Signing Keeps With Defense

Tag : Long Jackets
Signing Keeps With Defense-First Thinking

By Bill Tiller (Rawhide) | Thursday, July 3, 2008, 08:01 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

That’s right kids…gather ‘round. The Thrashers areindeed participants in the 2008 free agent acquisition party! Yup,Don Waddell has him a real life, genuine UFA signing. Appearentlyall it took was John Kincade of 680 The Fan going off on theThrashers organ-I-zation for their lack of action.

And like with the draft a couple weeks ago, the first suchacquisition focused on improving the defense.

Wednesday afternoon, some 27-1/2 hours after the signing seasonbegan, defenseman Ron Hainsey agreed to a 5 year $22.5 million dollar contract to play inAtlanta. He was the choice of the Montreal Canadiens with the 13thoveral pick in the 2000 entry draft and had played the past threeseasons in Columbus.

Last season the 6’-3” 209-pound native of Bolton,Connecticut played in 78 games averaging more than 22 minutes for aBlue Jackets defense that, dispite their 34-36-12 record, allowedonly 27.4 SOG, (which was sixth best in the NHL). Hopefully what hecontributed toward that stat for the CBJs can translate to betternumbers for the Thrashers’ backline.

In essence, we have replaced the 35-year old Alexei Zhitnik’s3 goals, 5 assists and a -8 in 65 games with the 27-year oldHainsey and his 8/24 and -7 in 78 games. Also, he is a playerdescribed as having “great mobility, size and reach. Can playon either side of the ice. Displays plenty of offensive upside. Iscapable of logging a ton of minutes” by sportsnet.ca.

So, Atlanta’s blueline could now look something like this:Havelid paired with Enstrom…Hainsey could be paired withXLB…Klee could be paired with Bogosian and Valabik could bethe fill-in guy. While the ultimate proof will come as the seasonunfolds, to me that defensive corps looks a bit better than what wewere treated to last winter.

Now then…since there is a dwindling few defensive players ofinterest remaining in the UFA pool, it seems as though that is thatwhen it comes to acquiring defenders via free agent signings.

Next up…could ”shopper” Don turn into“trader” Don in order to see if a center can beobtained for Kovy’s line as well as a winger or two?Possibly. The Thrashers are still in need of this kind ofhelp…plus the team still remains millions shy of the league payroll minimum.

Stuff, Stuff And More Stuff

Allan Muir of Sports Illustrated is amazed at the way NHL general managers have been throwing moneyaround. You know kinda like drunken sailors on shore leave…orpoliticians.

Ken Campbell of The Hockey News asks the question, “what exactly is going to happen to allthese long-term deals once the current collective bargainingagreement expires after the 2011-12 season”?

One high-profile player who hasn’t cashed in on the UFAmadness yet is Mats Sundin. But that is due to his choosing .