Will the Thrashers choose a blueliner?

ATLANTA, GA – With the abysmal 29th ranked defense in the NHL, it is no secret that Atlanta Thrashers General Manager Don Waddell is aware of the need to improve the team’s defensive presence. The question is, should he use the entry draft, rely on possible free agent signings, or trade picks and prospects to shore up the sagging blueline? Picking at the number four position in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft most likely means that John Tavares, Victor Hedman, and Matt Duchene will have been the previously drafted at positions 1-3. Atlanta’s choice at number four is slightly less clear cut. Forwards Evander Kane and and Brayden Schenn will likely be available to Atlanta with the fourth pick and the safe money is that it should be Kane. The Thrashers talented Russian winger, Ilya Kovulchuk, has had discussions with Thrashers management regarding his future and no doubt has asked the team to get him some help, but without some defensive improvement, more scoring is not the answer. Basing the pick on immediate need is a risky maneuver when you consider the maturation time for these 18 year olds. However, Waddell was able to get a young defenseman in last years draft who paid immediate dividends. The Thrashers 2008 first round pick, Zach Bogosian, was the single bright light on the blueline for Atlanta despite only playing in 47 games last season due to a leg injury. Is Waddell thinking of rolling the dice again on a possible NHL capable d-man?

Big, skilled, and powerful, Jared Cowen, from the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs, could be as NHL ready as the highly touted Swedish defensive prospect, Victor Hedman. Although a late season knee injury shortened Cowen’s season and required surgical repair in late January, his rehab is reported to be going very well and the seriousness of the injury was much less than originally thought. If Waddell or any of the Atlanta scouts want to know about Cowen’s prognosis, all they need to do is contact the father of Thrasher center Colin Stuart. Dr. Mike Stuart, a well known orthopedic surgeon in Minnesota, performed Cowen’s surgery at the Mayo Clinic. Ever the games-man, Waddell speaks of the possibility of trading the pick for the right price and parrot’s the words of nearly every GM in the league, claiming that they will be drafting the best player available, but who that player turns out to be may be open to interpretation. Trading for a proven defenseman may be the way to improve that aspect of the teams game but in order to make a trade, the Thrashers will lose some of their promising youngsters and will most likely have to pay a relatively high premium to make a trade happen. Signing free agent defensemen is an even greater challenge especially since Atlanta will have to overpay in order to accomplish improving the blueline. Many free agents may not see the Thrashers as a good option to advance their NHL careers and will ask for larger contracts to play for a lower ranked team. Considering all of these challenges to improving the defense, perhaps the Atlanta best method is to draft a probable NHL ready defenseman, especially with the one hockey quality that can not be taught, which is size. That said, expect to hear these words come from Don Waddell at the draft. “With the number four pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, the Atlanta Thrashers welcome, from the Spokane Chiefs of the Western Hockey league, defenseman, Jared Cowen.” Contact the author at Terry.Sanford@prohockeynews.com