Antropov signs up with Thrashers

The Atlanta Thrashers continue to get bigger and stronger.

One day after trading for 6-foot-4 defenseman Pavel Kubina,  Thrashers General Manager Don Waddell once again dipped into free agency's land of the giants with the signing of 6-foot-6 right wing Nik Antropov to a four-year deal Thursday.

"We talked about our team from last year and we had a lot of good pieces coming back," Waddell said. "We didn't need a lot of players but we needed special players. We talked about adding a top four defenseman and we did that with Pavel Kubina (on Wednesday) and then a top six forward and we did that by signing Nik Antropov. We set out to make our hockey club better and I really feel we are a much better club."

Antropov, 29, is thrilled to be joining the Thrashers.
 
"I'm obviously excited to go to Atlanta," he said. "I know a couple of guys from there. The reason is that it's a young team and I think that we could make the playoffs and we're going to battle for a playoff spot. It's a young team and there are lots of opportunities to play there."

The move now gives Atlanta five skaters at least 6-foot-3 in stature, including defensemen Ron Hainsey (6-3) and Boris Valabik (6-7) and forward Chris Thorburn (6-3). Thorburn, incidentally, was also re-signed to a multi-year contract by Waddell Thursday.

In the Southeast Division, where the team is up against the likes of Washington's Alex Ovechkin, Tampa Bay's Vincent Lecavalier and Carolina's Eric Staal six times a season, it's imperative to have those physically imposing shut-down players. The Thrashers, who have missed qualifying for the playoffs in eight of their nine seasons in the League, have finished no higher than third in the division on two occasions in their history.

Waddell believes he has taken the proper steps to rectifying the situation this off-season. Antropov, in fact, is certainly up to the task.

"I've been playing for 10 years in Toronto and, believe me, I've been under pressure," he said. "I get used to that. I'll do my best to help this team go back to the playoffs. Hopefully we'll make a run. I'm going to work hard for that."

Antropov played nine seasons in Toronto before being dealt to the New York Rangers at the trade deadline in March in exchange for a 2009 second-round draft pick (wing Ryan Kenny) and conditional pick in 2010. He had 7 goals and 13 points in 18 games with the Rangers and set career highs with 28 goals and 59 points in 81 combined contests in Toronto and New York.

One major benefit of Antropov is his ability to play all three forward positions while possessing good vision and two-way acumen. His one knock, in particular during his brief stint with the Rangers last season, was his lack of a mental approach -- something coach John Anderson will obviously work on over the course of the season. That said, adding offensive depth was a priority for Waddell, especially since captain Ilya Kovalchuk is only a year away from becoming an unrestricted free agent. This could be Waddell's last chance to sell his star Russian on the future of the franchise.

The organization certainly took a step in the right direction to fulfilling those offensive needs when it drafted Vancouver's Evander Kane with the fourth overall choice on June 26. The signing of Antropov is further proof of Waddell's desire to provide Kovalchuk some complementary parts.

"Obviously I have to work for (the opportunity to play with Kovalchuk)," Antropov said. "I can't decide who I am going to play with. That's the coach's decision, but I will do my best to prove myself and that I can play with Ilya. We actually played together a little bit during the lockout, so we understand each other a little bit. We played maybe four or five games on the same line."

Knowing that Kubina, his former teammate in Toronto for two-plus seasons, would also be playing in Atlanta made Antropov's decision a little easier.

"Well, kind of yes," Antropov said. "I texted him actually this morning and he texted me and asked "Where are you going?" and I said "See you in September" and he didn't believe me. It took him a little while to believe me."
 
In two seasons in the Russian SuperLeague (1998-99 and 2004-05) with Dynamo, Ak-Bars Kazan and Yaroslavl, Antropov tallied 38 points (11 goals, 27 assists) in 66 games. He played with Kovalchuk on Ak-Bars Kazan in 2004-05.

"He played with Ilya (Kovalchuk) during the work stoppage and Ilya knows him well so we think he'll be a tremendous addition to our hockey club," Waddell said. "We were looking to get bigger up front and find someone who can play on our No. 1 line with Ilya and this certainly serves our purpose."

Antropov, a native of Kazakhstan was selected 10th overall by the Maple Leafs in the 1998 draft.
Internationally, Antropov captained Kazakhstan in the 1999 World Junior Championships, posting 8 points in 6 games, and in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.

Contact Mike Morreale at [email protected].