As we approach the 8 o'clock deadline tonight I can tell you that the Trail Smoke Eaters will not be making any additional deals. They added big D Taylor Swaffield on Thursday and the rest of the team stays as is. With the season ending injury to Thomas Abenante and the addition of Steve Oursov the club will have 13 forwards and 8 defenceman on the roster. Wade Bennett of course could also count as a defenceman but we'll call him a forward given the way the numbers look right now.
Why no move? Trail can return basically their entire team for next season outside of Nick Sandor and Sean Nugent. This team now has a chance to grow together and win together. The way they've been playing lately they could really surprise some people down the stretch. Why mess with chemistry when you're young and on the upswing? This club is only going to get better game in and game out.
News throughout the league has been slow today. I know my phone has also been on the frtiz so I've had a hard time getting information.
RENZ TO ALBERNI VALLEY
One addition I do know about... the Alberni Valley Bulldogs have added 1993 born defenceman Ryan Renz from the KIJHL'sCastlegar Rebels. Renz is a nearly point per game defenceman with a physical edge that has him over 100 penalty minutes. This is a guy who has had NCAA scouts on him already. I don't know what the Bulldogs plan for him this season as they contend for a championship, but he'll be a part of that franchise's young core as long as he doesn't make the leap to the WHL. The last time I talked to Renz he was undecided as to which way he'll go next season.
As for the Rebels, they added Darren Tarasoff after he was released from Williams Lake and former Rebel Brennan White is back. Tough break for Castlegar to lose one of their top young players at this stage of the season. However, they were able to get some veterans back to cover for that loss. It'll be a tight battle in the KIJHL's Neil Murdoch Division.
Other BCHL moves? I don't know yet. I do know several top teams are looking to add. Time is running out though. I've heard from a hand full of sources that the top D-man in Prince George should be on the move... but no official word yet.
EDIT: Sorry for the misunderstanding last night gang I typed Merritt instead of Vernon when talking about David Robinson. Hopefully that didn't cause anyone to spit out their coffee this morning.
It's like Christmas for a hockey fan... what new player will be under the tree today? I think Trail opened their gift early.
As I hear any juice on the trade deadline front I'll do my best to pass it on to you throughout the day. You can also check out the link to the BCHL transactions page if you want to keep track of when any deals become "official" before midnight tomorrow.
Many teams have made some moves already. I think there's slim to no chance that Trail will do anything more after the addition of veteran defenceman Taylor Swaffied. I'd be shocked if they did. However, the phone will continue to ring. No GM is going to refuse to listen. If Coach and GM Jim Ingram is blown away I'm sure he'll make any move that he believes will help the club. I simply doubt that any are coming given the current roster situation.
So far the biggest "deadline" move in my view has been Vernon's addition of David Robinson. We've also seen Prince George add veteran goaltender Andrew Walsh from Langley for defenceman Brendan Nadolny. Quesnel got into the act again (they've been busy all season) by picking up Justin Hogan from Williams Lake for futures. That's another nice depth move by the Mills who have heavily improved their forward group over the last month or so.
As for any rumours... the first concrete rumour comes from Brian's Making Cents blog. If you read what he writes there it certainly sounds like Andrew Pickering is either on the "wire" or has been traded already. I know Cents Coach and GM Luke Pierce told me he didn't plan on selling off his older players. Will this be a hockey deal? I guess we'll find out tomorrow.
I think it's also pretty clear Prince George is going to be very busy tomorrow. Ed Dempsey's phone is going to be ringing off the hook. The big questions to me are not if PG makes some deals but when, where and how many. I'd say given their age and obvious talent that Wade McLeod and Sam Muchalla would bring the most return. They're both off to school next season, but they're also both 19 year olds who could jump onto any roster no matter how many 89s they had. McLeod to me is more likely to move than Muchalle as Sam is a hometown guy and the Captain.
