SB Nation Atlanta - Atlanta Thrashers Add To The Blueline And Coaching Staff; Are RFA Contracts Next?https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46601/atlanta-fave.png2010-09-13T19:41:39-04:00http://atlanta.sbnation.com/rss/stream/13980932010-09-13T19:41:39-04:002010-09-13T19:41:39-04:00Thrashers Re-Sign Niclas Bergfors To A Short Deal
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<p>The Thrashers have officially re-signed Niclas Bergfors to a<a href="http://www.capgeek.com/players/display.php?id=793" target="new"> one year, $900,000 deal today</a>. Bergfors makes up one third of the top line for the next season, and his re-signing was a major focus of the owners over the off-season. The all-rookie twenty four goal scorer’s contract was made official today, probably officially marking the end of all deals until the end of training camp.</p>
<p>Bergfors was acquired by the Atlanta Thrashers in the trade that sent Ilya Kovalchuk to New Jersey. Bergfors kept pace with Kovalchuk after the trade, and his game flourished in Atlanta’s wide open system. Look for his numbers to increase under a full year with the Thrashers on Nik Antropov’s line.</p>
https://atlanta.sbnation.com/2010/9/13/1686999/thrashers-re-sign-niclas-bergforsLaura Astorian2010-08-30T12:41:54-04:002010-08-30T12:41:54-04:00Thrashers Hit A Snag With Bergfors?
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<p>According to Rick Dudley in an interview with Chris Vivlamore, the talks with Niclas Bergfors’ camp have stalled.</p>
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<p>“Once again, perhaps what we view the player and what they view the player may not be exactly the same,” Dudley said. “The truth is, and I’ve kept to this, we will not do a deal where if there is a situation where we placed a player on waivers tomorrow, would he be claimed? If we are going to give him more money than that, then it’s silly. That’s been true of every player we’ve signed.”</p>
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<p>Bergfors is a restricted free agent who declined to go to arbitration, so he is a bit stuck. Other teams could offer up an offer sheet for him, but generally speaking that doesn’t happen very often. Dudley’s comment regarding waivers and claiming hearkens back to what he said concerning Clarke MacArthur, who was signed by the Toronto Maple Leafs for significantly less than what the arbitrator awarded him.</p>
<p>Both the Thrashers’ and Bergfors’ contract offers are undisclosed.</p>
https://atlanta.sbnation.com/2010/8/30/1658647/thrashers-hit-a-snag-with-bergforsLaura Astorian2010-08-23T13:48:09-04:002010-08-23T13:48:09-04:00Thrashers Lock-Up Bryan Little
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<p>The Thrashers have re-signed Bryan Little to a three-year contract extension. <a href="http://capgeek.com/players/display.php?id=342" target="new">According to capgeek.com</a>, Little is set for a pay raise, with a cap hit if $2,833,333. This is up from his previous hit, which was only $900,000.</p>
<p>Little scored 13 goals and 21 assists last season, which saw his ice time on the power play decrease. The previous year, Little was part of a line with Slava Kozlov and Todd White. This line was the top line on the second power play pairing and was responsible for creating career years for all three. Unfortunately that was not replicated last season, as Little’s goal totals fell from his career high 31.</p>
https://atlanta.sbnation.com/2010/8/23/1637812/thrashers-lock-up-bryan-littleLaura Astorian2010-08-21T15:31:14-04:002010-08-21T15:31:14-04:00Thrashers Apparently Sign Andrei Zubarev To A Deal
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<p><a href="http://capgeek.com/players/display.php?id=1868" target="new">According to CapGeek.com</a>, the Thrashers have signed Zubarev to a two year two way contract at a $687,000 cap hit, including bonuses. The defensemen competing for a spot at camp are now:</p>
<p>Zach Bogosian<br>
Ron Hainsey<br>
Toby Enstrom<br>
Johnny Oduya<br>
Brent Sopel<br>
Boris Valabik<br>
Freddy Meyer<br>
Arturs Kulda<br>
Andrei Zubarev</p>
<p>A couple of these guys are going to go to the <span class="caps">AHL</span> and be disappointed about it, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see one get traded before the start of the season – all of this coming from the four beneath Sopel on that list.</p>
https://atlanta.sbnation.com/2010/8/21/1635228/thrashers-sign-andrei-zubarevLaura Astorian2010-08-20T18:06:33-04:002010-08-20T18:06:33-04:00Bryan Little and Andrei Zubarev Close To Signing Contracts
