3 Former Thrashers Still Active in the NHL – Hockey Writers – Atlanta Thrashers

Unlike the regular bird itself, the former Atlanta Thrashers are a dying breed.

Now more than a decade removed from the Thrashers' move to Winnipeg in 2011, the number of former Thrashers left in the NHL has dropped to three after Bryan Little officially retired five years removed from a season-ending injury. Only two are playing seriously in 2024-25. Here's a look at each of them, and what they've been up to since leaving the Peach State.

Zach Bogosian

He played 199 games for the Thrashers between 2008-09 and 2010-11.

The Thrashers selected third baseman Zach Bogosian in 2008 and he soon joined the big club. He appeared in 199 games for the Thrashers in three seasons before moving to Winnipeg, recording 24 goals and 39 assists for 59 points, but was also a minus-34.

In the early days of the Jets, the young Mbusoan played a big role at the four, averaging 22:56, scoring 16 goals and 52 assists for 68 points – including a career-high 30 in the Jets' first campaign – and recording improved numbers during and to the right.

He was steady enough during his time on the roster, but unfortunately, he was plagued by injuries and didn't play more than 65 games in a season.

Bogosian was traded to the Buffalo Sabers along with Evander Kane in 2015. He wasn't particularly successful there in six injury-plagued campaigns, playing in 243 games and recording 13 goals and 54 assists for 67 points and 49 strikeouts.

Boraian's time in Buffalo came to a celebratory end. In December 2019, he requested a trade, and in February, the team waived him. He cleared waivers but refused to report to the AHL's Rochester Americans, so The Sabers suspended him and later terminated his contract.

The 6-foot-3 d-man then signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Lightning just days before the trade deadline and skated in eight games, recording two assists, before the NHL season was paused in mid-March.

In the 2020 bubble playoffs, Mbusoan played in 20 games, recorded four assists, and hoisted the Stanley Cup as the Lightning defeated the Dallas Stars in six games to capture hockey's top prize.

In October 2020, Bogosian signed a one-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs and played 45 games in the shortened 2020–21 season, recording four assists. He then returned to the Lightning for his second stint with the team, signing a three-year, $850,000 AAV contract prior to the 2021-22 season. He appeared in 48 games that season and 46 games in 2022–23.

In November 2023, the Lightning traded him to the Minnesota Wild. He appeared in 65 games between the two clubs and signed a two-year extension with the Wild on March 6, 2024.

Evander Kane

Played 139 games for the Thrashers between 2009-10 and 2010-11

Another top pick, the Thrashers took the sniper fourth overall in 2009 after he put up 48 goals and 48 assists for the Vancouver Giants in his second full season of the Western Hockey League.

Like Bogosian, the Thrashers brought Kane to the NHL quickly and he recorded 33 goals and 36 assists for 69 points in 133 games over two seasons, admired for his speed, scoring and fearlessness.

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In the Jets' first season, Kane recorded a career-high 30 goals. However, between 2015 and 2015, he proved to be a high maintenance player who was a nightmare to deal with; he pulled off a variety of immature antics — from a Twitter post doing glitter on a Las Vegas balcony to allegedly eating and running fancy restaurants — that overshadowed his on-ice contributions.

After Kane showed up at a team meeting wearing a tracksuit and Dustin Byfuglien threw it in the shower, the Jets traded the aforementioned Zach Bogosian to the Sabers in exchange for Joel Armia, Brenden Lemieux, Tyler Myers, Drew Stafford, and a 2015 first-round pick that they used to select Jack Roslovic.

Kane spent three seasons with the Sabers and never recorded more than 43 points in a season.

Traded to the San Jose Sharks in February 2018, he recorded 87 goals and 79 assists for 166 points as a Shark. However, he was not good for the team as he continued to make headlines for all the wrong reasons.

At the end of 2019, it was announced that Las Vegas casinos were suing for $500,000 in gambling credits. Last year, a woman was allegedly promised $3 million by Kane to deliver three separate pregnancies between 2016 and 2018 but he did not pay her after she paid him.

Kane's life turned even darker in 2021. In September, his estranged wife Anna Kane accused him of sexually assaulting and beating her, saying he was forced to have sex with her without her consent on more than one occasion. He also accused him of betting on NHL games, including the one he played in.

