KOVALCHUK

The good news: Ilya Kovalchuk is the new Russian Rocket. Dany Heatley is the best young power forward in the game. This summer, general manager Don Waddell splurged and got them some help -- left wings Slava Kozlov and Shawn McEachern and defensemen Richard Smehlik and Uwe Krupp. And, as the NHL's worst, there's nowhere to go but up. The bad news: They still have no proven goalie.

	The Big Question
	Q: What's standing between the Thrashers and their goal? Like any young team, the Thrashers goal is to make the playoffs. But when you're trying to develop a young team, inexperience really hurts you. And I don't know that Atlanta has enough experience to make the playoffs this year. They've added Vyacheslav Kozlov and Shawn McEachern, which is a step in the right direction. And they're going to need big years from Ilya Kovalchuk and Dany Heatley. The Thrashers have to cut down on goals allowed per game. You can't win giving up four goals a game -- it's just not going to happen. So, they'll need great goaltending from Milan Hnilicka and Pasi Nurminen. Defensively, with the additions of Uwe Krupp from Detroit and Richard Smehlik from Buffalo, there's no question they're a better team than last year, but in a competitive conference, it will be difficult to make up the extra ground. -- Ray Ferraro
	Good: Now a veteran at 19 years old, Ilya Kovalchuk is a player who could really upgrade his point total. He led all rookies in goals last year and should be in the 35-goal range this time around. In a keeper league, he's an excellent choice. Bad: Slava Kozlov was normally good for 20 goals back in his Red Wings days, but now he expects to play a bigger role on a young team with little depth. However, Kozlov is recovering from a torn Achilles' tendon. While he might end up a top line, that plus-minus could kill you. -- Eric Karabell
	Top Prospect
	Kurtis Foster, D A big defenseman (6-foot-5, 205) with a heavy shot who was acquired in a trade with Calgary last winter, Foster was so-so in a half-season with the Wolves last year but opened some eyes in training camp this year.
	Minors Outlook
	Chicago Wolves Last year's dark horse winners of the Calder Cup return coach John Anderson and a few of the veterans who led the playoff surge, but probably not goalie Pasi Nurminen. The Wolves will be dangerous again, but several other AHL teams have followed the Chicago model and added veterans. -- Bill Ballou

Forwards Sophomores Dany Heatley and Ilya Kovalchuk make the Thrashers the envy of the league when it comes to young talent. If both players continue to develop at their current pace, that envy will turn to pity when their contracts are up -- the cost is going to be steep. But the duo is what separates the Thrashers from the bottom three teams. Depth is another story. Shawn McEachern, Tony Hrkac and Slava Kozlov provide a solid veteran presence. Tomi Kallio, who has suffered a broken collarbone and two concussions in just two seasons, can be a regular on the top two lines. Beyond them, there is potential, but not this year. Patrik Stefan has yet to fulfill the expectations that go along with being a No. 1 overall pick. Eastern Conference Position Ranking: T13th Defensemen Richard Smehlik and Uwe Krupp were added to a squad that beat out Columbus in allowing the most goals by 33. Granted defensemen aren't solely responsible for a team's goals against total, and the Thrashers did have their fair share of goalie issues, but none of last year's defensemen would crack the top four on most teams. Eastern Conference Position Ranking: T13th Goalie Damien Rhodes was given his walking papers, which turned out to be a good move as he failed to pass the Panthers' physical in camp. The No. 1 job is now Milan Hnilicka's, for better or for worse. Hnilicka has had success on the international level, leading the Czech Republic to the gold medal in the 1999 and 2001 World Championship -- but that was working behind a team that plays defense. Pasi Nurminen backstopped the Chicago Wolves to the Calder Cup title, but he's more likely to see full-time duty in the AHL again, rather than part-time duty in Atlanta. Eastern Conference Position Ranking: 15th

Rankings: 15th Overall
Forwards | Defensemen | Goalies

RECORD: 19-47-11-5, 54 points Rank: 30th overall 15th East 5th Southeast Playoffs: None Home: 11-21-9-0 Road: 8-26-2-5 2001-02 results 2001-02 statistics 2002-03 schedule 2002-03 roster OFFENSE DEFENSE GOALS FOR/AVG. Overall: 187/2.28 (26th) Home: 93/2.27 (29th) Road: 94/2.29 (22nd) POWER PLAY Overall: 12.1/37-306 (29th) Home: 12.6/20-159 (29th) Road: 11.6/17-147 (27th) GOALS AGAINST/AVG. Overall: 288/3.51 (30th) Home: 129/3.15 (28th) Road: 159/3.88 (30th) PENALTY KILL Overall: 81.8/65-358 (25th) Home: 84.0/27-169 (21st) Road: 79.9/38-189 (27th) STATS LEADERS GOALS Ilya Kovalchuk (29) Dany Heatley (25) Tony Hrkac (18) ASSISTS Heatley (41) Hrkac (25) Kovalchuk (22) POINTS Heatley (66) Kovalchuk (51) Hrkac (43) PENALTY MINUTES Jeff Odgers (133) Darcy Hordichuk (127)* Chris Tamer (109) PLUS/MINUS Yuri Butsayev (+1) Ben Simon (+1) 4 tied (0) GAA (MIN. 20 GP) Milan Hnilicka (3.22) SAVE PERCENTAGE Hnilicka (.908) * - no longer with team