The following is a general update on what’s happening with prospects across the system.
Rookies
A total of five rookies have played with the club so far this season. Below is a chart with their stats, in order by number of games played with the club in 2002-03. Those currently with the club are in blue.
|
Pos.
|
GP
|
G
|
A
|
Pts
|
+/-
|
PIMs
|
Shots
|
|
| Butsayev |
LW
|
idth=”14%”>
16
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
-5
|
8
|
21
|
| Weaver |
D
|
14
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
-1
|
8
|
7
|
| Lessard |
RW
|
11
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
44
|
4
|
| Snyder |
C
|
7
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
-1
|
13
|
6
|
| Safronov |
D
|
5
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
-4
|
4
|
4
|
| Hartigan |
C
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
Only Lessard and Safronov began the year on the Thrashers roster. Weaver was called up on October 31st, and Hartigan on November 26th. Safronov was send down October 26th, Snyder on October 31st, and Butsayev on November 22nd. Butsayev has a clause in his contract that stipulates that he can return to Russia if he is sent to the minors for more than 21 days at a time. He has been in Chicago 13 days so far. Lessard is currently sidelined with back trouble, although hasn’t been put on the IR. Hartigan is filling in for the injured Marc Savard and will likely be sent down when Savard returns. Mike Weaver has been solid for the Thrashers and appears to have won a regular job on the roster.
Three of the rookies have experienced “firsts” already this season. Lessard had his first NHL assist and point on 10-19-02 against the Islanders, and Safronov had his first NHL goal and point in that same game against goaltender Chris Osgood. Mark Hartigan scored his first NHL goal and point on 12-1-02 versus Washington on goaltender Olaf Kolzig.
Trades involving prospects
In the past few weeks, two prospects were traded out of the system and one was gained. Levokari, a defensemen, was traded to Columbus, and Zainullin, a right wing, to Calgary. Nielsen, a checking center, was gained from Calgary. The system is now a little lighter on large defensive defensemen, but bursting at the seams with defensive centermen.
Oddly, the trade with Columbus means that there are two Nielsens now in the system, Chris and Evan. They join two Dwyers (Pat and Jeff, no relation), two McRaes (Matt and Mark, twins) and a Stuart and a Stewart.
Wolves struggling
The Chicago Wolves (AHL affiliate) suffered a bit of a Calder Cup hangover this season, but are coming alive of late. They are 7-9-1-2 on the season, but 6-3-0-1 in their last ten, and are currently on a three game winning streak. They are last in the Western Conference, but have also played fewer games, only 19, compared to the league average of 22.4. The Wolves scoring is much more balanced this year: seven players have ten points or more after 19 games. Five of the top seven scorers are property of the Thrashers, although only two are true prospects using HF’s definition: Foster and Gamache. Last year’s leading prospect scorer, Kamil Piros, is struggling, with only 5 points in 19 games.
They’re currently in the midst of a roster shuffle, bringing back veteran Bob Nardella, adding winger Ryan Tobler, newly acquired winger prospect Chris Nielsen, as well as adding Thrasher goalie Milan Hnilicka to the line-up. Hnilicka was sent down December 4th after the Thrashers were unable to trade him. The Wolves roster currently includes three goalies: Hnilicka, Maracle and Cassivi.
