The big story in Atlanta was Ilya Kovalchuk, and whether or not the star Russian winger that has been the face of the franchise for years would stay or go. In the end, Kovalchuk made it clear that he did not want to stay in Atlanta, turning down numerous contract offers of ridiculous amounts and lengths. With that drama behind them, the Thrashers made a serious push at the playoffs but came up just a bit short.
Offense: C It’s too bad Kovalchuk forced a trade, because the combination of his impressive talent with Nik Antropov and Maxim Afinogenov has been pretty effective for the Thrashers at the start of the season. Afinogenov enjoyed a bounce back year in his first season out of Buffalo, finishing with 24 goals and 61 points. Antropov led the team in points with 67, a career high for him. Rich Peverley was probably the biggest surprise, coming out of nowhere to score 22 goals and 55 points. Last year’s first round pick Evander Kane was also impressive, finishing with 14 goals and 26 points, as well as 62 penalty minutes. Niclas Bergfors, acquired in the trade that sent Kovalchuk to New Jersey, gives the Thrashers another piece of their offensive puzzle with which to build this team.
Defense: D-
Only 5 teams gave up more goals than the Thrashers this year, which was a big reason they won’t be making an appearance in the postseason. Of the Thrashers’ d-men that played more than 40 games, only Pavel Kubina had an even plus/minus rating. Tobias Enstrom and Zach Bogosian are two very good young defensemen that give Atlanta some hope for the future. The acquisition of Johnny Oduya at the deadline could be more valuable than people think, as he has a decent amount of experience, despite his youth, and should be considered a key part of the team moving forward.
Goaltending: D Kari Lehtonen was once considered the unquestioned starter for the Thrashers, but his injury before the season even started left a gaping hole in net for Atlanta. Ondrej Pavelec showed flashes of brilliance, despite his 3.29 GAA and 18 losses, and the Thrashers must have been sure enough of his ability, because they dealt Lehtonen to Dallas before the season’s end. Johan Hedberg was more reliable down the stretch, winning 21 games and posting a 2.62 GAA. “Moose” may be the short term answer, but I think Atlanta’s grooming Pavelec to be the goalie of the future.
Special Teams: C- The Thrashers weren’t terrible at killing off their own penalties, allowing just 57 powerplay goals against, which put them just below the league average in terms of penalty killing efficiency. Their powerplay on the other hand, was one of the worst in the league, scoring just 51 goals in 316 attempts, an efficiency rate of just over 16%. The loss of Kovalchuk definitely hurt, as he had more powerplay goals in the 49 games he played with the Thrashers than any other member of the team would finish the year with.