Thrashers Sign Free Agent Forward Jon Sim

[Thrillhouse]

ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Thrashers have signed unrestricted free agent forward Jon Sim, according to Executive Vice President and General Manager Don Waddell.

Sim, 28, has appeared in 230 NHL games, recording 88 points (35 goals, 33 assists) over seven seasons with Dallas, Nashville, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Florida. He has recorded one goal in 11 playoff games with Dallas and helped the Stars capture the Stanley Cup in 1999.

The 5-10, 190-pound winger played in 72 games during the 2005-06 season for the Panthers and Flyers, recording a career-high 32 points (17 goals, 15 assists). Sim, who also amassed a career-high 54 penalty minutes, was traded to Florida by Philadelphia in exchange for a sixth-round choice in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft on Jan. 23, 2006. Sim split the 2003-04 season between the Penguins and Kings, combining for 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in 63 games.

The native of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, was originally selected by the Stars in the third round, 70th overall, in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. After appearing in 77 games through parts of five seasons with Dallas, recording nine goals and six assists, he was dealt to Nashville on Feb. 17, 2003. After four games with the Predators, he was acquired by Los Angeles on waivers and appeared in 62 games for the Kings over two seasons before being claimed on waivers by Pittsburgh on March 4, 2004. Prior to the start of the 2005-06 season, he signed with Philadelphia as a free agent.

Sim has earned 249 points (128 goals, 121 assists) in 288 games over six seasons in the AHL and the former International Hockey League. He notched 65 points (37 goals, 28 assists) in 73 AHL games with Philadelphia and Utah in 2004-05, setting minor-league career bests for goals and points. Sim registered a minor-league career-best 31 assists with Utah in 2002-03.

In four years of junior hockey with Sarnia of the Ontario Hockey League, Sim recorded 312 points (165 goals, 147 assists) in 211 games. He led the OHL in goals (56) during the 1996-97 season and earned OHL Second All-Star Team honors for the 1997-98 season.

[danski]

Sim is a pretty good if not a little bit streaky scorer. He seems to have trouble sticking somewhere because he's a bit of a liability on D. Was awesome with the Phamtoms, but that's the AHL of course. He was probably cheap, so what the Hell !

[Fighting Wombats]

This is a blockbuster signing....

[Isles4life]

He'll probably put up decent numbers and, along with Kovalchuk, play an alarmingly one-dimensional game, but from the third or fourth line.

[mckendo83]

Sim can really get under an opposing team or players skin...he's willing to go to the front of the net and i've seen him be the main reason for an after whistle scrum a number of times. he wont drop the gloves but he'll pester you and then look you right in the face and say "f you"

[johano90]

He is a good, decently fast, gritty, under the skin type of player. I would have loved the Panthers to resign Sim instead of Cambell, but Sim is older and has no future. He scored an amazing hattrick against the Caps last season.