One finger, stirred, not shaken

I'm gonna edit this down. You can read the full article at the site. 

Waddell not looking to shake things up

By Mike Knobler | Thursday, November 6, 2008, 07:58 PM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Thrashers rank last in the NHL standings. Their general manager suggests the best way to get the team out of last place is to leave the roster the way it is. I asked him directly whether before Sunday’s victory he’d thought about shaking things up.

“I don’t think we’re at that point by any means,” Waddell said. “I’m not looking out there right now. I like the guys we have.”

The plan for now is to play Kari Lehtonen in goal on Sunday at Carolina. That raises the question of what to do when Lehtonen, Johan Hedberg and Ondrej Pavelec are all healthy. “You try to think ahead about what you’re going to do, but every day [the situation] changes, Until we’re faced with the reality of having three guys that are ready to go, then we’ll make a decision.”

I had a lot of things to say about this but they all hinged on me being able to find a particular cartoon panel from 03 and a news article from 02, and I was unsuccessful on both fronts. So imagine a lot of wittiness here about how I don't believe a damned thing Waddell says to the media and the public, accompanied with wittier illustrations and illustrative articles to further my point. Or just nod and smile and point out how Pavelec got W#2.

Oh and photos tomorrow!

Let's talk Atlanta's goalies

Maybe you've noticed, maybe you haven't, but the goalies are kind of my wheelhouse. So allow me, if you will, some time and space to craft up some prognostications.

EDIT: So I was listening to the radio broadcast, and from what I remember, Ondrej was upset with his demotion, and it seemed that the second he was cut, his agent was calling the team, threatening that he won't report to Chicago, that they're in breach of contract, that they used the 4GAA last night out of context in deciding who the better goalies were. Now I will posit that perhaps Pony made the call in a fit of blind rage and frustration. I would have. And there are some that posit his agent (Allan Walsh, if you're interested) had been waiting for exactly a situation of this magnitude, where he caught Waddell in a lie, and in a potential breach of contract, and lo his day hath come. So in a way, Ondrej would be nothing more than a mere pawn in this little game. Which fucking sucks. I'm just not sure if I buy that, being that Walsh also reps Havlat, Elias, Fleury. Unless there is some long-buried hatched between he and D-Wad.

Back to my earlier rambling.

I think we all saw what happened end of last season when the Caps picked up Huet, but didn't do anything about Johnson or Kolzig. One goalie sat in the stands, watching his team play, and another sat on the bench, and watched his team, the franchise he'd worked his entire career to build, start tearing it up.

I don't think D-Wad'll carry 3 goalies, although that would be a convenient loophole in the cap thing, seeing as how we've got an eNORmous cushion still to play with.

So let's say you're Don Waddell. You have three options.

1. Let Pavelec walk.
2. Trade Lehtonen, keep Pavelec, Hedberg.
3. Trade Hedberg, keep Pavelec, Lehtonen.

I can sit here for another week or so and come up with totally valid theories about what will happen. I must say, this is completely and totally out of left field. At least to me. Maybe some of you knew and didn't share. But either way, we have a glut of goalies who all want to play up.

Hey remember that season we had 13 goalies? Yeahhhh, good times.

Here are my theories on those three choices:

1. Pony can walk, and likely get signed with another team in need of an upcoming goalie (Jersey maybe), or he can walk even further, and sign with the KHL. Atlanta would have to release him from his contract for that, especially given the pissing contest Radulov stirred up between the NHL and KHL. But either way, Pony got options. But would this happen? Would Waddell lose face, publicly being called out for lying (hah, it's about time someone did it in the media) and get the reputation of a GM who feeds lines to his players? Would Atlanta Spirit let it happen?

2. Off the top of my head, I can think of 5 other teams in the NHL where Kari would be a good fit, and he would have the required defencive corps in front of him to enable him to properly do his job, and not have to stop every day thing sent his way. This is a guy who loves the game of hockey. He has said in the past that if it came down to it, he'd play for less money, just so he could keep playing. And he's totally got the talent and the ability to be one of the top netminders in the NHL. The damage done to him was done by this club, and to be frank, keeping Pavelec in the same situation risks damaging him similiarly, despite Hartley being gone now. Additionally, what would the spin be on trading Kari, and what could be gotten in return? Some really great D? An all-star center for Ilya? The sky's the limit. As for the spin, he's been being groomed for his career as an NHL player, and now he's ready, what do have to offer us?  Dunno if Atlanta would want to let go of one of their only commonly acknowledged stars.

3. Which leaves Moose being traded. If I were the GM, and I love Moose a whole whole lot, but you can't make business decisions with your heart, can you? I would trade Moose if I had D-Wad's job. I would send him to a team that actually has a shot at winning the Cup, because hello, he's getting older. And there are a SHITLOAD of teams out there in desperate need of a GOOD backup. Plus the experience and leadership he brings to a team are invaluable. Would it be a crushing loss to our organisation? Yes. Which is why it probably won't happen. But it would also be a great move for Moose.

