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

Erik Christensen is another one of those players who has the potential to produce but just isn’t showing it. In the AHL: 97 points in 141 games. Not overly impressive, but it is something. In 153 NHL Games: 70 points.

In his young career, Christensen may be running out of time before he’s labeled as a third liner.

Bryan Little is the forward to watch right behind Kovalchuk on this roster, though. If the Thrash can entice Ilya to stick around, the chemistry that these two could develop is crazy, as Little’s deft passing ability and playmaking vision, and Kovalchuk’s shot could combine to be a dangerous combination.

Hell, because Little is so small, he could even help out Colby Armstrong—not only with his passing abilities, but Little’s ironic lack of size could give Colby someone to stand up for. That's something, isn't it?

Jason Williams will offer some scoring ability, but he’ll also be expected to help develop a guy like Jim Slater, who just has never put the tools he’s got together. If Williams can return to his 20-goal potential, then "Slates" has an effective weapon to whom he can pass the puck off, but also a player who can draw the opposition’s defenders and get Slater some room.

The other two players to watch out for on the Thrashers this season would be Brett Sterling and Angelo Esposito—two young players who could flourish if they see some quality playing time, especially if Todd White repeats his Todd White-esque 2007/'08.

Aside from that, the Thrashers are bogged down with energy line and reserve forwards. Both are nice in moderation, but  the abundance of them on the roster makes it hard to take this team seriously.

 

So what does it all mean?

Remember that Roberto Luongo/Florida Panthers comparison I used a little earlier to describe Kari Lehtonen? Well, it goes a little deeper.

The Thrashers are going to be looking like the Luongo-era Florida Panthers for a little while longer—they’ll draft some excellent players (I mean, even Atlanta can't mess up a top-three pick right? Oops...sorry Patrick Stefan) and will always have the possibility of being a young exciting team, but the players may end up taking longer than expected to develop, leading the Thrashers to become impatient and sign stopgap solutions.

On the bright side, it only took six or seven years for things to finally start looking up in Florida.

Maybe the addition of Atlanta to their division had something to do with it.

Fifth in Southeast

 

Alright, I promise that the next of these previews won't be as bitter or as biased as this one—and don't get me wrong, Atlanta has some ok players—but it was really too easy, I mean, they're the Steve Urkel of the NHL.

Anyhow, we'll continue with the Southeast tomorrow. Until then...

Bryan Thiel is a Senior Writer and an NHL Community Leader for Bleacher Report. If you'd like to contact Bryan, you can do so through his profile, or you can read all of his previous work in his archives.

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