CHICAGO – How will the Atlanta Thrashers fare in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft is yet to be seen. There are so many unknowns regarding in how this franchise will do now and in the future. First, longtime stalwart, Ilya Kovalchuk rejects the team’s contact offer and gets traded to the New Jersey Devils. Second, injury-prone “goaltender of the future” Kari Lethonen was traded to the Dallas Stars where it looks like he might end up as their number goaltender as Marty Turco’s time in the Big D looks to finally be up.
The problems don’t end there both on the ice but off it. Head Coach John Anderson and his staff were relieved of their duties with no replacement yet to be named. Team General Manager Don Waddell moved up in the organization making way for Rick Dudley. Add to that the ownership is in flux, something that has been ongoing for years as some partners try to oust others for control of an organization that also owns the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and the Philips Arena for where both teams play.
So what will the organization do with their pick and who is running the team? Will it be Dudley’s decision or will Waddell have the final say?
The team has a lot of spots to fill and a lot of salary cap room to do it with but they will need plenty of money to fill in all of their spots. Only three players are currently signed beyond this upcoming season so the juggling has begun. Don’t look for any major signings beyond 2-3 years at most for any player. Both current goaltenders are free agents with Johan Hedberg (UFA) and Ondrej Pavelec (RFA) but both should be signed with a good core of goaltenders also waiting from the AHL.
Defensively, the draft is a secondary concern since the team has a good mix of veterans and youngsters coming into their own such as Zach Bogosian and Tobias Enstrom. So the top needs will come from the forwards position as the team has two selections in the first round to satisfy the need. Look at the Thrashers to look for a top two line center as a top priority in the Draft.
You might wonder why would consider drafting a player from Russia with no transfer agreement in place? Well, consider someone as talanted as Alexander Burmistov and you will find out why. If you look at what the kid has done so far you might be impressed. He has every opportunity to play and advance his game in Russia but with his family and somewhat his team’s blessing, he decided that if he wanted to be drafted in the NHL than he needed to play in North American and get noticed.
Last season Burmistov settled in with the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League and had a stellar year. In 62 games in the regular season he notched 22 goals for 65 points and had a plus/minus of plus 32. In the OHL playoffs he had 8 goals and 16 points for the Colts. The only knock he has is his size (5’ 11” and 157 pounds). Barrie Head Coach Marty Williamson is recently quoted on NHL.com saying that “He’s got a great hockey IQ, and is a wonderful skater. He has a habit of playing well above his size and has a great feel for timing on the ice. He battles hard and is continually working on his shot to become an effective scorer, but he is a great passer and has great vision on the ice.”
With that said, expect to hear the following come draft day.
“With the eighth pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, the Atlanta Thrashers select, from the Barrie Colts, center Alexander Burmistov .”
Contact the author at matt.chin@prohockeynews.com
To learn about Alexander Burmistov click on his name.
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