(My Sportsbook) - The signing of free agent goaltender Byron Dafoe is hardly going to transform the Atlanta Thrashers into a contender, but the move is another sign that general manager Don Waddell has the franchise moving somewhat in the right direction.

This is especially true when you consider that the all-time goaltending registry of the Thrashers showcases names like Damian Rhodes, Norm Maracle, Milan Hnilicka and Pasi Nurminen. And that's no knock on guys like Hnilicka and Nurminen, who have both shown flashes of respectability over the past two seasons, but Dafoe is a legitimate starting backstop who manned the net for the Eastern Conference's best regular season team a year ago.

"This is a major step," said Waddell, whose club lost the first nine games of this season. "We've been building this thing for four years. We've been disappointed with the start of the season. Is it all the blame of our goaltending? No. But with the addition of Byron, this gives us the opportunity to go to the next step. He's a proven goaltender.

"His stats show clearly he's not only a No. 1 goaltender, but one of the top goaltenders in the NHL."

Dafoe was in limbo after the NHL's summer shopping season, as he was essentially the odd-man out in a free agent goaltending crop that included All-Star caliber players like Mike Richter, Curtis Joseph and Ed Belfour. His old team, the Bruins, refused to pay his asking price and opted to go another route with the acquisition of Steve Shields from Anaheim.

Thus, Dafoe has been a man without a job, but that hasn't stopped him from keeping in shape. He has been waiting for a deal while working out with the Merrimack College team in Massachusetts. That will hopefully make him available sooner rather than later.

"I don't think it's too far away," Dafoe said when introduced at Philips Arena on Wednesday. "I feel I'm in great shape. The difference is I've been having college shooters shooting at me as opposed to NHL players.

"But I'm very anxious to get going and very excited. Hopefully, it will be soon."

Dafoe is 162-148-54 during his NHL career, having posted a 2.60 goals-against average and .906 save-percentage in 382 games. Last season with Boston, he was 35-26-3 with a 2.21 GAA and .907 SP.

The one flaw he brings to the table is his proneness to injury, as he missed significant time in 1999-2000 and 00-01 with knee and hamstring problems. However, in his last two completely healthy campaigns -- 1998-99 and 01-02 -- he has performed amongst the league's top netminders.

Dafoe steps into a situation where the Thrashers have been one of the worst defensive teams in the NHL since their inception in 1999. Last season they allowed a league-worst 288 goals, while this campaign their 68 tallies-against are tied for the highest mark with the Islanders.

UP NEXT

The Thrashers snapped a two-game losing streak with a 4-3 overtime win against Florida on Tuesday, and will welcome Pittsburgh to town on Friday. They will then visit Washington (Saturday) and Montreal (Tuesday).