BT's 2008/'09 NHL Season Preview: The Atlanta Thrashers

Keep on Lehtonen….

The Atlanta Thrashers waited patiently for Kari Lehtonen to finish out his career in Finland, and then waited for him to adjust to the NHL game in the AHL with the Chicago Wolves.

Following his most successful season in 2006/'07, the Thrashers thought the last thing they’d have to do would be wait for Lehtonen once again.

But following a troublesome groin injury, the Thrashers had to start the season without their No. 1 goalie, and they had to rely on the play of Johan Hedberg for 16 games.

Even when Lehtonen came back though, he wasn’t enough to salvage the Thrashers’ already miserable season. Despite a .916 save percentage and a 2.90 goals against average on a fairly loose defensive squad (loose is putting that...well...loosely), Lehtonen has started to resemble Roberto Luongo during his Panthers years—a great young goalie, mired with a franchise that annually struggles to stay out of the basement.

Roberto Luongo was better at staying healthy than Lehtonen has proven to be, but it's not like a team like the Los Angeles Kings would turn down a guy like Lehtonen. In fact...

The Los Angeles Kings trade an old Wayne Gretzky jersey, the Govenator Arnold, and Marc Crawford's toupee (he forgot it on his way out) for Kari Lehtonen. What? It's not like Atlanta would do anything with any real players they receive in the deal, so why not pump them up on nostalgia?

Lehtonen could easily return to form this season, stealing upwards of 35 games for the Thrashers, while Hedberg can be a serviceable backup for a few games, but without help from around the roster, the Thrashers are going to be in trouble this season.

Exelby your breath…

I’ll challenge you right now to name three of the defensemen that the Thrashers are expected to play this season.

I’m waiting…..

Stumped? Alright. The three most recognizable names on the defensive depth chart, or at least the ones you’ll want to know, would be Ron Hainsey, Garnet Exelby, and Tobias Enstrom.

Atlanta’s big free-agent acquisition this season was the former Blue Jacket, Hainsey. Following four years of bouncing back and forth between the AHL and NHL with Montreal (and Columbus for a bit), Hainsey fell into the right situation in Columbus.

The Jackets needed bodies, Hainsey was healthy, and from there on, he posted back-to-back 30-point seasons. The big thing Hainsey can do for the Thrashers, aside from his offensive “potential”, is eat minutes—something the Thrashers will need with a low-budget, unimpressive defensive unit.

Exelby and Enstrom, however, are both homegrown talents and didn't cost a ridiculous amount of money...yet. Exelby is the Atlanta equivalent to the late-'90s, early 2000s Adam Foote (Although Foote put up more points—note the phrase ATLANTA EQUIVALENT...that's important), in the fact that he can play the body, and he’ll take charge of clearing out Atlanta’s end of the ice.

For a team that is continually dominated, Exelby’s grit and steady, determined presence will be very valuable to any success the Thrashers’ expect to have.

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