So let's say we went with option 3 and traded Moose. The next problem is, is Kari ready to mentor a younger goalie? Johan was brought in to mentor Kari specifically. And while I've not actually seen him play yet this season (DAMN IT SPORTSOUTH! STOP SHOWING FISHING!), I'm reading the event summaries and game summaries, and looking at the shot charts, and I get it. Someone just put some new garnish on it, blew off the dust, and served up the same old shit as last year. So while Kari's under the pressure of maintaining a sv% above .900, if nothing else, oh and win a game if the team could score once in a while (We love you Crusher and Army!), is that really the best time for him to be helping another goalie adjust to the NHL? Nothing against Kari at all, or Pony, but ..... perhaps....

I HAVE A BRILLIANT IDEA!

Buy out Moose's contract next season.
Give him a big fat salary to be the goalie coach from next season out
Keep Pony in the AHL this season, called up when necessary
Pony and Kari play 41/41 next season

Huh! HUH! Is that a good idea or what! I thnk it is!

So you know what we do?

We wait.

And when D-Wad invariably makes the wrong choice, and it invariably goes horribly awry, then, and only then, shall we call for his impeachment.

Who's with me?!

GM roundtable 'script

Whilst in Traverse City, you might recall I'd posted previously about DW meeting with JD and Ken Holland, sitting down ironically enough at a round table. Dan Rosen from NHL.com was there, and thusly:

 Photo courtesy Getty Images

NHL.com Roundtable Podcast (15:48)  

Below is the partial transcript, with only DW's answers (in context). Should you be interested, you can read the transcript in its entirety on NHL.com.

John Davidson -- Off the ice, I don't know Don what you think, but I'm a little nervous with that cap number going up to where it's going. It's gotten there in a hurry and that's tough on some cities.

Don Waddell -- As you said, some of our markets, our increases during the year are going to be 4 to 5 percent, not the League going up 7 to 8 percent. Trying to keep up with that, as you said, we have to find some national money and the obvious thing is TV. I know the League has worked hard at it and continues to work hard. It's certainly an aspect of the business that we have room to grow in.

Dan Rosen -- One of the things we're doing here (in Traverse City) is obviously watching prospects. Everybody has some different views on prospect development. Don, what are some of your views on prospect development?

Don Waddell -- Well, this tournament I think is really set up well for young players because I always believe when young players come to your camp, they are intimidated and this gives them an opportunity to showcase their talent against their peers. Then, by the time they come to your camp, they have a weekend under their belt. The other thing is we have always brought our top players here. Ilya Kovalchuk played here. Dany Heatley played here. Kari Lehtonen and our first pick this year, Zach Bogosian. So, I think it's a tournament that is set up for your development players to get a showcase for how we view them against the other teams' best players also.

Dan Rosen -- There are a couple of days on the calendar now that fans look forward to: Trade deadline and July 1. What do you guys think of July 1?

Don Waddell -- Well it doesn't mean a lot to us because we don't shop until July 7. We let all the big teams shop on July 1 (laughter) (Ed note - oh that's real hilarious. Laugh it up, chuckles.). Certainly, as you said, I always feel in this league everything happens for a deadline. The trade deadline, it's a crazy world because you can make those trades a week earlier, but for some reason they don't happen until the trade deadline. Nobody wants to make a decision until they're forced to make a decision, and that's the part I can't hardly figure out. I had Marian Hossa last year and a week before I couldn't get a third-round pick probably for him at that point, and two hours before the trade deadline it really heats up. So, it's interesting how we operate with deadlines, but obviously it's two key dates for building your franchise. You have three ways to build your team: Through the draft, through free agency and through the trade deadline.

Dan Rosen -- (vis-a-vis players flocking overseas to the KHL) But doesn't the NHL need the marginal players?

Don Waddell -- Well, I think there are enough players to go around at that level. If you start losing a lot of stars after a while you'd be a little concerned, but the players we've lost this year with maybe one exception are all players we can replace on our roster. And, J.D. hit it on the nose, this is the best league in the world. If a player wants to go to Europe to make money, you know it's happened before. Guys have gone to different countries for whatever reason, and you're almost better off to move on. (Ed note - Subtle dig at Wonder Twin #5?) It's something that I don't worry about at all. We have enough things to worry about. I'm a big believer of worrying about the things you can control. If we can't control it, don't fret too much about it.

Dan Rosen -- Another topic this summer is Columbus had a case of burnout with Stefan Legein, their prospect. A lot of people will say, 'How can a 19-year-old kid be burned out?' But are we treating the kids the right way? Are the kids playing too much?

Don Waddell -- No[ne]. I think this is one case. If it's a complete burnout situation, it's one case of the million players that are playing out there. It's not a factor at all.

DW in a roundtable for NHL.com

Dan Rosen posted this interesting nugget today:
THE highlight of the tournament for me happened about two hours ago when I sat down for a roundtable, State of the League discussion with Ken Holland, John Davidson and Don Waddell. There is no other place in the world where you can get the kind of access we have here, meaning there is no other place in the world where you can spend the time to sit down with three knowledgeable, veterans of the League and get their thoughts on a range of topics.

