PREPPING FOR MEMORIAL CUP
Pats overhaul roster for title shot
When Regina Pats head coach/ GM John Paddock emerged from his office shortly after 4 p.m. on Wednesday, there was a palpable sigh of relief.
Paddock spent the day huddled with his staff in their trade deadline war room, working the phones and ultimately finalizing three significant deals that completed a startling transformation of the host team for the 2018 Memorial Cup.
The day began with a bang as Regina announced a blockbuster deal with the Saskatoon Blades for 20-year-old sniper Cameron Hebig and 19-year-old netminder Ryan Kubic. Saskatoon received forward Bryan Lockner, 17, goalie Tyler Brown, 20, and four high draft picks (a first-rounder in 2020, second-rounder in 2020 and third-rounders in 2019 and 2021).
That was followed by the acquisition of two veteran stay-athome defenders: Aaron Hyman, 19, from the Seattle Thunderbirds and Brady Pouteau, 19, from the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Seattle received a 2019 second-round pick and rookie defenceman Owen Williams, while Lethbridge got a seventh-rounder in 2018 for Pouteau, who started his WHL career in Regina.
When the dust settled, the Pats had acquired eight new players over the past six days. They also landed defenceman Libor Hajek in a separate deal with Saskatoon, along with left-winger Jesse Gabrielle and defenceman Jonas Harkins from the Prince George Cougars, and forward Austin Pratt from the Red Deer Rebels.
“We think we’re a better team from top to bottom throughout the lineup,” Paddock said before Wednesday’s game against the Edmonton Oil Kings. “We got a lot of players that we had targeted or types of players and positions we had targeted. We did everything that we could. In that way we sort of exhausted our efforts. As it stands we’re happy where we’re at.”
The Pats did find some relative bargains leading up to the deadline, but the final cost was sky-high due to a robust seller’s market.
Although they traded just four roster players (Brown, Williams, Lockner and defenceman Dawson Davidson) and three mid-level prospects (Tristen Robins, Kjell Kjemhus and Ethan McColm), the Pats basically emptied their cupboard of high bantam draft picks for the next three-plus years.
“That’s so far down the line; it’s not something we’re thinking about now,” said Paddock, who will be expected to recoup some picks by trading veteran assets next season. “There are going to be some consequences. But you saw a glimpse of the future on the weekend with (Cole) Dubinsky. We’re as confident as you can be without having somebody signed in (top American prospect Ty) Smilanic. So we’ve got some good young players coming. We’re going to transfer into next season fine in being competitive. There starts to be a gap unless we can get picks next year and the year after. There is some concern for down the road but we have some good young players. (The long-term picture) really remains to be seen. Too many things can change overall.”
In the meantime, Paddock is happy with the size, experience and defensive acumen he added to a blue-line corps that was already dynamic at the top of the depth chart. The team also achieved its objective of assembling a formidable group of top-nine forwards that should score as much as any team in the league.
The remaining question is between the pipes, where the Pats lost a proven playoff performer in Brown so they could add Hebig up front as one of their three 20-yearolds.
Kubic has never appeared in the WHL playoffs or posted a save percentage as high as .900 in three seasons.
“I don’t know the answer to that one,” Paddock said when asked if he upgraded his goaltending. “That’s no disrespect to Ryan or no disrespect to Brownie. (Kubic) was rookie of the year in Vancouver (with the Giants two years ago). He was (team) MVP in Vancouver. Those aren’t playoff things but you have to make a decision. I don’t even think it’s rolling the dice. We did it to spruce up our attack. We like our defence a lot. I’m not splitting between Ryan and Brownie but we’ve got better players in front of our goaltending now. We expect to do well.”
We got a lot of players that we had targeted or types of players and positions we had targeted. We did everything that we could.