*Offense:’ With Ilya Kovalchuk gone, the Thrashers, and particularly the Thrashers’ offense, will be searching for a new identity. While Evander Kane might be the future centerpiece of that identity, such expectations are far too lofty to be placed on his 19-year old shoulders this season. Offseason acquisitions Andrew Ladd, Dustin Byfuglien and Ben Eager all bring a much-needed swagger to a Thrashers club that has never won a playoff series. Still, in a division that boast superstars like Eric Staal, Steven Stamkos and Alex Ovechkin, there’s no doubt the Thrashers are outclassed.Grade: C-’'’Defense:’’’ With Ron Hainsey, Tobias Enstrom, highly touted sophomore Zach Bogosian, Johnny Oduya and veteran Brent Sopel, the Thrashers actually have a pretty decent D-corps. Most of their D-men have the ability to contribute offensively, which could be important on a team lacking in scoring depth. Still, they’re not the most defensively formidable team around, and with the offensive firepower lurking in their division, I’d rather see a few lockdown defenders than puck-handlers with scoring prowess.Grade: B
Len Robinson
Sports Pundit member
