EVERETT — The Everett Silvertips added some forward depth Sunday, acquiring center Remi Laurencelle from the Lethbridge Hurricanes in exchange for a pair of bantam draft picks.
The Tips picked up the 18-year-old from Winnipeg, Manitoba, in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft, plus a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft. The conditions of the 2015 pick are performance based, though the details were not disclosed.
Laurencelle, who stands at 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds, is in his second season in the WHL. This season he had one goal and nine assists in 30 games with the Hurricanes.
Laurencelle helps fill an immediate need up front for Everett, as the Tips have had health issues at forward and struggled to field a full lineup. However, Laurencelle also has untapped offensive potential the Tips hope will develop in Everett. In 2011-12 he finished second in the Manitoba AAA Midget Hockey League with 73 points (24 goals, 49 assists) in 43 games, and that season he also played for Team West at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge.
“Remi is a player I was aware of from watching him in midget hockey and at the U-17s,” Everett general manager Garry Davidson said. “I thought he played a good, solid two-way game, but he also had good numbers offensively in midget. I haven’t seen a great deal of him lately, but I think he will be a good fit. Being a (1995-born player), I think he will help fill some holes at forward this season, and hopefully he’ll be a bigger part in the future.”
The Tips are currently 23-12-5-1 and tied for fourth place in the Western Conference, and Davidson suggested the acquisition of Laurencelle may not be the end of Everett’s dealings heading into Friday’s trade deadline.
“I think he’ll fill a niche nicely,” Davidson said. “But we still have holes at forward and I’m still trying to acquire someone who might add some punch up front. I don’t want to put any pressure on Remi, he’s not a guy I have penciled in to come in this year and be a big-time guy. But he has potential offensively.”
Everett made one other roster move Sunday as call-up defenseman Jordan Wharrie was reassigned to his junior B team, the Port Moody Panthers of the Pacific Junior Hockey League. The 16-year-old Wharrie appeared in five games with the Tips, filling in while defensemen Mirco Mueller, Kevin Davis and Noah Juulsen were away on international duty. Davidson said he was impressed by Wharrie’s performances and that Wharrie would likely rejoin the Tips later this season once Port Moody’s season is completed.
Check out Nick Patterson’s Silvertips blog at http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog, and follow him on Twitter at NickHPatterson.
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