Thrashers.Today.Com

By Bud L. Ellis
thrashers.today.com

ATLANTA – The games won’t count in the standings, and it’s likely not too many people will even care about the final score.

But the Atlanta Thrashers will hit the ice starting Saturday.

Actually, it’s the Thrashers’ prospects squad that will lace ’em up starting this weekend in the Traverse City Prospect Evaluation Tournament in Traverse City, Mich. Eight NHL teams are taking part in the event, in which each squad can have up to four players with one year of professional experience.

But there are a few names on the roster that stand out, including:

Zach Bogosian: Get used to seeing his name, folks. The team’s top draft pick and the third overall selection in June’s entry draft, Bogosian will have to either get hurt or disappear not to be on the big-league roster come opening night.

Angelo Esposito: Once upon a time, Esposito was the apple of NHL scouts’ eye. The Penguins – who took him in the first round back in 2007 – included him in the Marian Hossa deal at last season’s trade deadline. His numbers from junior hockey are impressive: goal-scoring seasons of 39, 27 and 30.

Riley Holzapfel: A forward who scored 33 goals with 45 assists for Vancouver of the Western Hockey League last season, the 67th overall pick in the 2007 draft figures to start the season at Chicago of the American Hockey League.

Chad Denny: Atlanta’s second-round pick in the 2006 draft, the 6-foot-2, 230-pound defenseman could get a look with the Thrashers at some point this season. He spent most of last season at Gwinnett of the East Coast Hockey League, also appearing in 11 games for Chicago.

Arturs Kulda: One of those under-the-radar prospects, Kulda played with Bogosian at Peterborough of the Ontario Hockey League last season, Kulda is an intriguing prospect who could eventually work his way into the top-six blueliner rotation for the big-league club.

Atlanta will face Tampa Bay, the Rangers and tournament host Detroit in the tournament.

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