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Wednesday, June 20, 2001
Atlanta Thrashers
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First-round picks: No. 1
2000-01 record: 23-45-12-2, 60 points (28th overall)
What they need
Atlanta lacks firepower on offense and from the blueline. The Thrashers finished 20th in the league with 211 goals for. Only the Rangers allowed more goals than the 289 Atlanta did last season.
In the system
Left winger Dany Heatley, the Thrashers first pick last year (and second overall), spent last season in at the University of Wisconsin, but left after his sophomore season and may be ready to step into the lineup this fall. The No. 1 overall pick in 1999 -- center Patrik Stefan -- struggled in his sophomore season last year with just 10 goals and 31 points in 66 games. Atlanta is expecting more production out of him next season.
The Thrashers are hoping centers Carl Mallette (107th overall in 2000) and Zdenek Blatny (68th overall in 1999) will be ready to step in and make an impact sooner rather than later. On defense, Atlanta has built up some depth for the future in Ilja Nikulin (31st overall) and Libor Ustrnul (42nd overall). Both blueliners were selected in last year's draft. The club is banking on 1999 second-round pick (30th overall) Luke Sellars, a defenseman, to make the team in September.
Recent draft history
The Thrashers opted for offense in their inaugural draft of 1999, selecting a total of seven forwards. Last year, they went the same route -- eight of their 13 picks were forwards.
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