Trade action has picked up around the Western Hockey League but the Spokane Chiefs, who play at Chilliwack tonight and are home against Swift Current on Saturday (Teddy Bear Toss), have been quiet.
There has been another trade - Vancouver picking up a fourth goalie - you can check on
Gregg Drinnan’s blog.
As an added bonus, Gregg drops in column’s from the late Jim Murray (usually on Monday’s) and he has one about a young Tiger Woods.
Alan Caldwell’s blog
looks a little closer at the trade. Caldwell also takes a team-by-team look at what might happen, or maybe needs to happen, before the Jan. 10 trade deadline.
Keep reading to see what he says about Spokane and why we disagree.
Spokane:
slow start, but being the hottest team in the league the
last couple weeks has moved them into 4th overall - by win % anyway. Do they
make a move for this year? I think they will, since it could be easier this year
for a Western Conference team to make the Memorial Cup. If Brandon wins the
East, then the winner of the West is going to the Memorial Cup regardless of
whether they win the WHL or not. The Chiefs have as good a chance as anyone in
the West. I think another top-six forward would definitely be a good acquisition
here. Their defensive top four are strong but another #5/#6 guy for depth isn’t
a bad idea either.
It’s interesting to see Caldwell thinks the Chiefs can use another D-man. My thought is that might be where the Chiefs could make a deal for a top six forward since Spokane, with league-leading goalie James Reid, have allowed far fewer goals than any other team but could benefit from a boost in scoring.
Since Jared Spurgeon’s return, two rookie D, Grant Leedahl, 18, and Tanner Mort, 16, have languished on the bench - though they’ll be two key factors with D-men Jared Cowen and Stefan Ulmer off to World Juniors. Early injuries gave both youngsters a chance to play with Leedahl posting a plus-6 in 13 games and Mort a minus-3 in 13 games (he played forward the last game).
It would seem moving a D for more offense would make the team dangerous. The defense wouldn’t take a hard hit as both rookies could spot in with solid veterans.
So what could the Chiefs do? They can make a run for the Memorial Cup as they stand now. They can also get better without morgaging the future. The only way to do that is to probably move 19-year old D Stefan Ulmer because if he comes back he would take up two roster spots - overage and import, which rarely happens. Ulmer is a top 4 D-man, which should bring a top 6 forward.
Who might be available is hard to figure, but expect the Chiefs to do something, but unless they move Ulmer, nothing is likely to happen until the last minute.