In a small move that involves a local KIJHL club, Williams Lake has allowed Darren Tarasoff to return to the Castlegar Rebels. The Castlegar native had 3 goals and 8 assists with the Timberwolves. He's the second former WL rookie to rejoin his former KIJHL recently as Dane Rupert is now back with Nelson. I wonder if the Timberwolves are going to have trouble fielding a whole roster for the rest of the season.
There is a ton of talk and I'm sure every GM will be very busy right up until midnight. Good luck to them all.
Trail, BC - The Merritt monkey is off the Smoke Eaters' back after a 5-2 win over the Centennials. Trail beat Merritt for the first time this season and got their first victory over Cents goaltender Keith Hamilton.
The Kelowna product had four wins over the Smokies and picked up right where he left off with 16 first period saves. His play helped Merritt get out to early 1-0 and 2-1 leads on goals by AP Scott Morisseau of the local Beaver Valley Nitehawks. However, Smokies Captain Paul Mailey turned the momentum back in Trail's favour with his goal mid-way through the second period.
The line of Mailey, Justin Brown and Steve Oursov had a hand in 3 of Trail's 5 goals. Mailey and Brown each had a goal and an assist while Oursov scored the winner on a Dustin Johnson turnover early in the third period.
Matt Wilkins and Scott Jacklin also scored for the Smokies.
Kiefer Smiley was terrific in the Trail goal as his turned away 32 Merritt shots for his second straight victory. The Smokies got to Hamilton with 3 third period goals, but the 17 year old still made 35 saves.
The game also had a physical and emotional feel to it that boiled over in the third period. Trail's entire top line got involved in the rough stuff after Jacklin got run into the Merritt net. The aftermath amounted to 42 minutes in penalties. Smokies forward Travis St. Denis also played with enough of an edge to lead both teams in PIMs with 11.
The win broke Trail's seven game losing streak against Merritt dating back to next season. The Smokies are now 5 points ahead of Prince George for the final playoff spot and a single point behind Quesnel and Merritt for fifth. Trail will host Williams Lake next Saturday.
ON THE TRAIL: Defenceman Taylor Swaffield made his debut with the Smokies tonight. He provided a solid physical game despite having not played in three weeks. Graeme Strukoff and Thomas Abenante are still both out injured. Mitch Kaufhmann and Mike Betz were out of the line-up ... Former Smoke Eater Andrew Pickering sat the game out healthy despite being one of Merritt's top scorers. Merritt Coach Luke Pierce told the "Making Cents" blog it was a precautionary measure ahead of tomorrow's trade deadline ... Trail now has points in their last four games and in six of their last seven ... The two teams will face off again in Merritt on February 20th. It'll be Trail's second last game of the season.
Oh what a difference 10 days can make. When Merritt beat Trail 4-3 in overtime back on December 30th there were many who believed the Cents were now a lock to finish ahead of Trail in the Interior standings. However, since that time Trail got a point in an OT loss against Salmon Arm and a gutsy 2 points in an overtime win against Penticton. Meanwhile, Merritt has lost a couple of games in a row against the very tough Westside and Vernon clubs. Now Trail finds themselves within striking distance. They're only 3 points back of Merritt and Quesnel for 5th place in the Interior. With Prince George free falling now is the time for Trail to get on a bit of a roll and secure their playoff spot. The one problem with that? Trail can't seem to solve Merritt this season. Here's how the series breaks down...
The season series has been very different in Trail than it was in Merritt. When the Smokies went to visit the Cents we saw some of the sloppiest games of the year. The most recent battles between the two teams at the Cominco Arena displayed a couple of groups that have really tightened up their play. Both Merritt and Trail are significantly ahead of the teams we saw back in September. The Smokies carried the play in both the December 11th and 30th games, but Keith Hamilton has been terrific against Trail. He has made 40 or more saves against the Smoke Eaters 3 times in 4 starts this season. The 17 year old may be the key to tonight's contest for both teams. Today's game is also the final contest for Trail before the trade deadline and the debut of new defenceman Taylor Swaffield. It appears the Smokies have made their moves, but this game could influence any decisions both coaching staffs are considering heading into Sunday.
