The Thrashers resemble a team that was once called the Winnipeg Jets.
For many in Winnipeg, the news they are finally getting another NHL team comes as welcome relief.
For as much as the NHL and True North Sports and Entertainment are denying the deal is done, doesn't it just feel like the wait is finally over? The next question Winnipeg hockey fans will be asking, after the news is confirmed once and for all, is: What kind of a team are we getting?
The team that skipped town following the 1995-96 season, after all, was a pretty good up-and-comer with a massive upside.
If you recall, Keith Tkachuk, who retired following last season, was just a 23-year-old buck already in his fifth year in the NHL. Walt, as he was called by his friends and teammates, actually led the Jets in scoring in 1995-96 with 50 goals and 98 points in 76 games to go with 156 penalty minutes (which was second highest on the club). For Jets lovers it must have been painful to watch Tkachuk play 13 more years as one of the NHL's best and most productive power forwards knowing he was theirs.
Teemu Selanne, meanwhile, was only 25-years old. The Finnish Flash had just completed his third season in Winnipeg and was well on his way to a Hall of Fame career. Selanne, who is an unrestricted free agent this summer, is still playing like he's a kid. Would he consider playing his final year in Winnipeg for old time's sake? Don't bet on it.
Nikolai Khabibulin, who would go on to backbone the Tampa Bay Lightning's Stanley Cup championship, was just 22-years old. Igor Koralev, who had a few productive years left in him, was 24. Alex Zhamnov was also 24 and the solid defenceman Teppo Numminen was 27.
For so long fans in Winnipeg assumed they were getting the Phoenix Coyotes; not a bad team to be sure. The Coyotes finished sixth in the ultra-competitive Western Conference this season thanks to a 43-26-13 record. They are well-coached by Dave Tippett and have some pretty good players in veteran Shane Doan, who played his rookie season in the NHL as a member of the Winnipeg Jets, Ray Whitney, Derek Morris and Adrian Aucoin. The Coyotes made the playoffs, but were eliminated in the opening round; losing four straight to the Detroit Red Wings.
Now Winnipeg hockey nuts find out they are getting the Thrashers.
With all due respect to the Coyotes, if I'm a Winnipegger, I'm thrilled with this change of direction. Sure the Thrashers failed to make the playoffs this season. After a good start to the year under new GM Rick Dudley and new coach Craig Ramsay, the team fizzled in the second half.
This team, like the one that left Winnipeg, is riddled with young, exciting players just ready to burst into the spotlight.
Start with defenceman Zach Bogosian, who is just 20-years old and has three years of NHL experience. The third overall pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft did not enjoy a great year in 2010-11, finishing with just five goals and 17 points in 71 games. That being said, there is no denying he has the potential to be an impact player in the league. As an 18-year old, he managed nine goals and 19 points in 47 games and the following year he scored 10 goals and 23 points in 81 games. He's a tough kid who will recover from this past season and will blossom into a star. Count on it.
Then there's 19-year-old left winger Evander Kane who had 19 goals and 43 points to go with 68 penalty minutes in 73 games this season. The fourth overall pick in 2009 has the potential to be a top-10 scorer in the league. Not next season, but some day soon.
Bryan Little, 23, had 18 goals and 48 points in 76 games this season. The fourth-year NHLer had 31 goals three years ago and has the potential to exceed those numbers soon.
He's not a kid, but he's not a geezer either so, defenceman Dustin Byfuglien is another reason for Manitoba hockey fans to be delighted it's the Thrashers coming to town. The 6-foot-5, 265-pounder blossomed this season scoring 20 goals and 53 points one year after starring for the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks in the playoffs.
Tobias Enstrom, 26, is one of the league's better rushing defencemen. He's coming off a career year having scored 10 goals and 51 points to place third in team scoring.
Then there's goalie Ondrej Pavelec. The 23-year old had some health issues to contend with this season, but he looks like a guy who just might compete for the Vezina Trophy some day.
All in all, this is a team that somewhat resembles the squad that left for Phoenix. There may not be a Tkachuk or a Selanne on board, but there are some good kids; some exciting young players who will capture the fancy of hockey fans in a city where the game is loved.
Some of the kids may not be thrilled to be moving to Winnipeg, but after playing before people who love and appreciate what they do on the heels of playing before mostly empty seats, they will come to appreciate the move.
