WHL notebook: Top teams improve with deadline deals

Published 6:28 pm Monday, January 12, 2009

The WHL trade deadline has passed, and it appears this season that the rich got richer.

As occurs every season, there was a flurry of activity leading up to last Saturday’s deadline — 37 players and 21 bantam draft picks exchanged hands between Dec. 26 and the deadline. And the most active teams in improving themselves were those already considered title contenders.

The league’s two runaway leaders, Calgary in the Eastern Conference and Vancouver in the Western Conference, made moves to strengthen what were already areas of strength.

Calgary, which was already the league’s best offensive team, landed the biggest prize, picking up the league’s leading goal scorer Joel Broda. The Hitmen acquired the 19-year-old forward along with 19-year-old forward Tomas Karpov from Moose Jaw in exchange for 18-year-old forward Brendan Rowinski and second- and seventh-round picks in 2009.

Vancouver, which was already the league’s best defensive team, added talented defenseman Nick Ross. The Giants got the 19-year-old Ross along with 19-year-old forward Alex Rodgers from Kamloops for 18-year-old defenseman Curtis Kulchar, third- and fourth-round picks in 2009 and a second-rounder in 2010.

Defending Memorial Cup champion Spokane got better without having to do anything as playmaking forward Ondrej Roman rejoined the team. Roman, who was Spokane’s leading scorer in the playoffs and Memorial Cup last season, had been stuck in his native Czech Republic through the first half of the season. However, the 19-year-old forward finally received his international release. The Chiefs also upgraded an overage spot by acquiring forward Brady Calla from Kamloops for forward Seth Compton and a third rounder in 2010.

However, no team improved itself more than the Kelowna Rockets. Kelowna was originally expected by many to be the league’s top team, but was stung when defensive stalwart Luke Schenn unexpectedly stuck with the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs as a 19-year-old, and the Rockets have been merely good. Kelowna didn’t do anything to improve its defense, but it made major additions both to its offense and goaltending.

Like Spokane, Kelowna received a gift when Swedish superstar forward Mikael Backlund decided to join the team. The Rockets also picked up a solid all-around forward in overager Ian Duval, who was acquired from Moose Jaw for 17-year-old forward Jesse Paradis. They also added the league’s toughest fighter in 20-year-old forward Ryley Grantham, also was acquired from Moose Jaw along with a 2011 fifth-rounder for 18-year-old forward Dylan Hood.

But perhaps the Rockets’ most important move was the acquisition of 19-year-old goaltender Mark Guggenberger from Swift Current for a conditional 2010 fifth-rounder. Kelowna has had major issues in goal this season.

In many years the trade deadline brings new contenders to the forefront. But this year it seems to have further defined the difference between the haves and the have-nots.

Around the WHL: Medicine Hat’s Matt McCue had a short stay in the pros. The Tigers thought they’d lost the overage defenseman for good when he signed a contract with the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks and was assigned to Anaheim’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Iowa Chops. However, he was returned a week later because of immigration issues. … Brandon defenseman Keith Aulie signed a three-year contract with the NHL’s Calgary Flames. The 19-year-old was Calgary’s fourth-round pick in the 2007 NHL draft. … Vancouver forward Evander Kane was named the WHL Player of the Week. The 17-year-old had four goals and two assists as the Giants won both their games.

League leaders: Points — Casey Pierro-Zabotel (Vancouver) 69; goals — Joel Broda (Calgary) 37; assists — Pierro-Zabotel 50; penalty minutes — Ryley Grantham (Kelowna) 139; wins — Martin Jones (Calgary) 27; goals against average — Jones 1.92; save percentage — Dustin Tokarski (Spokane) .938.

Nick Patterson’s Silvertips blog: http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog