Giving thumbs up to the Jason Williams signing

From Do Thrashers Have Talons?:

So what do we have here? A player still in the peak section of his career. A guy who has demonstrated above averaging scoring ability, but is not really an elite 1st line scoring threat. A guy who probably will see more even strength ice time here in Atlanta and if he stays healthy could put up new career highs in points.

Overall I give this signing a thumbs up. Every player comes with upside and downside risks. In the case of Williams there appears to be more upside potential than risk of collapse. On the other hand, Williams is not an elite/impact sort of guy, he's more of a 2nd line NHL forward on a playoff team and you can't expect him to push the Thrashers into playoff contention by himself. If expectations are kept in check, he will likely end the season in the "pleasant surprise" category for many fans.

Read more about why The Falconer thinks Williams was a good signing here.

Williams is a solid addition to a terrible hockey team. He should see lots of ice-time and have a chance to improve on his previous season-highs if he stays healthy. If only the Thrashers entire team had as much upside...

Jason Williams signs with Thrashers

From TSN:

The Atlanta Thrashers have signed forward Jason Williams to a 1-year, $2.2 million contract, reports A-Channel in London.

The unrestricted free agent spent last season with the Chicago Blackhawks and scored 13 goals, with 23 assists over his 43 games.

Read the short report here.

Good pick up for the Thrashers. The team could certainly use more speed and scoring and Williams should provide just that. Additionally, he can play the point on the power play which would allow Ilya Kovalchuk and Tobias Enstrom to either get a short break (instead of playing the entire two minutes) or move down to the half boards.

Pre-Game Report

Here are some news and notes heading into tonight's games:

• Matt Cullen (head) is expected to return to the Hurricanes line up tonight.
• Justin Williams (back) is out tonight.
• Tomas Holmstrom (groin) is out tonight versus the Hawks.
• Mikael Samuelsson (groin) is also not dressing for tonight's game.
• Dave Bolland (ankle) and Jason Williams (charley horse) are both likely to suit up for the Blackhawks.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

NHL Morning Papers--Western Conference (Wednesday Edition)

Here are the Northwest Division morning papers:

• The Canucks forgot to play the second and third periods last night, and that led them to a 3-2 loss at Calgary, writes Ben Kuzma. According to veteran Trevor Linden, the Canucks took too many penalties last night.
• After yesterday's home victory over Vancouver, the Flames are now the clubhouse leaders in the Northwest Division. The Canucks blew the "worst lead in hockey" on Tuesday, so maybe some cliches are true, writes Steve Macfarlane of the Calgary Sun.
• The Oilers' defensemen are going to do their best to stop scoring on their own net. The Oilers have decided to give Mathieu Garon some time off his injured ankle and have recalled Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers.
• John-Michael Liles has turned his game around thanks to some new found stability, writes Adrian Dater.
• With the Oilers set to face-off against the Wild in St. Paul tonight, Michael Russo of the Star Tribune has some kind words about the Oilers resiliency in this morning's paper. Wild coach Jacques Lemaire believes his team's problems are currently mental.

Here are the Pacific Division morning papers:

• The question has been posed to Scott Niedermayer about returning next season and his answer did not really reveal much of anything.
• The Sharks only came to play in the third period, and that is why they lost 5-4 in overtime, writes David Pollak. With second place in the Western Conference basically secured, the Sharks will use some Eastern Conference teams as a motivating factor over the last few games.
• It should never have went to overtime, but the Coyotes will still take the two points, after they blew a 3-0 third period lead to the Sharks, writes Jim Gintonio of the Arizona Republic.
• In positive news, the Stars are expecting both Sergei Zubov and Phillipe Boucher to return to the line up in the near future. Tim Cowlishaw took some time off the Around the Horn set to tell Dallas fans that the trades made by their favorite clubs have not paid off.

**There were no L.A. Kings articles this morning** (Writer's note: Are there ever any Kings articles???? How can people be fans of this team if no one ever writes about them????)

Here are the Central Division morning papers:

• After another strong performance last night, it is fair to say that Dan Ellis has from the outhouse to the penthouse in about a week, writes John Glennon. On the injury front, it appears the Predators may be without David Legwand for the remainder of the season.
• Johan Franzen continues to power the Red Wings, as the big Swede scored the game-winner last night and his team defeated the Blues 2-1. Franzen may need to keep up this pace, as the Wings may be without Tomas Holmstrom for the start of the playoffs.
• No reporters were allowed in the Blue Jackets room after yesterday's embarrassing 3-0 loss at Nashville. It looks like Ole-Kristian Tollefsen's season may be over due to a neck injury. Here are the Jackets' projected lines for tonight's contest versus the Blackhawks.
• The Blues, already mathematically eliminated from playoff competition, still put forth a good effort in the team's 2-1 loss to Detroit last night, writes Jeremy Rutherford.
• While Jason Williams may currently be in the Denis Savard's doghouse, it does not mean the team does not want him back next season.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Email any thoughts, ideas or suggestions to illegalcurve@gmail.com

Fantasy Watch: Buy/Sell

BUY

F Slava Kozlov, Atlanta Thrashers
Kozlov had a rough beginning to the season, scoring only two points in his first five games. The rest of the month didn't go much better for the former Red Wing, as he only put up six points in 12 games. Since then, the forward has heated up, already equaling his point total from last month in the past six games. Although Kozlov is far off his point per game pace that he had a year ago, the forward is on the right track. Still receiving over 16 minutes per game, Kozlov still sees time on a line with Kovalchuk, who has been on fire lately. Expect a strong second half for Kozlov, who should continue to creep closer to his point per game average.

