EVERETT — Everett Silvertips general manager Doug Soetaert is trying to negotiate a delicate balancing act between rebuilding and winning. He said he thought that balance got too far out of whack, so he acted to correct the problem.
Soetaert made his second move for a veteran forward in three days, acquiring 19-year-old winger JT Barnett from Kamloops on Monday in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2013 Western Hockey League bantam draft.
This came on the heels of Saturday’s deal that saw the Tips pick up 19-year-old center Teal Burns from Prince Albert in exchange for a sixth-round pick in 2013.
Although the Tips are rebuilding this season by putting a youthful lineup on the ice, Soetaert decided Everett’s 5-14-0-3 record required some experienced reinforcements.
“The young players are still going to play,” Soetaert said. “We’re here not only to develop players, but win hockey games, too. It’s a balancing act, and I felt it was leaning too much one way at this point in time. This also provides some competition for the veterans, and competition is good for everyone.”
Barnett brings plenty of experience to the table. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound native of Scottsdale, Ariz., is the son of former Phoenix Coyotes general manager Mike Barnett. He’s in his fourth season in the WHL and has some history of offensive production. Barnett had just four goals and two assists in 16 games with Kamloops this season, but had 13 goals and 30 assists in 72 games last season, and in 2009-10 had 21 goals and 17 assists in 71 games with Vancouver.
Soetaert envisions Barnett replacing some of the production the Tips lost when Tyler Maxwell handed in a trade request and was sent home.
“I’ve always liked JT,” Soetaert said. “He has some offensive abilities and I see him playing in our top-six forwards. I just see him contributing offensively and it makes up for some of the goals we lost with Maxwell being out of the lineup.”
As for Burns, Soetaert nabbed the Victoria, B.C., native, who had eight assists in 16 games between Prince Albert and Vancouver this season, to address the team’s lack of depth at center.
“We’re hurting down the middle,” Soetaert said. “We’ve been relying on (Josh) Birkholz and (Kohl) Bauml, and Bauml hasn’t even turned 17 yet. Losing Manny (Hayer, who’s missed the entire season because of a broken fibula) left a big hole we haven’t been able to fill. It gives us some depth with a player who has experience in the league.”
The moves give Everett 27 players on the roster. The roster limit is 25. With Hayer exempted by being on the long-term injury list, the Tips need to make another move to free up a roster spot.
Around the WHL
Moose Jaw may have lost one of the league’s premier talents for the remainder of the season as 17-year-old defenseman Morgan Rielly suffered a knee injury that may be a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament. Rielly, who had 18 points in 17 games, is considered a likely first-round pick in the 2012 NHL draft. … Red Deer’s Alex Petrovic was named the WHL Player of the Week. The 19-year-old defenseman had two goals and seven assists as the Rebels went 3-0-0-1.
League leaders
Points—Mark Stone (Brandon) 46; goals—Emerson Etem (Medicine Hat) 25; assists—Stone 27; penalty minutes—Jesse Mychan (Everett) 90; wins—Patrik Bartosak (Red Deer) 14; goals against average—Ty Rimmer (Tri-City) 1.75; save percentage—Rimmer .942.
Check out Nick Patterson’s Silvertips blog at http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog, and follow him on Twitter at NickHPatterson.
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