Bobby Holik

It could be argued that Holik was the MVP on the Thrashers last year. For a team that was at times hopeless in their own end, Holik was a defensive rock. You are not running a real NHL team so Holik and his 33 points last year (in 64 games) shouldn’t be counted upon. The only hope for Holik is that the departure of Savard or Patrik Stefan helps him to get back on one of the top two lines. Playing with Hossa or Kovalchuk could help him to get back to his old form: 50-60 points, 200+ shots, a decent +/- and over 100 PIM’s, but even in that best case scenario there are much better centermen out there, with much higher upsides.

The big Czech will likely be playing with Kovalchuk while getting some power play time, so you would expect a rise in production from last year’s 25 goals and 56 points. However, Holik’s true value is he can do everything -- last year’s 15 PP points, 225 shots, 96 PIMs and even a plus-4 on a terrible Rangers squad demonstrate this. Holik is an excellent second centerman for the Thrashers and provides them with many intangibles that their team has been missing. Just be sure not to expect too much from Holik as he has never topped 65 points in his 13-year career.