I mentioned earlier this month that Stephen Rollins would be interested in becoming a partner in owning the Thrashers.  Funnily enough, now this has hit the news, with mentions on Puck Daddy and TSN... and as soon as it hits the news Atlanta Spirit refutes it.

He is currently not part of any group who is exploring owning a share of the Thrashers franchise - three other entities are kicking the tires, but Rollins and the rest of his four-city group aren't included.  He says that he has investors in London, New York, Los Angeles, and Atlanta.  All he needs are Tokyo and Paris, and he'll have one of those cool international clock walls.  Honestly, just because a guy is friends with Clint Eastwood on Facebook and has a "film company" doesn't mean that he'll be able to plunk down a chunk of change for a team.  He says that he'd love to own a share of the Thrashers.  While I appreciate his enthusiasm, I'd love to own a Stan Musial rookie card, but that's not going to happen either.

I'm more interested in knowing who the three groups looking at owning a share of the Thrashers are, and if they're only looking at the ownership side for hockey operations, or if they'd like to get involved with the Hawks as well.  If it's a dual thing, that restricts the ability of any new owners buying out the Spirit and moving the team.  Honestly, the ownership situation's a lot more complicated than people understand, and this hinders the team moving anywhere weird, like Quebec City or anywhere like that.  Voulez vou danser avec Thrash?

For a team who is going through a constant (it seems) re-build through a draft, losing their draft god is not exactly the best thing.  Jarmo Kekalainen is leaving the organization after this June's draft to become the GM of Jokerit in Finland, and understandably there are quite a few "what are we going to do?"s being bandied about by both Blues fans and Blues pundits - and probably by the organization itself.

As Bernie Miklasz rightfully points out in his editorial today, the Blues don't have deep pockets.  If we're going to continue to judge our progress against that of the Chicago Blackhawks, money is going to become an issue.  The Hawks were able to make a play for a big-name free agent in Marian Hossa.  Davidson has all but said no to any sort of huge signings this summer.  We poked around Kovalchuk at the deadline, realized that the price was too high, and went back to building from within.

That building has gotten the Blues some outstanding young talent, though while not stars yet (as Bernie says) are solid players.  It could be said that the reason that theyr'e not superstars yet is because they're on a team in building mode, and a team that doesn't exactly get the national attention as the Hawks and their huge signings do.  If the kids keep playing the way that they have been, they should be able to make their own stardom, and this includes prospects that will be getting a crack at the big club this season and next.  The Blues require an inordinate amount of patience, to be sure, but all it takes would be a solid signing or two come July 1st, and this team'll make the playoffs next season.  The Blues would owe a huge amount of that success to Kekalainen.

Or would they?  According to the Post Dispatch's Hockey Guy Jeff Gordon, the past drafts weren't exactly perfection.  Well, duh.  Is now the time to nitpick?

Well, this isn't necessarily good news or good timing.  A month away from the 2010 Entry Draft, the Blues' director of amateur scouting, Jarmo Kekalainen, has decided to resign his post and return to his native Finland to be the GM of Jokerit.  This is not particularly good news for us, though it is good news for Kekalainen and Jokerit and I'm sure Blues fans wish him the best.

But really - now?  Before the draft, and before Doug Armstrong takes over as GM?  Horrible timing.  Armstrong and outgoing GM Larry Pleau now have to poke around for a replacement, all while probably relying on previous scouting reports and any assistant scouts' ideas, to figure out who to draft.  The combine starts today - who in the world are the Blues going to send up there?  JD, I'm sure, as well as Armstrong and possibly Pleau... but no one knows about the prospects like Kekalainen does.  We're picking in the middle of the pack, so there aren't any surefire picks that'll be handed to us.

Kekalainen's expertise has landed the Blues some outstanding players over the past several seasons - Lee Stempniak, David Perron, Lars Eller, TJ Oshie, Roman Polak, David Backes, Alex Pieterangelo, Erik Johnson, and Patrik Berglund were all scouted by him.  With the exception of Stempniak, all of them are still in the Blues organization, and all look to be future keystones to this franchise.

The Blues need to take a look at TSN's off-season game plan for them, (my expert analysis forthcoming) but first thing's first - get someone to fill this position, and stat.  Who they'll get with his level of talent, I have no idea.  The team might not want to spend a lot on a big name free agent, but they better get someone good to fill these shoes.

EDIT: In an intervew with Jeremy Rutherford of the Post-Dispatch, Kekalainen said that he'll be joining the Blues at the combine and at the draft.  *whew*

As summer begins, and we reach that awkward month left before the draft, news is sparse on both the Thrashers and Blues.  You probably won't see any draft research here on prospects and who both teams need to pick and whatnot - I'll leave that to the pros at Birdwatchers Anonymous and St. Louis Game Time.  I've decided to be mildly lazy with the big articles for now, at least until some big stuff happens.  I went back and scoured the 45 or so "Tuesdays With Hildy" features I've written for Game Time, and tried to find the ones that would fit best over here.  Honestly, this one is a fantastic representation of the tightrope I walk when the Blues come to town.  I figure it's appropriate now seeing so many opposing fans in the other team's barn during these playoffs.  Enjoy.

