EVERETT — The Everett Silvertips believed there was one piece missing from their defensive puzzle.
After a month of prying, the Tips believe they’ve finally obtained that piece.
Everett moved to add one more veteran defenseman to the mix Tuesday, acquiring 19-year-old Brennan Yadlowski from the Lethbridge Hurricanes in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft and a fifth rounder in 2012.
“He’s a veteran in the league who’s in his fourth year,” Everett general manager Doug Soetaert said of Yadlowski. “He’s been a very solid contributor the last couple years to the Lethbridge Hurricanes. He’s a big, strong, right-handed defenseman who we feel will be able to contribute to our hockey club. We’ve strengthened our back end and we’re glad to have him aboard.”
Yadlowski, a native of Edmonton, Alberta, is in his fourth season in the WHL, having 197 games under his belt. The 6-foot-1, 193-pounder played in 70 games for Lethbridge last season, racking up three goals, 31 assists and 139 penalty minutes. This season he had four assists and eight penalty minutes in five games with the Hurricanes, serving as an alternate captain.
“He’s going to help us a lot,” said Everett coach Craig Hartsburg, who received a first-hand look at Yadlowski when the Tips hosted the Hurricanes last Saturday. “I think he’s a guy who can fit in. We have to get him in here and get him comfortable, but watching him play the other night he’s a big guy who can skate, handle the puck and plays with some grit. It’s a good move for us.”
The acquisition of Yadlowski completes Everett’s overhaul of its veteran defensive corps. The Tips were planning on fielding an experienced group on defense this season, with overagers Chris de la Lande and Curtis Kulchar toward the forefront. However, both de la Lande and Kulchar decided not to return for their overage seasons, forcing the Tips to look elsewhere for veteran help on defense.
Everett filled one of those holes by acquiring overager Chad Suer from Moose Jaw in exchange for goaltender Thomas Heemskerk. Yadlowski fills the other hole.
Soetaert said he was pursuing Yadlowski for a month. Yadlowski was available because Lethbridge had seven defensemen returning from last season’s team. However, the Hurricanes had injury issues on defense and weren’t able to pull the trigger until those players recovered.
With Yadlowski now in the fold, Soetaert likes the makeup of his defense.
“We picked up Suer, but we were also looking to add one more defenseman,” Soetaert said. “Obviously (Yadlowski) is going to be able to log a lot of ice time and I think it’s going to put everybody into the right spots. So we’re happy with his addition.
“We just wanted to add another element of size and strength to the back end, someone who has more of a physical presence.”
Yadlowski’s addition was also made with the future in mind as he’s considered a likely candidate to fill one of Everett’s overage slots next season. The Tips have eight players on the current roster eligible for next season’s three overage spots. However, at least four of those eight have a good chance of playing professionally next season.
Yadlowski is expected to arrive in Everett today. It is not known whether it will be in time to play in tonight’s home game against Portland.
Yadlowski’s addition gives the Tips eight defensemen on the roster, two more than teams typically dress each game. Soetaert said that for now the team will retain all eight.
Slap shots
Everett is on the verge of a small piece of franchise history. If the Tips win tonight against Portland it will be Everett’s fifth straight victory to open the season, which would be the fastest start in the team’s eight seasons. The Tips are currently tied with the 2006-07 team, which also won its first four. … Everett will likely be without center Clayton Cumiskey tonight. Cumiskey suffered an upper-body injury during Friday’s 4-2 victory over Kamloops. Cumiskey did not play Saturday and has not resumed practicing. Hartsburg said Cumiskey would be evaluated on a day-to-day basis.
Nick Patterson’s Silvertips blog: http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog
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