On Nov. 26th, the Fayetteville Marksmen and Pensacola Ice Flyers agreed upon a trade. The Marksmen would send Defensemen Carl Greco and a future consideration over to the Ice Flyers. The Marksmen would receive Defensemen Alfred Johansson and Forward Brian Bowen in the trade. Now that two weeks have passed since the trade and several games have been played, who got the better end of this deal.
Greco hasn’t been much of a threat in terms of scoring all season for the Marksmen, only finding the back of the net once in 13 games. To Greco’s credit he does have five assists this season while in Fayetteville. Once sent to over to Pensacola however, Greco hasn’t found his niche just yet. Greco has only put up one point, an assist, in his four games with the Ice Flyers. There is still a lot of time for the young Greco to put up more numbers as the season progresses.
Alfred Johansson was brought in for the Marksmen to protect the net. A solid Defensemen at the collegiate level, Johansson and his fellow teammates at St. Norbert have won numerous championships. In 107 games, Johansson put up 26 points while at St. Norbert. Much like Greco, the Swedish born Johansson has just one point in four games with the Marksmen. Johansson however has fit in perfectly with Fayetteville’s style of play and appears to be on track to having a solid rookie campaign.
Brian Bowen has been a standout anywhere he’s played. From scoring 50 points with the Boston Jr. Bruins to scoring 39 points with Vermont in college, Bowen has no issues finding the back of the net. That scoring feature is something the Marksmen needed to help them put games away. Following his 2017-2018 collegiate career, Bowen found himself playing for the ECHL’s Worcester Railers, scoring 4 points while there. In just four games with the Marksmen, Bowen has had no problems finding what works for him. Bowen has two goals and three assists in just four games with the Marksmen. Bowen lacing up his skates for the Marksmen is a huge benefit for the Marksmen, and a nightmare for everyone else in the SPHL.
With still quite a bit of hockey to be played, things can always change. However, at the moment it appears the Marksmen got the better end of the deal in this trade.
Photos by James Jackson
Follow the author on Twitter @JamesDJackson98
You must be logged in to post a comment.