Unrestricted free agent says he has "unfinished business" in Atlanta.

The Atlanta Thrashers, one of the 14 teams that will miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the ninth time in its 10 seasons in the National Hockey League, are once again searching for answers as to why the team is on the outside of the top 16 teams in the league.

Some will point to losing another star off its roster in the midst of the season. Some, like Slava Kozlov, will suggest that head coach John Anderson didn't have a good feel for the team and the game, while others will point to the team's leadership as a reason the team sputtered down the stretch despite having 12 home games in March and 10 games against foes that also eventually missed the postseason.

None, however, will point the finger at goaltender Johan Hedberg, who had his best NHL season this year with a 21-16-6 record, a .915 save percentage, a 2.62 goals against average and three shutouts.

In four seasons with the Thrashers, Hedberg went 57-47-14. While hardly the numbers of a future Hall of Famer, Hedberg was supposed to be the team's No. 2 goalie, picking up an occasional start behind former No. 1 pick Kari Lehtonen and then Ondrej Pavelec. But, he started 42 games this year and his value to the fortunes of the Thrashers goes well beyond his sprawling saves, his honest appraisals of his team's play or the number of wins he posts.

Hedberg, a former 9th-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft, will become a free agent this summer. Although he will turn 37 in May, he has no intention of retiring and has indicated that he would like the opportunity to tend to "unfinished business" in Atlanta.

"I don't know what's going to happen in the summertime right now. I had four great years here and I really enjoyed it. Even though we came up short, I think we took a lot of good strides in the right direction this year," Hedberg said. "It has been fun to be a part of it and we haven't reached the big goal yet. It would be fun to be a part of that and if that's not going to be the case, then we'll see what the summer is going to bring."

Hedberg said that as of Sunday morning, he and GM Don Waddell have not spoken about the possibility of Hedberg remaining with the Thrashers.

"It's not in my hands at the moment. I think Don and (assistant GM Rick) Dudley have some ideas on what the team needs and what direction they want to go in and where I fit in that picture I don't know at this moment," the Leksand, Sweden native said. "But, it does feel like we have unfinished business, especially for a guy like myself who has seen the ups and downs, had chance to go to the playoffs with Atlanta. It was a great experience. There is a fan base to be made here. There is a lot of fans out there. The team has to get them excited and needs to get in the playoffs to build that up. I've been there, it was a lot of fun and I want to do that again."

Standing in the way of returning to the playoffs in 2010-11 is a current roster of 10 unrestricted free agents and four restricted free agents. Some have questioned if the Thrashers have an identity, but Hedberg believes strides were made in that department this year.

"We are not a huge team, but we have a lot of big strong defensemen. Personally, I don't think there are many teams in the league that have better personnel on their blueline than we do. We have a lot of speed up front. I think for us, it's just the consistency. To be consistent night in and night out, there is no reason that we can't succeed," Hedberg said.

But, can Atlanta sustain that consistency for an entire season?

"That's what we have to do. That's what we are paid to do. Obviously, there are going to be nights where we're not going to feel as good as others, but that's the time that you have to be strong as a team and back each other up," Hedberg offered. "Whoever is not on top of their game that night is still going to be bailed out of that situation. You look at teams that are playing that way like New Jersey, there are no nights off. I wouldn't say we take nights off, but it might look like that because we can't get anything going. That's the time you have to fall back on your team game."

Becoming a solid and consistent team takes leadership. Some pundits have opined that character and leadership were lacking at the end of the season, particularly after Ilya Kovalchuk was dealt to New Jersey.

"I think every team needs a leader, but I also didn't think we had that stand-up leader at that time. It was also time for us to grow as a team, for people to step up and take charge. In my mind, there were guys that did that and we'll se what the future is going to hold, but guys grasped the moment and we got better in a lot of ways. People realized that it just wasn't Kovy anymore, it was us as a team. I think that put more, I wouldn't say pressure, but put more emphasis on guys feeling a bigger part of this than they felt before.

"It might have been a showcase for a captaincy," Hedberg said. "There are leaders around. Guys need to realize that it's time to take charge."

When asked who his nominee would be for next year, Hedberg said, "I won't tell you."

He doesn't believes goalies should be captains.

"You have enough to worry about with your own game then to have to look after another 19 guys. I'm not a big believer in the "C" for the goaltender," Hedberg said.

Some NHL teams have more leaders than just the captain and those wearing an "A."

"Every team needs character. We have a lot of character guys but you can never have enough of them. There are guys in the system now that I have heard good things about. (Patrice) Cormier (also acquired from the Devils in the Kovalchuk trade) was the captain of the Canadian World Junior team, which should speak very highly about that," Hedberg related. "We need for guys to take charge. There is a core of players that you can build around that have those leadership abilities. If we can find a few more guys that we can rely on when times are tough, that is going to be a great thing to have."

Hedberg was asked if 18-year-old Evander Kane could be a leader even at his tender age.

"The sky's the limit. From day one to the last day, I think he has grown every day. Personally, I think Kane has been so much more than I ever expected him to be. He's going to be a leader for this team and in this sport for a long time," Hedberg stated.

He mentioned that the Devils Jamie Langenbrunner and the Red Wings Nicklas Lidstrom are two examples of quintessential leaders.

Despite being in the thick of the playoff chase in mid-March, the Thrashers often played in front of much smaller crowds.

"It's more fun to play in front of a big crowd, and an energetic crowd, so I think when our building is full it's a great place to be, but unfortunately, there haven't been as many times as we were hoping for," Hedberg admitted. "I wouldn't say that it hurt us, it hurts the other teams just as much, but it takes away some of the extra emotion that is provided when the building is energetic and it's full."

Saturday's finale against Pittsburgh, a 2-0 victory for the Thrashers, was witnessed by one of the largest crowds of the year. Even though there was a sizeable contingent of Penguins fans in the building, it reminded Hedberg that Atlanta can be a "hockey town."

"It was very nice to see fans come out and support us in that game even though it didn't mean anything. It was a great atmosphere in the building. It gives, at least to me, a lot of positive emotions and feelings that it can be something great. We just have to give them something to cheer about," he said.

And hearing "Moose" after another Hedberg save will be welcomed by many Thrashers fans next year if he re-signs with the club.

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