It's hard.  You're about 900 miles away from home.  This new place you're at isn't a vacation destination.  Actually, it's become more of a temporary permanent residence.  You've been there for a little while, and it's a strange place.  No one knows what the hell a real toasted ravioli is (you know, the kind with meat).  People are fair weather fans who only show up to baseball games when the team wins... maybe.  The oldest place to eat is the new Applebee's down on the corner, and stabs at tradition usually involve fire and a pissed off Northern guy.

But one thing about your new temporary permanent but still temporary place of residence actually caught your attention.  There's something there that you like.  It reminds you of something that you miss... something that you never dreamed that you would see for a very, very long time.  You've, against your best judgement, fallen for another hockey team.  They will never replace your hometown team.  Ever.

But you still go to their games.  You still cheer them on - know their players, know their stats, and know their quirks.  You've been following them since the team's beginning (or maybe not, depending on the town you're now in), and you consider yourself a fan and emotionally invested in them.

And then the team that you've loved since childhood comes down to play.

Just a quick cross-promotional stunt here... if you guys get a chance, please to check out my feature story on the Plager Brothers over at The Hockey Guys.  Special thanks to Anthony for suckering me into writing it up - can't wait to get some more features out!

Soon to be coming to NHL HotStove - a feature on the Thrashers' goaltending situation once I can figure out what the heck's going on with Hedberg's contract and if he'll even have one for next season.

I know exactly diddly and squat about this kid aside from the fact that he's Russian and he was a Blues' pick (221st overall) in the 2003 draft.  Evgeny Skachkov netted 22 goals and 36 points in 51 regular season games this year for Traktor, which according to the Game Time Prospect Department puts him at an AHL level of production.  Does anyone out there have the scoop on this kid?  A quick left winger is always appreciated, but I'd love to see a little more information.

Hockey's Future only has a little bit on him, rating him a 5.5 D (3rd-4th line forward who is unlikely to reach potential) and mentioning that his point totals would have probably been higher had he been on a better team with stronger players.  The only youtube video I've found on him is this - he scores the first goal just about from the line.

According to Kevin Allen of USA Today (and dug up and posted over at BWA by Tim), the Thrashers have had positive talks with both Pavel Kubina and Maxim Afinogenov as far as the two UFAs re-signing.  It's commonly felt among Thrashers fans and hockey analysts alike that those are the two key pieces for the Thrashers to lock-up going into the new season.  Afinogenov, while a -17 for the season, was second on the Thrashers in scoring with 61 points (24-37-61), and several of his goals were memorable last second ones that put the Thrashers on top.  Kubina, after having an absurdly high +/- for most of the season finished even, but he did also finish with 31 points and solidified his pairing with Enstrom as the best on the team.  His numbers suffered with some of the defensive juggling and injury issues that he and the team both had at the end of the year, but the defensive corps this season, with the addition of him, were the best that this team has seen.

The Thrashers apparently have no chance of locking up Colby Armstrong, however.  That really doesn't make me upset.  I've been critical of Army here in the past because of his sluggishness on ice, his lack of offensive ability this season, and his borderline hits that do more damage to his team than to the guy that he just lept into with his elbow (or, this year, with his forearm/hand).  He was invisible for good stretches this season, and his on-ice decisions as well as his off-ice demeanor (referring to the team in the 3rd person as "they" and "them" several times in interviews; publicly questioning his return to the team if Kovalchuk was traded) was very unbecoming of an assistant captain.

He can be a cheeseball and be the fan guy at all of the town halls all that he wants to, but he contributed a minimal amount to the team this season.  He's still in high demand around the league for some reason, and whatever team signs him will find out sooner rather than later the kind of player they signed versus the kind of player that they wanted.

There seems to be some pressure to sign our 2nd round pick from the 2009 draft, Carl Klingberg, to play next season on the 3rd line, possible with Patrice Cormier (if he doesn't wind up in the pokey, which he probably won't).  Cormier and his ability to crack the team next season has been talked up by both Waddell and Dudley, so perhaps this might signal a line promotion for Kane, as well as some possible PP time.  Armstrong was out on the PP too often, as was Todd White, and the power play might be something whatever new coach we get here can fix.

According to TSN, we're set to interview former Manitoba Moose coach Scott Arniel this week.  This isn't a huge shock, considering that rumors have been going around for a while that we were interested in him, and that he's going to be making the rounds anyway this off-season.  He's a tiny bit in demand.

