EVERETT — The Western Hockey League trade deadline arrives today, and the question is whether the Everett Silvertips will get involved in the fray.
Everett was 17-19-2-3 going into Sunday night’s game at Portland. That put the Tips in ninth place in the Western Conference, which would be out of the playoffs. However, Everett was also just five points out of fifth. Therefore, an argument could be made for the Tips being either buyers or sellers at the deadline.
Tips general manager Doug Soetaert has already stated publicly he doesn’t intend to get involved today. He said the team would not be a seller, and if Everett was going to buy it would be a small deal.
Everett also doesn’t have a history of making a big splash at the trade deadline, which is always busy. The only time the Tips made a major deal on deadline day during their seven previous seasons was in 2007, when Everett acquired defenseman Dane Crowley from Swift Current. Soetaert typically makes his major deals before the deadline, and this season the Tips already made substantial trades for center Landon Ferraro during the offseason and defenseman Brennan Yadlowski in October. Everett is also short on trade chips, having already traded away many of its higher picks in the next two bantam drafts.
But could the prices being paid for impact players change Soetaert’s mind? Portland gave up a king’s ransom to acquire overage center Craig Cunningham two weeks ago, and on Sunday Kootenay one-upped that price in picking up center Cody Eakin from Swift Current, giving up forward Christian Magnus, four prospects and three high draft picks.
The deadline is 2 p.m. today.
Nick Patterson’s Silvertips blog: http://www.heraldnet.com/silvertipsblog
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