ton of tension there. But that doesn't mean I have zero respect for them.

Mathieu Schneider, welcome to Atlanta! We're thrilled to have you here and we cannot wait to see what you bring to the team in terms of production, leadership, and a fantastic teammate.

Heatley/Hossa - Two Years Later

After coming across a few posts about the topic (one at the Nasty Nest and another at Hockey Buzz), I feel like I need to chime in a few words about the whole thing - you know, the trade that is still talked about to this day (obviously).

I became connected to Dany Heatley during the season following his triumphant run at the Calder Memorial Trophy. After the '01-'02 season, the Thrashers were boasting two great young talents, Heatley and Ilya Kovalchuk. This was right around the time I started following hockey again on a more regular basis. I never followed the Thrashers and I was only attentive when the once-terrible New York Islanders made a playoff run right around that time.

Needless to say, I had no knowledge of anything in the Atlanta hockey sphere, so when I finally decided to come back to the sport, it was exciting to know that some of the sport's up-and-coming stars were in town. In '02-'03, Heatley just about owned everyone at the All-Star Game, even coming up with the MVP award for his performance in the game. No one could forget the gap-toothed smile from when he captured that title. By the season's end, Kovalchuk had 38 goals and 67 points while Heatley amassed 41 goals and 89 points.

Then September 29, 2003 happened - Heatley wrecked his Ferrari while doing 80+ MPH on Lenox Road in Atlanta and tragically ending the life of his friend and teammate, Dan Snyder.

There is no way I can even comprehend what Heatley must've went through during the recovery process. So when he suggested to Thrashers General Manager Don Waddell that he'd like a trade out of Atlanta, it really shouldn't have come as a shock. To drive down Lenox Road and always remember that's where the death of your friend happened, that you were responsible, that 37's hung all around Philips Arena, that 37 was a constant reminder on your jersey - he couldn't escape the consequences of his actions in Atlanta and wanted a fresh start.

It came as a tremendous shock to the fans of the Thrashers. The fans that backed him no matter the cost, that provided endless amounts of support and forgiveness for his actions, that just wanted the best for Heatley, experienced a gamut of emotions. People sympathized with Heatley, others considered it a slap in the face to the community who was there for him. A lot of people simultaneously held both sentiments toward Heatley.

Regardless, Waddell obliged Dany's request and dealt one of the most promising starts of the NHL to perennial contender Ottawa for an elite player in Marian Hossa and journeyman defensemen Greg deVries.

As I said, the outcomes of the trade are still being discussed, argued, and overanalyzed to this very day. It was one of the bigger trades in the past few years in NHL player transactions. Two elite players were moved in the blink of an eye. Hossa was coming off productive seasons with the Senators and was pushing for more money with the team he hoped to finish his career with. Heatley was just returning to the game after his horrific accident and was a big question mark.

Would this trade ever equal out? Trading a "soft" Marian Hossa and an over-paid defenseman in Greg deVries to the Thrashers for a forward who had his best years ahead of him, but would his past and his injuries allow such promising talents to emerge?

Today marks two years after the pen met the paperwork. In those two years, Hossa was apparently worth the money he sought after in Ottawa while he's had breakout seasons for the Thrashers. Heatley has been stellar in the red and black, quieting all of those who doubted him and his abilities. But there are still the arguments as to who got the better of the deal. More so, I find a bunch of what ifs that linger on. I think the comparisons about who's career has flourished since the trade are getting a little stale, but the what ifs clearly remain.

Back when the trade occurred, I just couldn't believe the news. It was I think my first day back at Georgia State and Lindsey and I were driving around Atlanta after classes to find some dinner. I ended up getting a call on my phone from my friend Zack who informed me that "our German sensation was traded today." Instantly I tuned in 680 on my car radio and heard the truth myself. I couldn't believe it. Here's a player I'm just starting to get attached to, who I really embraced following his accident and he's gone. I had to know the circumstances behind this. We ended up eating at Mellow Mushroom and watching ESPN to know more about this historical day for the Atlanta Thrashers. Eventually I found out like everyone else about Dany's reasoning for asking to be traded, who we got in return, and then Dany's response to leaving.

I definitely had Hossa on my radar in terms of fantasy players to pick up that season, but to actually have him as a Thrasher was a big deal. It was the best outcome possible for a trade and no team was getting worse after the fact. It was just a bit heart-breaking when Dany Heatley arrived in Ottawa and publicly announced at how ecstatic he was about ending up in Ottawa. I think that's where the current debate lands, at least in Atlanta - still support Heatley's efforts or consider him a traitor?

As far as I'm concerned, yes, I was a little angered over Heatley's excitement about moving out of Atlanta and to an instant contender. It bothered me that he made the transition so easily. It got under my skin that he was as good as he was at the beginning of the '05-'06 season following the lockout. But I got over it. I wish him the best in Ottawa and I hope he's able to win a Cup while there. During these playoffs, I felt awkward wanting to root for the Sens because of Heatley - did I really want him to succeed so well even though he really didn't have much to say (out loud) when it came to the Thrashers organization? Fortunately, they played the Ducks, who I liked since day one of last season. It just doesn't sit well with me that he was so excited moving to a bona fide hockey community and that he got up north as quick as he could upon his trade out of Atlanta.

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.

THIS JUST IN: Vish Out of ATL, Belanger In! (clicky)

AJC writer Craig Custance reports on the Thrashers AJC blog that hard-hitting pre-season defensive addition Vitaly Vishnevski is officially out of the Atlanta Thrashers future, having moved to Nashville in exchange for what appears to be a 3rd line center in the form of Eric Belanger.

This is the second change of scenery for Belanger in the past two days, after facing a trade from Carolina to the Preds on the 9th.

The Atlanta Thrashers website is now reporting it as well as NHL.com.

Is this the move Thrashers fans have waited for? I highly doubt it. There have been a few concerns raised about the lack of certain positions on the team - a prominent center, a PP leader, a solid D-man, etc. This move does little to address any of those areas of question, but while I do not see another move of Belanger in the future (three teams in two says, how much else can this guy take?!), I assume that there will be some shuffling around of other figures.

It's a shame that Vish was the odd man out here. His arrival to Atlanta was more-or-less positively-viewed. A hard-hitting defenseman to join the ranks of Exelby was looked at (by me, at least) with optimism for defensive strengthening. And for him to reconnect with a former teammate in Havelid (they were both blueliners in Anaheim), I thought it wasn't a bad move. I guess things didn't pan out and much wasn't put on his shoulders because he flat-out didn't bring it each night. His recent scratches from the lineup must've been an indication of what was to come.

It looks like Nashville gets a little defensive depth there with Vish in the lineup. Considering that their two big D-men are Timonen and Zidlicky, Vish gives the Preds some more bang for the buck. It wasn't like Nashville was lacking defensively, I just think that things weren't exactly looking optimal with Timonen being number one in their system and Zidlicky having a bit of an off season and a bunch of youth in the depths with Weber, Suter, and Hamhuis.

Regardless, next Tuesday's (the 20th) matchup in Carolina will be an interesting, uh, homecoming (?) for Belanger.

Remain tuned in because I'm sure that you won't hear the end of Atlanta and Don Waddell's shopping around.