Despite finishing in last place, the team holds the second overall pick in the draft, the result of Florida winning the April draft lottery. Although the draft may be weak, there are a few good players at the top, which may make the second overall pick all the more valuable. Last year when the Thrashers held the first pick, they were in the driver’s seat. This year, the second pick will cause them to be more reactive than proactive with their decision-making, whether it be regarding which player to take, or what kind of trade they can make for it. GM Don Waddell favors trading the pick for a player(s) who can make an impact right away, but he might have to wait to make such a trade until the day of the draft, when it becomes clear what Florida will do with its pick.
This is Don Waddell’s fourth entry draft in his tenure as Thrashers GM. His first round picks have largely been no-brainers to this point, Stefan in 1999, Heatley in 2000 and Kovalchuk in 2001. Where Waddell has shined has been in the late rounds, picking up 2002 AHL Playoff MVP Pasi Nurminen in the 6th round (2001), and Darcy Hordichuk, later traded for Kirill Safronov and Ruslan Zainullin, in the 6th round (2000). In fact, Nurminen worked out so well for the Thrashers that it would not be surprising to see them take more over-age Europeans, especially given that the team could use immediate help.
The general draft philosophy of the Thrashers is to draft for speed, skill, and character. Waddell puts emphasis on character, noting that high character players are self-motivated thus more likely to excel. The team also tends to cover a lot of bases in each given draft, taking at least one player from every position. Expect the Thrashers to continue this trend, which means taking another goaltending prospect, likely later in the draft.
The Thrashers system is well-stocked with defensive defensemen, checking line forwards, and centers. Thus, the greatest needs for the upcoming draft are scoring wingers and offensive defensemen. The most likely scenarios for the first round pick are trading it, selecting Nash, and selecting Lehtonen, in that order (assuming Bouwmeester selected first).
