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Thrashers Call Up Kulda

Today the Atlanta Thrashers called up defenseman Arturs Kulda from the AHL's Chicago Wolves. Kulda, 21, has 3 goals and 12 assists in 42 games with the Wolves and is an AHL-leading +35. The 6-2, 195lb Latvian blueliner was drafted in the 7th round, 200th overall, by the Thrashers in 2006. He has yet to play in a regular-season game for the Thrashers.

Of note, Kulda was also Zach Bogosian's defense partner while playing with the OHL's Peterborough Petes.

Poll
Kulda has been called up to...
Play two games before the Olympic break.
79 votes
Get practice in with the team before a D-man is traded.
39 votes
Safeguard against further injury.
22 votes
Watch Thrashers games from the press box.
8 votes

148 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs  |  Comment 17 comments |

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Comments

Display:

Good news

I see Kulda as potentially a big upgrade over Popovic, so this is good news. I want to see kids like Kulda and Postma get real chances to play in the NHL so we can see what they can do.

by Zontar on Feb 11, 2010 2:08 PM EST reply actions  

Bogosian

It seems that Bogosian had done is best D work when he had a veteran (Schneider) to mentor him…who is going to re-teach him?

When John Anderson is fired during at the end of next season, the next coach is going to be far more of a stickler for defense and Mr. Bogosian is going to be viewing more than his share of watching in the press box if he doesn’t learn to play D/put a body on someone.

by Black ice in Alabama on Feb 11, 2010 2:19 PM EST reply actions  

I'll bet you a crisp dollar...

Anderson will be coach for longer than the next season. DW is building a team towards his system strengths. To blow it up again will mean another rebuild.

by Blut-0 on Feb 11, 2010 4:43 PM EST up reply actions  

I’ll have a blog up on this topic soon. Hopefully tomorrow, but if I get busy with work tonight, maybe the weekend.

by timmyf on Feb 11, 2010 5:00 PM EST up reply actions  

DW is building a team towards his system strengths.

Whose system (Waddell’s or Anderson’s)? Whose strengths (again, Waddell’s or Anderson’s)?

Systems, whether in basketball, hockey or football that are strongly offensively-based don’t win consistently or win championships (see, “Air Coryell”, Westhead, Paul)

by Black ice in Alabama on Feb 11, 2010 9:18 PM EST up reply actions  

Fine. I’ll take that trade-off. If I want to watch boring, defensive hockey that produces a consistent winner, I’d be a Devils fan.

by timmyf on Feb 11, 2010 9:27 PM EST via mobile up reply actions  

You can make the exact same argument about strongly defensive-based systems. The Baltimore Ravens were the most pro-defensive and anti-offensive team in NFL history and they went 1 and done in the Super Bowl. The Wild have played a pretty unbalanced defensive first system prior to this year for as far back as I can remember. They only got past the first round of the playoffs once. The Devils haven’t made it past the 2nd round of the playoffs since the lockout. I guess maybe you could throw Anaheim in there too but they were 1 and done with their Stanley Cups as well and they were a really weird team with outstanding defensemen, an outstanding goalie and 1 great forward line. Off the top of my head I can’t think of another Cup winner like that and nobody has followed that model since. Whether your statement holds true for basketball is beyond me as I care almost nothing about the sport.

by Zontar on Feb 11, 2010 9:59 PM EST up reply actions  

Jacques Lemaire

Has won one cup in 15 years, and isn’t available. By system I meant JA. He has had just over a year and a half and has never really had the type of players to run it effectively. It’s a pressure system with an offensive focus.

by Blut-0 on Feb 12, 2010 7:52 AM EST up reply actions  

Hearing isn't what it used to be...

I coulda swore I heard he was supposed to be our defensive cornerstone for the next 15 years?

by TheBrickwall on Feb 11, 2010 11:58 PM EST up reply actions  

Zach Bogosian is 19 years old. Did you already expect him to be an All-Star?

by timmyf on Feb 12, 2010 8:46 AM EST up reply actions  

Ease up, eh. I was commenting to Black Ice who already has another coach coming in and Bogosian in the press box because he doesn’t put a body anyone.

It’s HI-larious seeing how delusional some people can get, here and on other sites, over a player’s upside or deficiencies on a month, week, game, period, shift-by-shift basis. Especially 18-22 year olds.

by TheBrickwall on Feb 12, 2010 3:47 PM EST up reply actions  

You speak truth.

by timmyf on Feb 13, 2010 10:50 AM EST via mobile up reply actions  

I voted “Play two games…” since it’s been reported that he’s filling in for an injured Popper.

by videofarmer on Feb 11, 2010 4:32 PM EST reply actions  

Correct. The poll was created before that news was widely available.

by timmyf on Feb 11, 2010 4:38 PM EST up reply actions  

Oh, sorry. Didn’t mean to sound like I was slamming the poll. Yeah, that news was tweeted less than an hour ago.

by videofarmer on Feb 11, 2010 4:41 PM EST up reply actions  

No offense taken! I’m trying to put up more polls so folks have a way to contribute without commenting, but we’re always happy to have comments on the site.

Often, one of the four of us can’t get here to update the site as information becomes available, so we more than welcome the updates and corrections. I wish I could be a full-time Thrashers blogger, but sadly, financial realities make that impossible.

by timmyf on Feb 11, 2010 4:59 PM EST up reply actions  

Very Exciting News

Looking forward to Friday’s game even more now.

All things Thrashers + stats: www.birdwatchersanonymous.com

by The Falconer on Feb 11, 2010 7:53 PM EST reply actions  

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