Kari Lehtonen

Lehtonen returned to Thrashers practice on Sunday - one month after he injured the groin against the Rangers, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Coach Don Waddell said the team will not rush Lehtonen back as they may have done in the past and with two capable goalies in Johan Hedberg and Ondrej Pavelec on the team, Wadell expects it will be at least two weeks until Lehtonen is actviated. When he does return, Lehtonen will quickly assume the starting job and now that Bob Hartley has been ousted in Atlanta, his margin for error is probably much greater. He could be a top-10 goalie over the rest of the year.