Stats
Players are grouped by level for easy comparison, except for goalies who are listed together at the bottom. Within each level they are listed by point totals.College prospects
|
Team
|
Pos
|
GP
|
G
|
A
|
PTS
|
+/-
|
PIM
|
Shots
|
|
| Slater, Jim | MSU | C |
13
|
5
|
7
|
12 |
+3
|
10
|
34
|
| Baby, Stephen | Cornell | RW |
9
|
2
|
9
|
11
|
16
|
||
| Stuart, Colin | Colorado College | F |
14
|
6
|
5
|
11 |
18
|
||
| McRae, Mark | Cornell | D |
9
|
4
|
5
|
9
|
4
|
||
| Dwyer, Pat | WMU | RW |
14
|
3
|
6
|
9
|
+2
|
8
|
32
|
| Nielsen, Evan | Notre Dame | D |
13
|
0
|
7
|
7 |
+5
|
18
|
15
|
| Gajic, Milan | Michigan | C | 12 |
3
|
3
|
6 |
+1
|
12
|
25
|
| Dwyer, Jeff | Yale | D |
9
|
1 |
4
|
5 |
12
|
||
| McRae, Matt | Cornell | C |
9
|
1
|
4
|
5
|
18
|
||
| Oystrick, Nathan | NMU | D |
6
|
1
|
3
|
4
|
+5
|
4
|
11
|
| Fitzrandolph, Colin | St. Lawrence | C |
11
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
||
| Fretter, Colton | MSU | RW |
9
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
-1
|
6
|
9
|
| Sipotz, Brian | Miami | D |
16
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
+9
|
22
|
9 |
Juniors
|
Team
|
Pos
|
GP
|
G
|
A
|
PTS
|
+/-
|
PIM
|
|
| Stewart | Plymouth OHL | LW |
30
|
13
|
24
|
37
|
+18
|
40
|
| Boldt | Kamloops WHL | D | 30 |
5
|
6 |
11
|
+3
|
56 |
| Schell | Spokane WHL | C | 10 |
2
|
4 | 6 |
+1
|
10 |
| Suderman | Saskatoon WHL | D |
30
|
0
|
5
|
5
|
+6
|
79
|
| Manson | Moose Jaw WHL | D |
28
|
0
|
1
|
1 |
-14
|
757
|
Europe
|
Position
|
Team
|
League
|
GP
|
G
|
A
|
PTS
|
+/- |
PIM
|
|
| Nikulin | D | Moscow Dynamo | Russia | 10 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | |
| Santala | C/LW | HPK | Finland | 13 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 6 | 39 |
| Dobryshkin | LW | Severstal Cherepovets | Russia | 18 | 10 | 5 | 15 | 24 | |
| Isosalo | RW | Lukko Rauma | Finland | 17 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -2 | 2 |
| Cartelli | D | Kladno | Czech | 13 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 12 |
ECHL Greenville Grrrowl
|
Pos
|
GP
|
G
|
A
|
PTS
|
+/-
|
PIM
|
Shots
|
|
| Flache | D |
13
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
-7
|
14
|
22
|
| Kaczowka | LW |
11
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
-3
|
57
|
5 |
AHL Chicago Wolves
| Pos | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | SHOTS | |
| Vigier | RW | 19 | 8 | 9 | 17 | -2 | 18 | 48 |
| Karlsson | C | 15 | 5 | 7 | 12 | -6 | 4 | 26 |
| Gamache | LW | 17 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 38 |
| DiPenta | D | 19 | 2 | 6 | 8 | -6 | 48 | 32 |
| MacKenzie | C | 19 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 18 | 31 |
| Safronov | D | 14 | 2 | 5 | 7 | -8 | 17 | 29 |
| Blatny | LW | 18 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 28 |
| Simon | LW | 19 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 34 | 26 |
| Hartigan (now in ATL) | C | 13 | 0 | 6 | 6 | -6 | 7 | 37 |
| Butsayev | C | 4 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| Foster | D | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | -12 | 25 | 45 |
| Piros | C | 19 | 3 | 2 | 5 | -8 | 10 | 31 |
| Tapper | RW | 7 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 16 | 25 |
| Snyder | C | 12 | 2 | 2 | 4 | -6 | 21 | 15 |
| Exelby | D | 19 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 57 | 15 |
| Sellars | D | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -7 | 50 | 9 |
| Eakins | D | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 17 |
| Ustrnul | D | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 28 | 4 |
| Nielsen | C | 0 |
Goalies — various levels
|
GP
|
Min
|
W
|
L
|
T
|
GAA
|
SPCT
|
||
| Lehtonen | Jokerit, Finland |
17
|
1020
|
13
|
2
|
2
|
1.46
|
.946
|
| Maracle | Chicago, AHL | 13 |
696
|
5 |
6
|
1
|
2.67
|
.903 |
| Garnett | Greenville, ECHL |
10
|
560
|
6
|
4
|
0
|
3.54
|
.880
|
| Cassivi | Chicago, AHL |
7
|
444
|
2 |
5
|
0
|
3.91
|
.873
|
| Smid | Hameenlinna, Finland | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4.32 | ||
| Hnilicka | Chicago, AHL | 0 |
Of note
- Simon Gamache is currently enjoying a scoring streak: in the first seven games of the season had one point, in the next 10 he had 9 points. Due to injuries, he was moved from fourth line to the top line and is seeing time on the power play. His ten points tie him with Kurtis Foster as the highest scoring Thrasher prospect in the minors.
- Off to a shaky start at first, rookie goaltender Michael Garnett has won his last three starts for the Greenville Grrrowl (ECHL affiliate)
Comments and questions are welcomed on the HF Thrashers Board.