POWER PLAY
Trail: 2/22 (9%) Merritt: 5/14 (36%)
TRAIL TOP SCORERS
1. F Scott Jacklin (2-7-9) 2. F Sam Mellor (5-2-7) 3. F Nick Sandor (1-5-6) 4. D Steve Koshey (2-2-4) 5. D Ben Matthews (1-2-3)
MERRITT TOP SCORERS
1. F Derek Hills (5-6-11) 2. F Jeff Jones (3-5-8) 2. F Duston Johnson (5-3-8) 4. F Andrew Pickering (1-6-7) 4. F Jordan Soquilla (1-6-7)
There is no home radio broadcast, but the game is available on BCHLPPV. I should have a new colour commentator with me tonight. Hopefully that will add something to the broadcast for the fans watching at home.
Taylor Swaffield told me today on Mountain FM's Overtime that he's a physical guy. Don't believe him? Check out the videos above. You can also check out his fight card. Taylor has dropped the gloves 21 times over 117 AJHL games. While he's not a goon, it's clear Swaffield is willing to go to battle.
As for his scoring, I'd say perhaps there's a little more potential there than it may appear. Swaffield was out half the season in 08-09 with an injury. If he plays a whole season we're likely talking about double the point total last season... 14-16 points instead of 8. This season he's around that same pace. In AAA Midget hockey he had 14 points in 34 games and was tied for 7th in team scoring. Is that Bobby Orr material? Obviously not. However, this is not a guy with no offensive instincts at all. He'll chip in with some helpers here and there. The scouting report is that he has a good first pass. A combination of his size, physical play and a good first pass may make him an ideal fit as a guy who can spring the skilled Trail forwards. If he gets more of an opportunity here you never know how he could take advantage of it.
The bottom line is that Swaffield isn't here to light the league on fire. He's a veteran guy who the Smokies are hoping will provide solid play, a physical edge and leadership on the back end. Anything else is a nice bonus. Trail really has nothing to lose here. They didn't have to give up a player to get Swaffield. The big guy wasn't free, but he can help the team today without costing them down the line. It's low risk and possibly high reward. I had the chance to have brief chats with both Taylor and Smokies Assistant Coach Brian Youngson on the move today on Mountain FM's Overtime.
Is this it for Trail? It's hard to imagine them doing too much more given the current card situation. That being said, the phones will be ringing off the hook all weekend. Never say never.
How about the rest of the league? I suspect there will be some activity. There are already a ton of rumours out there including a couple of pretty specific ones over at the message board. It's silly season and you can't take everything you read seriously. You also can't rule it all out.
To me the team best positioned to sell off some very valuable pieces is Prince George. All of the top guys on that roster are either 20 years old or leaving after this season for a scholarship. It's one thing to be a young squad in the bottom few teams of the conference, but if you're a veteran team something has to give. Take a look at the roster and tell me there aren't a couple of guys (especially those who wouldn't take up 20 year old spots) that would fetch a giant price from a team with championship ambitions. Of the teams near the bottom they have the most to offer (at least in terms of guys they would lose for nothing otherwise) and have the most to lose from doing nothing. Ed Dempsey is a sharp and experienced hockey man. I'm sure he's at least listening.
Williams Lake has already done some selling so I suspect they could make some more moves if there is interest in their guys. They could be this year's Merritt in that way. However, they do still have to field a roster so they can't move too many guys.
I think Quesnel's schedule (all those games against their northern partners) and recent roster upgrades make them the favourite to finish 5th in the Interior. After several years on the outside looking in I can't imagine them being a seller with that possibility staring them in the face. If they do sell there are six 89s on that team who could all help a contender. Of course the demand for 20 year olds is somewhat limited depending on how man of those slots are open. Vernon is full and Penticton only has one 89 spot open for example.
