EVERETT – The Vancouver Giants threw down the gauntlet.
Will the Everett Silvertips respond?
Vancouver pulled off a shock trade Monday night, engineering the acquisition of playmaking center Wacey Rabbit from Saskatoon.
And with the Western Hockey League trade deadline today at 2 p.m., it remains to be seen whether the Silvertips will feel compelled to counter.
Despite Vancouver’s latest move, Everett general manager Doug Soetaert continued in his stance that the Silvertips are not in the market.
“I haven’t heard from anybody, it’s very quiet,” he said. “We like our team. We think we’re solid in every department, so we don’t expect anything to happen (today).”
Everett and Vancouver are the top two ranked teams in the entire Canadian Hockey League and are jockeying for position in the Western Conference. Currently Everett has the better record and a 2-0 series edge over the Giants.
However the Giants, Memorial Cup hosts this year, are loading up. With the acquisitions of Rabbit, as well as left wing Kenndal McArdle prior to the Christmas break, many believe Vancouver is still the team to beat.
The Rabbit acquisition was particualarly surprising because the 20-year-old wasn’t even playing in the WHL. The speedy Rabbit, who had 123 points the past two seasons for Saskatoon, had been playing professionally for Providence of the American Hockey League.
However, he was seeing little time in Providence, totaling just one goal and two assists in 22 games.
The NHL’s Boston Bruins, who hold Rabbit’s rights, agreed to send him back to juniors provided he was traded to a contender. Vancouver, which had a vacant overage spot from goaltender Dustin Slade’s decision to leave the team in October, was only too happy to oblige.
In the Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Blades general manager Lorne Molleken said Everett was one of the teams Boston would have approved a trade to. However, Soetaert said he was never contacted regarding Rabbit. Everett also has its allotment of three 20-year-olds in right wing Moises Gutierrez and defensemen Jason Fransoo and Jesse Zetariuk.
“I didn’t know about it until after the fact,” Soetaert said. “I was told it was brokered by (Rabbit’s) agent. But it doesn’t matter because we don’t have an open spot, we like our 86s.
“It was a good acquisition for them, but we’re fine.”
While the Rabbit trade made waves late Monday, all was quiet on the trade front throughout the league Tuesday as not one deal was announced. The question is whether it was the calm before the storm, or and indication it’s going to be a slow year.
Slap shots: Everett goaltender David Reekie was named the CHL Goaltender of the Week. Reekie gave up just two goals in four games as the Tips went 3-1. … Defenseman Graham Potuer, who suffered a wrist injury at Spokane last Friday, was re-evaluated Monday and is now listed on the injury report as day-to-day. … Everett goaltender Leland Irving, who earned a gold medal as a member of Canada’s team at the World Junior Hockey Championships, is scheduled to arrive back in Everett this afternoon. Center Peter Mueller, who earned bronze with the United States, is expected back Thursday. … The CHL announced the celebrity coaches for the Top Prospects Game on Jan. 17 in Quebec City. Scotty Bowman and Jacques Demers will coach Team White while Pat Burns and Michel Bergeron will coach Team Red. Everett center Zach Hamill and defensemen Taylor Ellington and Eric Doyle were selected for the game.
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