F Scott Gomez, New York Rangers
Gomez has had a rough start with New York, as he only managed to score two goals and one assist over the first month of the season. But with a brand new month comes a fresh start, and Gomez has capitalized on that as he is currently riding a six game point streak. With owners frustrated over his production, many may trade Gomez now, with this being the highest his stock has been in a long time. With all the talent in New York, Gomez will most likely turn this season around and could pay dividends over the next few months.

F Pavol Demitra and F Marian Gaborik, Minnesota Wild
Demitra and Gaborik have been explosive together, but unfortunately, neither one can still healthy. With it being unknown when either forward may return, taking a gamble on Demitra or Gaborik posses a big risk, but could earn a very high reward. Demitra has scored 10 points in his first 10 games with Minnesota, while Gaborik has put up 13 points in 12 games. Owners of Demitra or Gaborik may choose to cut their losses now, as both have a history of taking their sweet time getting back to the ice. If so, purchasing either of the two warrants a huge risk, but with it comes a fat reward. It all depends if your willing to take the risk.


SELL

F Jason Williams, Chicago Blackhawks
Williams is having a fantastic start to this season, scoring six goals and 16 points in 17 games played. He has played a crucial role in Chicago's powerplay, netting 11 of his points on the PP. Although it may seem odd to sell Williams, his stock may not get any higher. He has never scored more than 58 points in a season, and with Martin Havlat returning soon from injury, William's role may decrease. It'd be wise to get all that you can for Williams now, as it will be hard to get rid of an unproven player, such as Williams, during a slump.

F Mike Fisher, Ottawa Senators
Fisher has been the beneficiary from Spezza's injury, as the forward has been playing on the top line with Heatley and Alfredsson. Fisher has racked up four assists in his last three games, giving him 13 points on the year. With Spezza returning for Ottawa's next game, Fisher will most likely be moved back to the second line where the opportunities will be limited. Playing with Heatley and Alfredsson increases the value of any player, and it did just that for Fisher, but now is the time to cut him loose.

F Alexander Semin, Washington Capitals
It seems as though Semin's ankle injury is worse than it was once reported. According to the Washington Times, Semin has still yet to skate, making his return further delayed. The forward has only played four games this season, while registering one point. Those who used a high draft pick on Semin may want to cut their losses now, as there are still probably owners around drooling over Semin's potential if he returns.


For Illegal Curve, I'm Jonny Remis

Fantasy Watch: Top Performers of the Week

Stats from October 15th-22nd

F Jason Williams, Chicago Blackhawks
2 G, 4 A

Williams is currently riding a four game point streak scoring seven points over that span. His highest output came on Saturday, where the forward scored one goal and assisted on three others, leading Chicago past Toronto. Williams has been extremely successful on the powerplay, and should continue to receive several minutes on the top unit.

F Rich Nash, Columbus Blue Jackets
3 G, 2 A

The former first overall pick suffered an off year last season but has rebounded quite nicely, scoring nine points in his first seven games. Finally getting help from some of his teammates, Nash may be in for a career year.

F Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks
1G, 4 A, +1

This year's first overall pick has gotten off to a strong start, scoring five points in his last two games. Kane has meshed well with forward Jonathan Toews, as the two have lead Chicago to a 5-3 record. Those who nabbed Kane with a late pick in their fantasy drafts should reap in the benefits, as Kane may reach 60 points this year.

F Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames
3 G, 5 A +3

Iginla has been on fire over his past five games, scoring five goals and six assists. Iggy has shown no signs of slowing down and will most likely be among the leaders for most points come season's end.

D Chris Campoli, New York Islanders
5 A, -2

Campoli had a career night this past week, assisting on four Islanders goals. On the year, the defenseman has scored two goals and dished out seven helpers. Only in his third season as a pro, Campoli has proved to be a great offensive defenseman, and should continue to pick up points on the power play.

G Martin Biron, Philadelphia Flyers
3 W, 2 SO,

Biron has been everything Philadelphia has hoped for, winning six of his first seven games, while compiling a goals against average of 1.57. He has posted two shutouts this past week, propelling the Flyers into first place in the Atlantic Conference.



For Illegal Curve, Im Jonny Remis