Before things get too nutty on a Friday afternoon in Atlanta, and you have to make a hasty decision as to where you should spend your oh-so-precious Friday evening, may I recommend TJ's in Alpharetta? There will be a room full of hockey-mad Georgia residents, one dollar drafts, and some sort of viewing device with which we will monitor the actions of our beloved Atlanta Thrashers Hockey Club and possibly find out if our new associate GM will be heretofore referred to as Studley or just #(%*&^#*@)!!!!!! (i.e. more of the same)
Slated to appear:
- blueland outsider
- The Blueland Chronicle Staff (possibly minus an anthropomorphic rodent correspondent)
- Rawhide of the AJC
There will be food, fun, prizes, gratuitous references to mid-90's popular culture, and maybe I'll break out a Springsteen face or two. Who knows.
But I know who WON'T be there; and not because he doesn't like us, or he thinks any of us smell funny (I hope), but because he's the Thrashoblogosphere's Official Representative at the NHL Draft: the Falconer from Birdwatchers Anonymous. Whatever your plans, make sure to check in with him. He's s-m-r-t about this whole pucky-shoot business.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Free Agent Madness: Petr Sykora
Welcome to the newest Outsider Feature: Free Agent Madness. It'll run as long as it keeps me entertained. Then, most likely, it'll be back to shiny, jingly things like key rings & pocket change - but for now, enjoy & comment.
Word has come through that while in his native Cezch Republic, Sykora has wondered aloud whether or not he should return to the Pens, or find another NHL team. Let's take a look a Pety's file, shall we?
The Good
- Pretty solid on the power play, career-wise.
- .74 PPG since he entered the league - another solid stat.
- Potted 15 PPGs in 76 games last year.
- Probably still capable of a 50 point season, which would be on par for a 2nd line RW (the likeliest place for him in Atlanta).
- Seemed to play his best with Geno Malkin, which bodes well for playing with guys like White & Pevs (smart, puck distributing centers).
- Has two cup rings.
The Bad
- Only played 7 games in the playoffs.
- Injuries seemed to be a constant last year (Respiratory infection, goin, foot, etc.).
- Frank D. at PensBurgh seems to think Sykora's been a little slumpy this year.
- Cap hit of $2.5 mil over the last two years with the Pens seems to be a bit more than what we're looking to spend for a top-six forward (I literally had to choke down bile as I typed that sentence).
- Might send some folks into booze-fueled depression to see him leave Pittsburgh.
Outsider Verdict
As hockey players go, Petr Sykora would be a solid pickup for any team. age is a-creepin up on him, but he's still got plenty left in the tank. At the right cap number Sykora is gold. But the combination of the ASGs unwillingness to spend and Atlanta not being (shall we say) very attractive to FAs who are used to any high degree of success should keep Blueland free of the Petr Fevr for the time being.
Thoughts?
Free Agent Madness
Petr Sykora
Petr Sykora
Word has come through that while in his native Cezch Republic, Sykora has wondered aloud whether or not he should return to the Pens, or find another NHL team. Let's take a look a Pety's file, shall we?
The Good
- Pretty solid on the power play, career-wise.
- .74 PPG since he entered the league - another solid stat.
- Potted 15 PPGs in 76 games last year.
- Probably still capable of a 50 point season, which would be on par for a 2nd line RW (the likeliest place for him in Atlanta).
- Seemed to play his best with Geno Malkin, which bodes well for playing with guys like White & Pevs (smart, puck distributing centers).
- Has two cup rings.
The Bad
- Only played 7 games in the playoffs.
- Injuries seemed to be a constant last year (Respiratory infection, goin, foot, etc.).
- Frank D. at PensBurgh seems to think Sykora's been a little slumpy this year.
- Cap hit of $2.5 mil over the last two years with the Pens seems to be a bit more than what we're looking to spend for a top-six forward (I literally had to choke down bile as I typed that sentence).
- Might send some folks into booze-fueled depression to see him leave Pittsburgh.
Outsider Verdict
As hockey players go, Petr Sykora would be a solid pickup for any team. age is a-creepin up on him, but he's still got plenty left in the tank. At the right cap number Sykora is gold. But the combination of the ASGs unwillingness to spend and Atlanta not being (shall we say) very attractive to FAs who are used to any high degree of success should keep Blueland free of the Petr Fevr for the time being.
Thoughts?
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