Spits Exchange

It's been a wild week for the Windsor Spitfires, as they made two major trades.  Earlier this week, the Spitfires made a major trade with the Guelph Storm, as both Kerby Rychel and Nick Ebert were sent to Guelph while Windsor got Brody Milne and several draft picks, which include Guelph's 2nd round picks from 2014 until 2018.  For perspective on how this impacts both teams, consider that Guelph is trying to match offense with Midwest Division leader Erie, and certainly, Rychel's addition to go along with Jason Dickinson and Tyler Bertuzzi is a step towards countering Erie's group of Dane Fox, Connor Brown, Andre Burakovsky, and Connor McDavid.  I'll get to how it impacts Windsor after I get to the other trade the team made this week, this time with the Kingston Frontenacs, as Ryan Verbeek was sent out and in exchange, the Spitfires will get Sam Povorozniouk and a fourth round pick in 2016.  The Frontenacs are a youthful group, with Sam Bennett, Henri Ikonen, and Roland McKeown all NHL draft eligible in 2014.  The addition of Verbeek only makes the Frontenacs younger, and given that the Frontenacs are still trying to figure out the bottom portion of their roster, Povorozniouk's departure wasn't much of a surprise, as the Fronts needed character guys, and that is where Verbeek is likely to get his chance.

As for the Spits, on the surface, it can be said that they are packing it in for the season.  However, they are only five points behind Sault Ste. Marie in the Western Division and are on a three game winning streak.  Milne gets an immediate chance to prove his worth, as he is likely lining up with 2014 NHL Draft eligible Josh Ho-Sang.  Povorozniouk will also get considerable ice time with the Spitfires, something that would be less likely with the Frontenacs squad that remains young.  The draft picks are obviously important for the Spits, as they can rebuild through the draft for years to come.  Moving Rychel was difficult, as he is the son of Spits GM Warren Rychel, but the Spits still have Ho-Sang, and with the influx of players coming in from the class, it is clear that the Spitfires are looking to keep a tradition of winning going for a while.