Thrashers Ink Bogosian

The Atlanta Thrashers are turning into big fans of their third overall pick this past summer, defenseman Zach Bogosian, as they have now signed him to his entry-level deal, which should be for the maximum three years and have all sorts of incentives and bonuses.

Bogosian, 18, has been a top-rated defender for some time, going through the junior ranks as high draft picks for all of his teams, bringing size to his physical game and a big shot to his offensive game. At 6'2", 197 lbs. (according to Forecaster), he could likely have a little more on his frame to take to camp and likely crack the Thrashers blueline corps.

The Thrashers currently hold space for Bogosian in their active roster, as they only have 20 players signed on and with all of Bogosian's bonuses and salary structure, the Thrashers would be quite a bit closer to the salary cap floor, which looks to be a win-win for both parties.

According to the pool guides this season, it is almost expected of Bogosian to make the Thrashers right away this season, as there are already some projections out there for him. The Hockey News has Bogosian scoring 7 goals and 38 points, the Score has him scoring 6 goals and 22 points and Hockey - The Magazine has him scoring 2 goals and 18 points. At just 18, Bogosian will rely on some of the veteran talent on the blueline to help him adjust to the big game, which could bring him to the lower end of the projection spectrum. 22 to 25 points could be very helpful to a few pool teams and would be a reasonable projection for him, if he can play the whole schedule.