TREADMILL TO OBSCURITY?

By all accounts Don Waddell is a good hockey man, but…

You wouldn’t raise an eyebrow if someone used the phrase “he must have pictures” to rationalize his survival as Atlanta Thrasher G.M.

Here is a snapshot of his team’s business over the eight years Waddell has been in charge:

* One playoff appearance – a four game sweep.

* Cleared the cupboards of young talent and draft picks in order to get into the post season in 2007 (Acquired Zhitnik for Braydon Coburn – Zhitnik is no longer in the NHL, Coburn is now a stalwart on the Flyer blueline. Tkachuk for a package that included Glen Metropolit, first and third round picks in 2007, a conditional first round pick and a second round pick in 2008. Those 07’ picks were turned into Mikael Backland who starred for Sweden in the World Junior Tourney, and Brett Sonne who was part of Canada’s Gold medal winning squad at that tournament. They did get a conditional first round pick back when they returned Tkachuk to St. Louis, and what a shock that was.)

* Traded Marian Hossa (who he’d acquired from Ottawa in a deal that was all about giving Dan Heatley a fresh environment following the Dan Snyder tragedy) for a very average collection of Penguins (Colby Armstrong, Eric Christensen, and Angelo Esposito)

* At the draft he has selected 1st overall or 2nd four separate times and only two of those picks are still with the franchise. Patrik Stefan was a spectacular failure and is out of hockey, Dany Heatley has turned into that trio mentioned above. Kovalchuk has produced and is still there – but for how long? Kari Lehtonen has shown flashes but is oft-hurt and too many nights just average.

* Behind the bench he has hired three coaches in eight seasons. Twice he himself has gone behind the bench as coach to finish out a season after firing the man he hired.

* The 2008-09 edition, which appears chalk-full of smallish, non-competitive former U.S. college and European players, currently sits 29th in the 30 team NHL (Thank you New York Islanders)

Former Stars G.M. Doug Armstrong must look at that body of work with amazement considering his resume prior to last November’s firing.

But then again the bar is set just a little, itsy bitsy bit higher here in Big D, isn’t it?