Jay Woodcroft Speaks Before Oilers vs Panthers
2 months ago
When Atlanta centre Marty Reasoner signed with the Thrashers last summer, he held onto his house here, but not because he was hoping his old club might get him back at the trade deadline.
"I'm looking to sell ... tell anybody who wants to buy, I'll give them two tickets to the game (today)," joked the former Edmonton Oilers forward. "I'd like to close on it before the game starts." Reasoner, who is having a very good season in Atlanta -- 23 points, plus- nine on a team solidly minus -- will be wearing a Thrashers sweater tonight and may also have brought a cardigan on the road. He did check the weather here before he checked his bags. When he found out it was sunny, but frosty, he shrugged. "All these years I spent in Edmonton, I never could figure out what they meant when they said, 'You know it's cold, but, hey, it's a dry cold,' '' said Reasoner.
Reasoner's sense of humour, not to mention his work in the faceoff circle and killing penalties, left a hole the Oilers haven't been able to fill this season.
Reasoner and Matt Greene were the dry wits in the dressing room.
"Geez, I'd rather they miss me as a player on the ice, rather than off it," he said.
Blackhawks
This fun, fast, young bunch out of the Windy City is "ahead of schedule" according to GM Dale Tallon in terms of rebuilding. They will get much-needed experience with this spring's appearance, putting them in the same category as the Bruins, Caps and Flyers from last year -- rising teams that made the playoffs and used that to accelerate the maturity process. The Blackhawks need a centerman with some grit who can win faceoffs -- an area in which they've struggled all season. Players such as Dominic Moore or Marty Reasoner make sense here.
Canucks
GM Mike Gillis played his hand early by bringing Mats Sundin into the mix. At this point, with goaltender Roberto Luongo rounding into form, tweaking is probably the course of action come Wednesday. Players already mentioned -- Kuba on the blueline and Reasoner up front -- are of the ilk Gillis is likely to target.
Meanwhile, Atlanta still has some depth forwards to peddle before they become unrestricted free agents.
Centre Marty Reasoner has 10 goals and is on pace for a career high. He wins face-offs and is plus-nine on an awful team. Eric Perrin can play all three forwards positions and, like Reasoner, he kills penalties. Perrin wants out of Atlanta, according to the Journal-Constitution.