Just read this from about four different sources:

Thrashers are finalizing a contract extension for Rich Peverly. Well done, Waddell. We now have one more piece of the puzzle locked up.

I certainly agree with most Thrasher fans that he is one of the reasons we finished so well last year. He has blazing wheels, he finishes in tight spaces, and he has an incredible knack of finding the open player (which is obviously why we don him the "Pevs dispenser").

So now the list is down to Armstrong, Kovy, Kubina, Lehtonin (Little's contract expires next year so he is off the list for now, and Afinagenov still needs to prove himself before he is considered a valuable asset).

I do have to wonder with the way Pavlec is playing if the Thrashers are going to move Lehtonin with another player.

But who is that other player? Your guess is as good as mine, but maybe I am thinking too much.

Regardless, the Atlanta Spirit Group is opening their wallets for a lot more than they ever had, and I think the players realize there is a commitment to winning now.

It's a good sign for things to come, and after tonight's game I think we got a solid gauge of where the Thrashers stand this year since they have already played four teams from last year's playoffs.