It turns out those trade rumblings around the Tips were true, and they were true in a big way as Everett acquired 1995-born forward Nikita Scherbak from Saskatoon in exchange for 17-year-old goaltender Nik Amundrud, a first-round pick in the 2015 bantam draft, and a second rounder in 2016.
Scherbak is the offensive difference maker the Tips sorely need. The 6-foot-2, 194-pounder from Russia had 28 goals and 50 assists in 65 games for a bad Saskatoon team last season, which led to him being selected in the first round of this year’s NHL draft by the Montreal Canadiens. When the Blades played in Everett last season, Scherbak was enormously impressive, showing a great combination of size, speed and skill. Everett had no one to replace the graduated Joshua Winquist as the focal point of the offense. Scherbak is that kind of player.
The price was not cheap. Amundrud, a third-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft, led the WHL in preseason goaltending statistics. However, he seemed to have been passed by 16-year-old Carter Hart as Everett’s goaltender of the future. The first- and second-round picks are big losses, too.
Scherbak is currently at training camp with the Canadiens, so he won’t be arriving directly. Indeed, he’s been receiving rave reviews for his performances in Montreal, so there’s the outside chance he could stick around for a while. I don’t know what the status of the trade would be if he ends up in the NHL.
The trade also sets Everett up for a potential import logjam. Swiss defenseman Mirco Mueller remains a candidate to make the NHL’s San Jose Sharks. However, if he’s sent back to Everett, the Tips will have Mueller, Scherbak and Russian center Ivan Nikolishin for two roster spots, so one would have to go.
More later …
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