The discussion included their thoughts on the overall health of the League, their views on prospect development, on the trade deadline and the free agent frenzy, the new pro league in Russia, prospect burnout, the NHL Premiere and Winter Classic as well as changes to the goalie equipment. I had to throw that last one in there considering I had two former goalies sitting at the table.

The discussion was very informal and informational. Later this month, after we get home and get a chance to clean up the tape, we’re going to post it on NHL.com as a podcast and I will write up the transcript as well.

It’s a can’t miss item that will go up. I will post a blog when I know for sure when it’s going to go up. So, be on the lookout, you don’t want to miss this one.

USA Today: Waddell might be best choice...

Waddell might be best choice behind Atlanta bench
By Kevin Allen, USA TODAY

Atlanta Thrashers general manager Don Waddell might be steaming toward to the conclusion that his best coaching option for the rest of this season might be staring him in the face as he shaves each morning.

Although Waddell would still prefer to name a permanent coach, it seems more likely each day that he will retain the title as interim coach for the remainder of the season.

Several factors might be pushing him toward that decision, including the fact that most of top assistant coaches around the NHL don't have in-season out clauses and their general managers won't give Waddell permission to talk to them until the summer.

Second, with the Thrashers' ownership in limbo because of a legal squabble, Waddell could have trouble securing ownership approval for a long-term hire.

But the most important factor of all is that the Thrashers players seem to be responding well to Waddell's coaching style. After starting 0-6, the Thrashers are now 4-2 under Waddell, even though they have played five of those six games on the road.

Essentially what Waddell has done has pumped optimism into a team that was being suffocated by the weight of its self-doubt and its weariness of Bob Hartley's style. In a world where everyone is always complaining about something, Waddell always acts as if he is always thankful to make a living in the hockey business. He is well respected around the NHL, and if he gets fired from the Thrashers, it is presumed that he would soon find new employment with the league office or with another team. Most people in hockey like Waddell because he always treats everyone with respect. He seems to be an optimistic person by nature, and that seems to be rubbing off on the Thrashers. His speech on his first day was to forget about the 0-6 start because his approach was they were starting with clean slate.

The team still looked sloppy defensively in his first couple of games behind the bench, but the Thrashers have slowly started to tighten in the recent. And their 3-2 win against Montreal was probably their best game of the season.

Waddell has also made his mark as a coach in more tangible ways:

• Empowering Ilya Kovalchuk by giving him more ice. He played more than 23 minutes against Montreal and played 26 minutes against Toronto. Kovalchuk and Hartley had a dysfunctional relationship, and Kovalchuk seems to be responding to Waddell's style. He has three goals, five assists and two shootout goals under Waddell's command.
• Creating a fourth line of Eric Boulton, Jim Slater and Chris Thorburn that seems to give the team some energy. They make contact. They draw penalties and they don't get scored on.
• Inserted defenseman Mark Popovic into the lineup and benched Steve McCarthy. That probably showed the team that Waddell will make difficult decisions. McCarthy competes aggressively, and gives his coach what he has, but he was minus-13. Popovic plays safer than McCarthy, and his steadiness has also helped Alexei Zhitnik start to emerge from his slump.
• He cut Zhitnik's minutes because he decided he wasn't in shape, and he needed to regain his confidence. He played more solidly against Montreal.
• Moved rookie Bryan Little and Darren Haydar to play with Kovalchuk, and he's trying to get Marian Hossa started by playing him with Todd White and Eric Perrin.
• Empowering prize rookie Little. He used Little in a shootout over Hossa, and he's showing confidence him in key situations. But he's also keeping him honest, pulling him aside for a brief discussion after he saw not hustling back on defense.

Basically, Waddell is selling enthusiasm and everyone seems to be buying in.

This team still ranks among the NHL's shakiest defensive teams, but Waddell seems to have made a difference. The Thrashers have looked stingier over the past couple of days. Waddell is not working with the league's most talent-laden roster, and certainly he bears responsibility for that. As GM, he pulls the levers behind the curtains. He has made decisions that haven't helped. The signing of Steve Rucchin was a mistake. Waddell is glad he has Bobby Holik, but his $4.5 million salary has made it difficult to build any depth. But the ownership issues also haven't helped him. He didn't have the money this past summer to acquire a free agent to help on defense, and he watched free agents Jonathan Sim, Eric Belanger and Andy Sutton move away.

Waddell has other options for a coach, including assistant Brad McCrimmon, who is popular with his players. Chicago Wolves coach John Anderson is a possibility. Pat Quinn's friends around the NHL are lobbying on his behalf.

But Waddell seems disappointed that he can't reach out to the top assistant coaches around the NHL. He certainly would like to look at Mike Sullivan in Tampa Bay, and presumably he would consider Nashville assistant coach Brent Peterson. He might be thinking that he will have a deeper pool of talent if he can wait until the summer to make his decision.

If Waddell could squeeze out another win in either Ottawa or Tampa Bay, this would have been amazingly impressive road trip under the circumstances. He's selling his players on the fact that they have already played almost 25% of their road games and a now favorable schedule will allow the Thrashers to climb back into contention.

Waddell is optimistic to the point that he truly believes that. He probably is the right guy to finish the season as Atlanta's coach.