Also, there appears to be a log jam in goal, which is just something that no franchise wants. /sarcasm

The Thrashers, according to Ben and the Blueland Blog, have snagged prospect goaltenders Carrozzi and Pasquale from the OHL for entry level contracts.  With them signed, Mannino and MacIntyre at the Wolves, and Hedberg and Pavelec here in Atlanta, the team's set for the future.  Mannino, MacIntyre, and Pavelec are all RFAs, and Hedberg is a UFA - but a UFA that the team would really like to see back.  Leaving Moose aside and just looking at the prospects, this is the best crop of goaltending that the team has ever had - another season like 2005-2006, where the team missed the playoffs thanks to issues on that front, is increasingly unlikely.

Of course, something like 10 goalies have dressed for the Flyers this year, and that's soooo held them back.  Seriously, if you compare their goalie depth to ours, and what they've done this season, to the Thrashers' current overall team makeup, issues like 2005-2006, let alone whatever happened from 2007-near the end of the 2009 season, the Thrashers seem to be in solid shape prospect wise and beyond.

Lots of press recently (more so than when the incident happened, it seems) regarding Keith Tkachuk and his dental damnation.  Frankly, after reading James Mirtle's two articles on Walt's issues, I'm fairly insulted that he had to share the TSN No Guts, No Glory award for the season.  Ok, good on Nik Backstrom for blocking 3 shots in one game, but Jay McKee's been doing that since the invention of water.  Name off the top of your head, though, the number of people who have scored a goal with their face.

Still waiting.

Yep, I didn't think you could aside from Walt and his 535th goal scored as a deflection off of a TJ Oshie slapshot.  He's been in front of the net for 18 years and hadn't lost a single tooth until this past January 2nd.  He didn't just lose one - he lost six, as well as a good amount of his upper jaw, which the shot shattered on impact.  I have never been more disturbed by something that I saw happen live in a hockey game, and still looking at Tkachuk makes me wince.  It'll take a couple of years of reconstructive surgery to fix his mouth.

James Mirtle wrote a facinating piece in Saturday's Globe & Mail regarding not just Walt, but with dentistry in the NHL in general - watch out for the Belanger tooth pull video right off the bat.  It sets the tone for the whole piece, which is one of the more cringeworthy - in a good way - pieces of hockey journalism I've ever read.

Mirtle followed that piece up with another one, not just on Tkachuk, but on the issue of mouthguards in the league in general - should they be mandatory?  My God, why the hell not?  They're not the clunky ones of the NFL that are attached to the masks.  They're thin, molded to teeth so they're comfortable, and they're light - and according to Patrick Kane, they double as a pacifier in a cinch!  It wouldn't've helped Walt really, but for more incidental contact than that. they could save not just teeth, but root and nerve damage that is painful and difficult to fully repair.  And, of course, they help with prevention of concussions, which Marc Savard's happy about, I'm sure.

There've been lots of rumors circulating regarding the Thrashers - most of which just have to do with our status as an "unsuccessful" Southern team that needs to come home to Canada (see: Thrashers to Winnipeg BS).  A very good amount of these rumors do not extend south of the Canadian border, and most of them wind up with more horrific fates than the Phoenix Coyotes' worst nightmare.

Gee, thanks.

Imagine my shock and surprise when I catch what @telfo1 tweeted today - owners from Atlanta who actually want to keep the team... wait for it... in ATLANTA.

It's no surprise that Atlanta Spirit has been looking for new investors for quite a while.  Heck, they even hired evil Wall Street business (/sarc, but only kind of) Goldman Sachs to help them look for new ones a year ago.  Good on them.  Find new investors that actually recognize that there's a sport played in Atlanta that you own who don't badmouth their own fans and generally act like spoiled 3 year olds.  Please, do, find new investors that want us to succeed, not wait for every sign of failure before making moves that help the hockey product.  Wait... a new GM?  Sure!  It's been 10 years?  Better late than never!  Oh, and our hotshot new coach had the strength and resolve of a pincushion?  Yeah!  Let's fire him after our top prospects regress and our team manages to not make the playoffs in a season where there is no reason they couldn't've!  Wait... we do this a few years after we can a Stanley Cup winning coach off to an awful start with no accountability to the team?  Makes perfect sense to us.

Enter Stephen Rollins and Lightning Pictures. Who the heck are these guys?  Darn good question.  After some poking around, all that I found was this website detailing Lightning Pictures' production company.  Not exactly mind-blowing HTML, but if they have enough spare dough to buy a hockey team, that could be fixed at a fairly small price (raises hand).  Anywho, the gentleman in charge of this venture seems to be the one who started the petition to get the league back in Atlanta in the first place, so heck, why not?  He seems dedicated as does his investment backing... and the fans have been crying bloody murder for new ownership that notiices the Thrashers exist - not just the Hawks.

Any information on this will be (of course) relayed here as it develops... who knows if this'd pan out.  The Thrashers and Hawks seem to be a package deal, and the sponsorship of Philips is contingent on both teams staying put, so that willl be a hurdle to anyone who feels the need to invest in a team around these parts.

BTW, and I was remiss to not mention this yesterday, but these could probably be new investors rather than owners.  Nothing's actually clear at this point.