Merritt has a couple of 20 year olds that could be of interest. However, Coach and GM Luke Pierce told me in a recent interview that he didn't intend to sell at the deadline. The Cents have a very good shot at a playoff spot in what is an incredibly important season for the viability of the franchise. I doubt they'll make any moves that could put their playoff hopes at risk. I could even see them adding an 89 or two.
Who is buying? Vernon may be getting some help up front with Robinson coming in and a chance Sahir Gill could come back. If Gill does return maybe there's another deal involving a forward and a younger D-man to bring in an 18 or 19 year old vet on the back end with a physical edge. I don't expect much more than that.
Penticton has some roster space and may need to fill Filiou's spot depending on how long he'll be out sick. I expect them to make some noise.
Westside is a very good team despite being young. Should they sacrifice much of what looks like a very bright future to go for it now? Tough decision for their management I'd say.
To me the team that should be trying to buy is Salmon Arm. This is a club that will lose the likes of Zengerle, Chakeen, Gubb, Lipsett and Ierfino after this season. I'd be shocked if Kilip and Noyes didn't get the chance to go to school next season too. However, SA is also a couple of pieces away from being able to take Vernon or Penticton in a 7 game series in my view. They did beat Vernon twice this past weekend, but do the Silverbacks have the same depth as those clubs? To me when you have talent like that going out the door you have to do everything you can to make a run. If they add a couple of key guys (especially a veteran defenceman) we could put them in the same category as Vernon and Penticton. For now I think both the Silverbacks and Warriors are a step or two behind.
I could see a big trade between Salmon Arm and Prince George that involved multiple players heading south. If those two clubs pulled off a blockbuster deal the balance of power could change at the top of the Interior. I have no "inside" information here, but I think it would make a ton of sense.
Of course those are just the Interior clubs I'm talking about. I could also easily see the Bulldogs, Eagles, Chiefs and Kings making a big push for whatever players the Interior clubs are willing to part with. The Coast is wide open (outside perhaps of the very top spot in the standings) so any big move could propel one team out of the pack. I also feel like all of those teams need a couple of big pieces if they hope to give the Interior winner a real challenge. Teams in the BCHL could also move some of their vets to contenders in the other Junior A leagues east of Trail.
I'll have more thoughts on the trade deadline and the moves we've already seen tomorrow. I may also have some video from the Salmon Arm game. I'd like to get highlights up from the Penticton game but my copy of it cuts off mid-way through the third period.
Trail made a move today picking up 1989 born defenceman Taylor Swaffield from Fort McMurray of the AJHL for future considerations. He has 22 points in 117 career games. Swaffield is in his third season of Junior A hockey as he played previously with Lloydminster. He's 6'3, 210lbs and describes himself as a physical, stay-at-home defenceman. The move gives Trail eight defencemen, but Graeme Strukoff is currently on the shelf with an upper body injury. That means once Strukoff gets healthy again it'll be very competitive as the defencemen battle for ice time during practice and games.
The Smokies are hoping Swaffield will be another calming influence in their own end. He can also drop the mitts when called upon. I know since the start of the season I've been saying they need to be tougher in front of their own net... this move should help that. It should also help the PK which has improved but is still at the bottom of the BCHL. We'll have an interview with Swaffield and Brian Youngson on Overtime tonight. Expect more on the blog later.
As we approach the 8 o'clock deadline tonight I can tell you that the Trail Smoke Eaters will not be making any additional deals. They added big D Taylor Swaffield on Thursday and the rest of the team stays as is. With the season ending injury to Thomas Abenante and the addition of Steve Oursov the club will have 13 forwards and 8 defenceman on the roster. Wade Bennett of course could also count as a defenceman but we'll call him a forward given the way the numbers look right now.
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