Thrashers general manager Don Waddell is confident that the team will agree on a new deal with Ilya Kovalchuk. Waddell characterized contract negotiations with Kovalchuk as "constructive" on Monday. "We've had several face-to-face meetings," Waddell told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "We've had some very, very long discussions." Kovalchuk is the franchise's all-time leader in goals, points and games played, and is entering the final year of his contract. "I feel very confident that at some point ? I don't know when that point will be ? but at some point, we will get a contract done," Waddell said. "I'm OK at this point because of the conversations we are having. If the conversations were broken off or argumentative, I would have a lot more concern."