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<p>Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution <a href="http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-thrashers-blog/2010/08/20/looks-like-thrashers-close-to-deals-with-little-zubarev/?cxntfid=blogs_atlanta_thrashers_blog" target="new">reports that Bryan Little and Andrei Zubarev are in town and skating at the Ice Forum</a> for an informal team skate. Both seem positive that something will be worked out as far as contract talks go, and C-Viv seems positive that signing announcements will come in the week.</p>
<p>Little will be encouraged to get as close to his 31 goal campaign as he possibly can this year, after dropping off and only scoring 13 goals last season. His numbers suffered in a classic guilt by association setting when Todd White and Slava Kozlov disappointed on the power play and Little stumbled with them.</p>
<p>Zubarev was the Thrashers’ sixth round pick in 2005, and the defenseman has been <a href="http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=77365" target="new">playing in Russia since then</a>. No word on when (or if) he will be coming over to join the team if a contract deal gets done.</p>
https://atlanta.sbnation.com/2010/8/20/1634113/bryan-little-and-andrei-zubarev-close-to-signing-contractsLaura Astorian2010-08-20T17:49:45-04:002010-08-20T17:49:45-04:00Atlanta Thrashers Add To The Blueline And Coaching Staff; Are RFA Contracts Next?
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<p>Adding some confusion and just a touch more speculation to the mix, <a href="http://thrashingtheblues.com/2010-articles/august/somethings-up-thrashers-sign-defenseman-freddy-meyer.html" target="_blank">the Thrashers have signed unrestricted free agent Freddy Meyer</a>, late of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lighthousehockey.com/">New York Islanders</a>, to serve as a possible 7th defenseman. <a href="http://atlanta.sbnation.com/2010/7/28/1593029/thrashers-kulda-valabik-defense" target="_blank">I speculated a while ago that the 7th man would probably be between Boris Valabik and Arturs Kulda, who'd alternate in on the third pairing whenever needed.</a> Well, so much for that.</p>
<p><a href="http://capgeek.com/players/display.php?id=1092" target="_blank">The team extended Meyer a one year, two way contract at a $600,000 cap hit</a>. This gives room for Kulda to continue to develop as a player if need be and get called up whenever the team feels like he has hit the point where he could play in the NHL full time. Valabik and Meyer would alternate on the third pairing with probably <span>Brent Sopel</span>. Honestly, the third defensive pairing depends an awful lot on Valabik's ACL and Kulda's development. Valabik was playing extremely well between injuries last season; as Ben Wright points out he was plus or even in 20 of the 23 games he was in, which is an impressive stat. <a href="http://bluelandblog.com/2010/08/20/catching-up-with-boris-valabik/" target="_blank">Ben has a Q&A with Boris up at the Blueland Blog</a> that sounds positive, at least from the big defenseman's point of view.</p>
<p>Continuing the busy day that the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/teams/atlanta-thrashers">Thrashers</a> had yesterday, the <a href="http://bluelandblog.com/2010/08/19/clint-malarchuk-hired-as-goaltending-consultant/" target="_blank">team hired Clint Malarchuk as goaltending consultant</a>. Malarchuk, you might remember, is the goalie known for his unfortunate brush with death when a skate knicked his carotid artery in 1989. Happily, he has built a much more successful career as a goaltending consultant. The Thrashers have never had an official goaltending coach that I can think of - Steve Weeks almost kind of filled that duty - which explains the stunted development of <span>Ondrej Pavelec</span> and the atrocious conditioning of <span>Kari Lehtonen</span>. In all honesty, the closest that the Thrashers have come to a goaltending coach was former back-up <span>Johan Hedberg</span>. Frankly, the team didn't pay him enough to be a player coach. Pavelec should benefit from the mentorship of <span>Chris Mason</span>, but he needs a professional coach to help him as well. Malarchuk has experience with the other goaltending Mason in the league - <span>Steve Mason</span> - and coached him in his Vezina Trophy winning rookie campaign. He was not responsible for whatever you want to call Mason's season last year.</p>
<p>So, any more contractual papers coming out here soon? *wink wink nudge nudge*</p>
https://atlanta.sbnation.com/2010/8/20/2319646/atlanta-thrashers-add-to-the-blueline-and-coaching-staff-are-rfaLaura Astorian