Brett Corcoran Interview

(Brett Corcoran)

Brett Corcoran joined me on Mountain FM's Overtime tonight. He returns to the Smokies after playing for Cowichan and Surrey this season. He started this season on a red hot goal per game pace, but things cooled after an injury and trade. Brett is hoping to re-ignite that earlier fire with a return to familiar surroundings. He's thrilled about being back in Trail and you can hear that in this interview.

66% of you who voted on my poll wanted Trail to acquire a sniper. Brett Corcoran is that one shot scorer you asked for. Put him in a position to succeed and the twenty year old will use his great shot to deliver goals in bunches.

Smokies Forward Brett Corcoran

Click here to download

So Brett will join the team (he's all ready here) for their game on Thursday at home against Nanaimo. Where will he fit in the line-up? I think Sandor/Bulach/Mailey as a unit looked terrific against Salmon Arm so I would imagine they wouldn't mess with that. If St. Denis is healthy could we see him work his playmaking magic with the veteran goal scorer? I think that would be an interesting pairing. You could also try to play Jacklin with Corcoran as the two were teammates on the Capitals earlier this season. It'll be interesting to see what kind of line-up Coach Ingram puts together with the two new forwards.

For more analysis on the trade deadline check out Ryan's Vees Blog for a post breaking down the moves in the Interior. Who do you think is the most improved team today? I have to say that Penticton adding players as talented as Odegaard and Grassi while only subtracting Grossman from their roster is very impressive. There may be a big price to pay in the off season, but for now I feel like the Vees did the most out of them, Trail and Westside to vault themselves into contention with Salmon Arm and Vernon. Are they tough enough, though? I also feel like Vernon did a terrific job addressing their needs with physical, veteran defencemen.

However, trades aren't won or lost in two days. Corcoran and Jacklin could be exactly what the doctor ordered in Trail. Gehon could be the piece that ignites the Westside offence. Goodship and Pickering might light a fire under what had been a sagging Spruce Kings group. Vandenberg and Cseter together could create a second line in Salmon Arm as powerful and dominant as their first. Chemistry, opportunity, long term competitiveness... those are all factors in determining the value of the deals teams made over the past week. Heck we could all be praising Al Glendinning this time next year for the building blocks he stockpiled at the deadline to build Merritt into a competitive squad again. Reactions at this stage don't mean anything. What does? Wins in the playoffs.

For Trail fans there is hope. A veteran goal scorer on the wall. A young speedster with a high ceiling. An ailing roster getting healthy by the end of the month. When Brandon Clark, Paul Barclay, Travis St. Denis, Steve Koshey and Riley Loyst all return to this line-up fans will see the Trail squad they remember from earlier in the season. A healthy group just in time for a stretch run and playoff war. These boys will be ready to roll.