Quote:McEachern to have back surgery

By GUY CURTRIGHT
Atlanta Journal-Constitution Staff Writer

If the Thrashers are going to make a serious run at the playoffs, they'll have to do it without captain Shawn McEachern.

The veteran winger is scheduled to undergo surgery for a herniated disc Wednesday in Rochester, N.Y., and may miss the rest of the season.

The earliest that McEachern could return is six weeks, the Thrashers have been told. The NHL regular season has less than eight weeks to go.

"It's crappy," said McEachern, addressing his situation as well as how he's felt recently. "It's hard to have this happen now.

"I don't know what to expect, because I've never had anything like this before. I just hope I can come back before the end of the season."

The Thrashers, who play Southeast Division leader Washington Wednesday night at Philips Arena, are 7-3-1-0 under Bob Hartley and 11-8-2-0 since late December.

But they've already had to play the last eight games without McEachern, who was sidelined by a groin strain and then experienced back problems when he tried to return.

"It's not good news," Hartley said. "Shawn was really looking forward to coming back. But we can't do anything about this."

McEachern, 33, had 10 goals and 26 points in 46 games. Obtained by the Thrashers from Ottawa in the offseason, he can become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

"Although we've been playing well without him, there is no question that we'll miss Shawn," general manager Don Waddell said. "I still feel good about our two top lines, so I don't think we need to go out and immediately make a trade. But I was looking forward to having three good offensive lines when McEachern and Lubos Bartecko came back."

Bartecko, sidelined by a groin strain, has missed all but part of one game since Jan. 13. He may be ready to return next week.