Thrashers hope summer moves pay off this winter

By Bud L. Ellis

Fans of the Atlanta Thrashers are accustomed to seeing the team make a bevy of moves in the offseason, only to be disappointed with the results on the ice the following winter.

That comes with the territory when you’ve made the NHL playoffs just once in a decade of existence.

With that said, it’s easy to get excited about what the Thrashers have done this summer.

General manager Rick Dudley has opened the pipeline from his former employer in Chicago, making two deals with the defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks. First, Atlanta acquired Dustin Byfuglien, Ben Eager, Akim Aliu and Brent Sopel in a late June trade. July started with another deal with Chicago, this one landing Andrew Ladd.

The Thrashers also hired Blackhawks’ assistant John Torchetti as associate coach, signed several free agents (including goaltender Chris Mason) and, of course, inked Craig Ramsay as head coach.

Now comes the waiting until the puck drops in October to see if this summer’s moves will produce results.

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Friday, July 9, 2010 at 10:00 am by bud

Tags: Akim Aliu, Atlanta Thrashers, Ben Eager, Brent Sopel, Chris Mason, Craig Ramsay, Dustin Byfuglien, John Torchetti, National Hockey League, Rick Dudley