Atlanta has won only 2 of its last 10 games, plummeting to within a game and a half of 10th place in the East, needing to hold onto its precarious hold on a playoff spot in a very competitive Eastern conference rush for the 7th and 8th playoff spot.

Getting Zhitnik for Coburn was exactly the sort of upgrade the Thrashers needed and I applauded the move.

If you recall, I listed the Atlanta Thrashers as one of the few teams I've watched extra closely this season, in large part because they have my fav player Marian Hossa.

True, the Atlanta Thrashers need to make a big move. And as such, adding any star forward to a top-6 crew only icing three stars is worth a try!

But Tkachuk?

The Thrashers already overwork Kovalchuk so another chukster seems like a good thing.

Slava Kozlov played centre to Hossa at the end of last season so Tkachuk seems like a natural second (first!) line combo. 

But my gut reaction to the trade was that they DON'T need another left winger! WTF! It has been centre-by-committee on every line and juggle-the-right-winger on the Kovy line, as the left wing spots have been locked down with Kovy and Kozlov.

Centre Metropolit has played with Kozlov and Hossa and clicked for a while. But Holik has been tried too, and Belanger has been a recent effort but is obviously not the solution and Rucchin the best idea but just lacks chemistry. The Thrashers need to trade for a CENTRE!!! Play Kozlov at centre regularly but dang THIS team needs a Forsberg!! unlike first-in-the-west Preds without any glaring weakness (though Forsberg for the playoffs is what that trade was about, the injury problems this season making it less likely to be the answer. The Thrashers need a Forsberg to just get into the playoffs!! so if Petr blows a tire and is in sick bay for the playoffs, at least he was valuable down the stretch, whereas Nash needs Forsberg to help win at least a playoff round (or two? or three?).

I thought Metropolit wasn't getting enough playing time, having had success with 28 points despite only logging 11 minutes a game, a part timer on a scoring line and sometimes used on the fourth line, as the Thrashers have Rucchin, Holik, Belanger competing for ice time at that position. Even friggin' Niko Kapanen has seen some first line action with Kovy LOL.

I hope this trade is a demotion for Belanger off of the Kozlov, Hossa line. And Rucchin back from injury would help. But trading Metropolit away actually takes away the one centre who has demonstrated some potential to score more, so Belanger might see more ice time if anything.

Ideally the Thrashers would have gotten a centre for either the first or second line, or a right winger to play with Kovy (not Hossa, sorry, hasn't worked out that way, the other top line).

Needs outstanding:

(1) The Thrashers need a first-line centre.
(2) The Thrashers still need to keep Mellanby off of the top two lines and find a regular right winger (Kozlov could move there but then not with Hossa)
(3) The Thrashers need to make the playoffs! which they just missed last season, or heads will roll in the front office.

So giving up a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd rounder in addition to one of the few offensive centres in Metropolit for a THIRD left winger who solves neither the centre ice nor right wing problems... ARGHHH.

Line formation: Kovy will be the 1st LW, Tkachuk the 2nd line left wing, Hossa will be the 2nd line right wing (ie. NOT Kovy's line).

Kovalchuk-???-???
Tkachuk-???-Hossa

with Kozlov a versatile forward who has played all three positions and has chemistry with Hossa and even centred his line for a time before, perhaps Kozlov will go on the 2nd line C, but maybe he should be tried as first line RW or C... ugghh... no right fit.

Ideally the third line would have Belanger, Holik, Mellanby but they'll see scoring line action unfortunately, unless another trade is brewing.