NHL Trade Deadline: Atlanta Thrashers

February 23 2011 Last updated at 02:00 PM ET

The Atlanta Thrashers needed something and the additions of forward Blake Wheeler and tough guy defenseman Mark Stuart last week could very well be enough to turn around the club's flagging hopes.

But it may already be too late.

Atlanta enters play Wednesday on a three-game skid and five points of the eighth place in the Eastern Conference. The Thrashers are 2-7-1 in their last 10 games and have six wins over the last 25 games. It's the kind of run that quickly turns teams from buyers to sellers at this time of year.

Give credit to first-year Atlanta general manager Rick Dudley for acquiring Wheeler and Stuart from the Bruins in exchange for center Rich Peverley and defenseman Boris Valabik; Dudley also dealt defenseman Ben Eager to the Sharks in exchange for the fifth-round pick.

Dudley has also taken steps to keep the team on track for next season and beyond. He's signed defenseman Dustin Byfuglien, acquired last offseason from the Chicago Blackhawks, to a multiyear extension and The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that the Thrashers are looking to do the same with forward and captain Andrew Ladd.

NEEDS

While injuries are partly to blame, the Thrashers have struggled mightily on the penalty kill. Atlanta is tied with Edmonton with the lowest PK percentage (76 percent) through Tuesday. The Thrashers are also tied with Carolina for the most shots allowed (33.7 per game). Sure, Tobias Enstrom and Byfuglien each have a team-high 45 points, but the rest of the defense -- especially third-year blue liner Zach Bogosian (minus-16) -- has struggled. It's hard to fault goalie Ondrej Pavelec and backup Chris Mason.

THE VERDICT

If Dudley perceives the Thrashers' chances of making the playoffs for only the second time in franchise history as dim, don't look for him to stand pat. He could move a veteran or two for some lower round picks.

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