VANCOUVER – The news of the week in the WHL is a big trade between the Lethbridge Hurricanes and the Regina Pats.
The Pats acquired Carter Ashton, whom the Tampa Bay Lightning picked in the first round of last year’s draft. Ashton had been toiling with the dismal Hurricanes this season, but managed to keep nearly a point-per-game pace nonetheless.
The Pats have surged in the past month, quickly making up ground in the tightly contested East Division. Ashton will enter the Regina line-up as a top six forward, and is expected to have an immediate impact.
The Pats also acquired a third round pick and WHL vet, Craig Orfino, who will provide a solid front line presence and help on the penalty kill.
As good as Ashton is, the Hurricanes may turn out to be the winners in this deal. Lethbridge sits at the bottom of the Central Division and has struggled all year. Dealing Ashton amounts to cashing in their chips on the season, but sets them up to improve in the future.
Lethbridge received 15-year old prospect Taylor Balog, forward Graham Hood, and a first and second round pick. Balog shows strong potential to play in the WHL next year, and is projected to be a top forward in the league in the next couple of years.
Meanwhile, Hood has shown some upside in his second WHL season, and should be able to stick around to become a top-six forward for Lethbridge, possibly as soon as next year.
For a Hurricanes team trying to rebuild, moving an older first line forward and picking up prospects and picks is a logical move. For the Pats, there’s no doubt that Ashton makes them a better team, but at what cost? Regina deals a chunk of their future to compete in a year where division rivals, the Saskatoon Blades, are becoming a dominant force.
Time will tell, but for now at least, it seems Lethbridge has done themselves a favor, while the jury is out on how the trade will affect the Pats overall. If the Pats are able to unseat the Blades and emerge as East Division champs, that still may not be enough if they can’t handle Calgary in the conference final.
The East Division remains the toughest division in the WHL. Saskatoon still sits in first place and are ranked #5 in the CHL despite losing their last two games. The Brandon Wheat Kings have ramped up their play, winning their last four and climbing to second place, two points behind the Blades. Meanwhile, the once mighty Moose Jaw Warriors have fallen from grace, winning just three of their last ten, and now sit tied for last in the division. However, in the East, first and sixth place are separated by only eight points.
Elsewhere in the “‘Dub,” the U.S. Division race remains heated. All three of the top teams – the first place Tri-City Americans, second place Portland Winterhawks, and the Spokane Chiefs – are without a regulation loss in their last 15 games combined. Spokane has won eight of their last ten games, and are one point back of the Winterhawks. With four games in hand, the Chiefs should be able to cover that ground and continue pressuring the Americans.
That said, Tri-City, the CHL’s #8 ranked team, won’t make it easy. Americans forward, Johnny Lazo, had back-to-back hat tricks last week and was named the CHL player of the week. Tri-City is in the midst of four games in a five-day stretch, and will need more big performances to maintain their pace.
In the Central Division, the Calgary Hitmen continue their dominance, and were ranked #4 in the CHL this week. The Hitmen are without a regulation loss in their last five games, picking up momentum heading into the holidays.
The picture in the B.C. Division remains unchanged, with the Vancouver Giants on top, the Prince George Cougars at the bottom, and the other three teams a long way from either.
Contact happy.kreter@prohockeynews.com
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