| Newsbreakers |
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| Ondrej Pavelec has refused to accept his assignment to the AHL, according to TSN. The 21 year old keeper feels the team lied to him. "When Ondrej signed two years ago, [Thrashers GM Don Waddell] gave Ondrej his word. He sat there at the table and gave Ondrej his personal word that Ondrej would never be held back," Allan Walsh, Pavelec's agent, said. "Last year he led Chicago to an American League championship...He will never be part of an organization that doesn't keep its word and treats players in this manner." |
Our View: Apparently the youngster feels that he wasn't given a fair shot to make the team in that he only appeared in 3 1/2 periods in the preseason. At this point, he might just head back to the Czech Republic. |
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| Atlanta has sent goalie Ondrej Pavelec down to AHL affiliate Chicago, according to the AP. |
Our View: Pavelec is a top prospect in the Thrashers' organization, but there is not yet a spot for him at goalie behind Kari Lehtonen and Johan Hedberg. |
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| Arturs Kulda has been demoted to AHL affiliate Chicago by the Thrashers, according to the AP. |
Our View: Kulda has a future in the NHL, but was not yet ready to crack the Thrashers' roster. |
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| Grant Stevenson has been sent down by the Thrashers to AHL affiliate Chicago, according to the AP. |
Our View: Stevenson hasn't played in the NHL since 2005-06, when he only scored 22 points over 47 games with San Jose. He was viewed as a longshot to make the Thrashers. |
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| Brett Sterling scored the Thrashers' lone goal in Saturday's 4-1 loss to St. Louis. |
Our View: Sterling scored one goal and two assists over 13 games with Atlanta last season, and is not yet ready to make a favorable fantasy impact. |
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| Todd White scored a goal and added an assist in Atlanta's 4-6 loss to the Predators on Friday night. |
Our View: White is one of the better players on a very bad team. He is borderline fantasy worthy. |
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| 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. |
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