Ben Wright of the Blueland Blog has made the full 22 minute conference call with general manager Rick Dudley available (full audio here). Former AJC Thrashers beat writer Craig Custance, now of The Sporting News, had highlights, as does the official NHL.com story.
Dudley had been working with Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman for quite some time to arrange a deal between the two clubs. He’s very enthusiastic about the Thrashers’ newest additions, especially Dustin Byfuglien, who he calls “one of the premiere power forwards in the league.”
Dudley also states that these signings will not dissuade the club from continuing to attempt to re-sign unrestricted free agents Maxim Afinogenov and Pavel Kubina. Both are set to hit the free agent market on July 1.