With trade deadline day coming up around the country this week, it’s setting up to be an interesting one in all three of the Canadian Hockey League’s member leagues.
In the Ontario Hockey League, considering how tight the Western Conference standings are heading into the week — five teams separated by four points atop the standings — exactly how teams approach the deadline will be interesting.
The Guelph Storm and Kitchener Rangers each find themselves in the mix atop the conference with the Storm surprising some after going all-in last season en route to a league title. With a lot of turnover from a season ago, Guelph’s tied with the Rangers atop the OHL’s Midwest Division.
Exactly what the Storm do ahead of the deadline is up for debate, but there’s no question that they exceeded expectations in the first half of the season.
Kitchener, meanwhile, has won eight of its last 10 games and played itself back into the playoff picture after a late-November coaching change saw general manager Mike McKenzie take over as interim coach from Jay McKee.
The addition of veteran goaltender Jacob Ingham prior to the start of the season has paid off for the Rangers as the 19-year-old netminder has gone 18-4-3 with a 2.52 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage in 25 games.
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With a veteran forward group and Ingham playing well, the Rangers could end up adding a piece or two of some sort ahead of Friday’s deadline.
When it comes to teams that could look to add ahead of the deadline, the London Knights enter the week having won four straight and sit one point behind the Storm and Rangers.
Though the team has gone 5-5-0 in its last 10 games, the return of Connor McMichael, Liam Foudy and coach Dale Hunter from the world junior championship will be a lift.
Ahead of the trade deadline in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, the Moncton Wildcats remain busy.
After acquiring Anaheim Ducks prospect Benoit-Olivier Groulx from the Halifax Mooseheads prior to the Christmas break, the team made another big move late last week by acquiring Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Gabriel Fortier from the Baie-Comeau Drakkar.
Fortier, who had 83 points in 68 games last season with the Drakkar, had a goal and two assists in his first two games with the Wildcats over the weekend.
The trade saw the Wildcats send rookie forward Julien Hebert, a second round pick in 2020 (originally Charlottetown’s), two third-round picks in 2020 (one of which originally belonged to Shawinigan), and two fourth round picks in 2021 (one of which also originally belonged to Shawinigan) to the Drakkar to complete the deal.
On the Western Hockey League trade front, the Tri-City Americans have certainly been busy since the calendar changed to 2020.
The team made three deals early last week, including sending veteran goaltender Beck Warm to the Edmonton Oil Kings along with Riley Stuart in exchange for Carter Gylander, Cade Littler, a second-round pick in 2021 and a third-round pick, also in 2021.
Warm made his first start with the Oil Kings on Sunday, stopping 29 shots in a 4-3 win over Saskatoon.
Tri-City also dealt centre Kyle Olson to the Calgary Hitmen in exchange for James Malm, a second-round pick in 2020 and a conditional fourth-round pick in 2022. The deal sees a pair of overage forward change teams.
Olson has missed time due to injury this season but when in the Tri-City lineup, the veteran forward had five goals and 14 points in 16 games.
