November 28, 2008 Ron Hainsey has a bum ankle, a cut on his calf (from a skate) and an injured nose from a stick, but he doesn't figure to miss any game action, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Our View:Hainsey has produced as expected in his first year in Atlanta with three goals and 12 points in 21 games as he has helped to provide a nice boost on the offensive side of things even if his plus/minus is less than impressive (-6).
October 12, 2008 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the Thrashers appear to be getting their money’s worth out of defenseman Ron Hainsey , who signed a five-year, $22.5 million free-agent contract over the summer. Hainsey has played more minutes than any other Thrasher in each of their two games. He has a goal and two assists, the second of which came on the overtime-forcing goal Saturday at Florida.
Our View:He’s a key member of both the power play and the penalty kill units, and he’s been so strong when the teams are at even strength that he and defensive partner Garnet Exelby lead the Thrashers in plus-minus, at plus-three. He had 32 points in 78 games last season and appears to have a larger role in Atlanta this season.
October 3, 2008 Ron Hainsey and Mathieu Schneider may end up as a defensive pairing for the Thrashers even though neither is known for their defensive acumen, according to The Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Our View:We are dubious of any team loading up one d-pairing with two offensive defensemen as the standard is to pair an offensive skater with a defensive minded player for ample coverage in both zones. Regardless of the pairings, Hainsey should produce solid number in his first season in Atlanta.