The Sharks announced they would not attend training camp in 2021-22 due to the allegations, which were later found to be unsubstantiated. However, at the same time, further misconduct emerged and Kane was suspended for the first 21 games of the season for submitting a fake COVID-19 vaccination card.

After completing his suspension, the Sharks placed Kane on waivers and reassigned to the American Hockey League for the first time in his career. In January, 2022, the Sharks announced that they had placed Kane on unconditional waivers with the intention of terminating his contract, due to a violation of the AHL's COVID-19 protocols.

A few weeks later, the Edmonton Oilers signed Kane to a one-year deal, but the signing was not without its detractors due to his past. Still, Kane looks rejuvenated and is enjoying quick success with a deep Oilers squad, recording 22 goals and 17 assists in 43 regular season games, and 13 goals and four assists in 17 playoff games.

Related: Oilers Add Kane to NHL's Best Midseason Acquisition in 2021-22

He was also in contention during the Western Conference Finals against the Colorado Avalanche, tripping Nazem Kadri in Game 3 and receiving a one-game suspension.

In July 2022, Kane re-signed with the Oilers, signing a four-year, $20.5 million extension. In 2022-23, he had 28 points in 41 games but missed significant time with a cut wrist that required surgery. He followed that up with 44 points in 77 games in the 2023-24 season.

In September 2024, he underwent abdominal surgery to correct various problems and was expected to require five to six months to recover, meaning he would miss most of the 2024–25 season.

One can only hope that he can recover, keep his personal life on track, and focus on helping the Oilers win the Stanley Cup during their current contention window, because he is a very talented player.

Blake Wheeler

Played 23 games for the Thrashers in 2010-11

Former Jets captain Blake Wheeler is the last Thrasher to play with the team.

Wheeler, who came to the Thrashers from the Boston Bruins in a trade late in their last season, has established himself as a talented and extremely hard-working player. But at 38, his best years are behind him.

A key figure whose veteran presence has helped many of the Jets' youngsters and draft picks develop into superstars, Wheeler took time to come into his own as a top-six forward. He even called himself “one of those late bloomers” and “one of those boys who took time to turn into a man, physically and mentally.” (from 'Top 10 scorer is the Wheel deal,' Winnipeg Free Press01/04/2016.)

In 1,172 career games through the end of the 2023-24 regular season, the power forward has posted 321 goals and 622 assists for 943 points. He recorded 74 or more points in five straight seasons, had back-to-back 91-point seasons in 2017-18 and 2018-19, and was named an NHL All-Star seven times.

Wheeler's production dipped slightly in 2019-2020 — 65 points in 71 games — but he was able to seamlessly slide into the middle and help the Jets “stay in the fight” after Little's injury. It was a risky move as Wheeler would be the first to admit that he prefers to be a guy on the wing, making things happen for Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor.

Despite the dip in his numbers, the campaign brought his own milestone — he became the franchise's all-time leader in points in December, passing Ilya Kovalchuk in one of the Jets' most exciting games of the season.

In 2020-21, Father Time grabbed Wheeler in a big way and he became a 5-on-5 liability. While his points total – 46 in 50 games – was still respectable, he looked like a shadow of his former self in defense and tackles. The reason for that was because he was quietly playing with his ribs.

2021-22 was another down season for both Wheeler personally and the Jets as a whole, and his questionable leadership qualities were one of the reasons for the lost season. Last season, rumors spread that the Jets were trying to trade him, and although a deal never materialized, he was stripped of his captaincy before the 2022-23 season by Rick Bowness, the incoming bench manager.

Related: Jets' Bowness Makes Gutsy & Necessary Decision With Wheeler

Wheeler had 55 points in 71 games in 2022-23 but before the opening of free agency in 2023, the Jets bought him out of the final year of his contract to shed his bad salary and create a new and better identity with new leadership. the core.

Wheeler then signed a one-year contract with the New York Rangers. He had nine goals and 21 points for the Blueshirts in the bottom six but suffered a serious leg injury in mid-February that ruled him out for the rest of the season.

The Rangers opted not to re-sign Wheeler through the 2024 offseason, and he is currently an unrestricted free agent.

Overall, at 33, Kane is the youngest former Thrasher. That means that soon, the Atlanta Thrasher will be gone forever.