NHL

Thrashers pick up even more scoring

ATLANTA - The Thrashers signed center Bobby Holik to a three-year, $12.75-million contract Tuesday to bolster an offense that already includes Ilya Kovalchuk and Dany Heatley.

"We're excited about where this franchise is headed," Atlanta general manager Don Waddell said. "We're taking it one step at a time. But this franchise is poised to take the next step."

The 2003-04 season, its fifth, was Atlanta's best. It won 33 games and finished second in the Southeast with 78 points, 13 out of the last playoff spot.

The 6-foot-4, 235-pound Holik fills one of Atlanta's biggest needs, a big, strong center. Also, he's expected to play a major leadership role having won Stanley Cups with New Jersey in 1995 and 2000.

"From an organizational standpoint and a team standpoint, we couldn't sign a better player to get us where we want to go, which is the postseason," Waddell said.

Holik, 34, joins Kovalchuk, who had 46 assists and a league-high 41 goals in 2003-04, and Heatley, who missed part of the season recovering from injuries sustained in a car crash but Had 13 goals and 25 points in 31 games.

Holik has been in two All-Star games and scored at least 20 goals nine times during his 14-year career. He said he looks forward to joining a team that made vast improvement after Bob Hartley took over as coach in January 2003 and has two of the NHL's most talented scorers.

"They have a lot of young players looking to make their mark in this league," Holik said. "Ever since Bob got to Atlanta, the team has a better feel. They compete every single night. I feel like he's driving his players to be their best on any given night. It just seems like the right situation. I'm very excited by my decision."

Holik was the Rangers' second-leading scorer in 2003-04 with 25 goals and 56 points. But due to make $6.726-million this season, he was bought out.

"I didn't want a buyout," Holik said. "I just dealt with the cards I was dealt. Obviously, I got a great contract from Atlanta. But there's more to it than that."

[Last modified August 3, 2005, 00:36:17]