Thrashers' Pavelec Won't Report to Minors

According to the Sporting News and tsn.ca, the Atlanta Thrashers' top goaltending prospect Ondrej Pavelec will not report to the team's AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. Pavelec was assigned to the Wolves on Saturday. According to Pavelec's agent, the young netminder was promised by Thrashers' GM Don Waddell that he would never be held back when he was signed two years ago. Pavelec's agent claims that the goalie has not been given a fair chance to make the team. Right now Pavelec is considering offers from Russian teams and expressing interest in being traded to another NHL team. It appeared Pavelec would spend another season in the minors after the Thrashers resigned backup goaltender Johan Hedberg over the summer. Pavelec is the second NHL player in a week to refuse to report to the minors. Ottawa Senators forward Brad Isbister refused to report to the team's AHL affiliate in Binghamton after being assigned there and now the Senators are exploring options to loan Isbister to a Russian team. Losing Pavelec could be costly to the Thrashers, as he showed promise last season when he covered for Hedberg and Lehtonen when they were both injured. If the Thrashers and Pavelec can't come to some sort of agreement, there would be no shortage of NHL teams looking to acquire his services, as he has lots of potential to becoming a top-noptch goaltender.