CYA - and we're not saying good bye just yet....

Many people want to know my opinion on what my former employers did this weekend.

My dear Atlanta Thrashers have been in a horrific free-fall for the last 30 days and it hasn't been pretty. They are hanging on by a thread to a playoff spot, but are still only a few points away from winning the division title.

So with that in mind Don Waddell went out and picked up Alexi Zhitnik and Keith Tkachuk for the stretch run. In return Waddell have up three picks (fourth one doesn't matter because they won't resign Tkachuk) and Glen Metropolit for Tkachuk. To be honest, that deal is fine with me... never know with draft picks and Atlanta hasn't been the greatest in drafting at this point in time. It was the Cover Your Ass weekend - at least he made the trades and did everything he could to help this team win ... the coach would go first then him.

The trade that bothers me is the Zhitnik trade where we gave up on Braydon Coburn. Bob Hartley is a tough man to play for, just ask Peter Forsberg why he told Philadelphia he didn't want to go to Atlanta? But how can you tell me that Coburn was given a fair chance?? I'd rather have him learning on the ice than to put up with Andy Sutton and his 2-million dollar shenanigans. This kid is going to be an All-Star in the league and I know Waddell is only concerned with his job know and he should be. If he and his staff gotten the right players before the season started, they wouldn't be in this position. Last year, the team started poorly and ended strong. This year, they started well and are finishing weak.

Here we are seven years into the franchise history and Waddell's tenure, and this team makes some of the same mistakes that a Curt Fraser team made. Different players, different coaches and the same sad results so far. That is just horrific in my mind and if they don't make it, Waddell needs to be held accountable. Which is why I think there's one more trade to be made. After all these years of sitting on the sidelines, if he doesn't make a move now, the next one will be out of the Atlanta area.

As bad as that is, wouldn't it help if we had an ownership group that wasn't a complete disaster? Maybe we are better with Steve Belkin? Not like the Hawks are any better under the "Spirit."

At the end of the day, the chemistry of this team was wrong before the trades and I don't see it being any better now. So, I only hope and prey that the Thrashers can sneak into the playoffs and find its mojo.

But if I were Charles Barkley, I wouldn't bet on it.