Trade deal
Rangers add offence by acquiring Sherwood
KITCHENER — Mike McKenzie wasn’t looking to bolster his roster but he just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to add some instant offence.
So the Kitchener Rangers general manager pulled the trigger on a pair of deals that saw the club acquire forward Kole Sherwood from the Flint Firebirds while sending veteran defenceman Doug Blaisdell north to Sudbury Tuesday afternoon.
“I don’t think it was a desperate situation, we would have been fine continuing on the path we were on,” said McKenzie, whose team is second in the Ontario Hockey League’s Western Conference with a record of 7-3-1-0.
“But to get an impact guy and a Top 10 scorer in the league from last year and not lose any of our prospects made too much sense for us to pass up.”
The deal cost the Rangers two second round draft picks (2019 and ’20), a third (’21) and a fifth (’20) but kept the roster virtually in tact.
Sherwood had 33 goals and 52 assists and finished tied for ninth in OHL scoring last season.
He added another five points in five playoff games for the Firebirds, who were knocked out in the first round.
The Columbus Blue Jackets prospect was assigned to Flint last week and has been nursing a high ankle sprain but the NHL club has cleared him to return and he could suit up Friday when the Rangers host the London Knights at the Aud.
Ironically, Sherwood broke into the league with the Knights two years back.
“I think he goes into our top six group really nicely,” said McKenzie.
“He adds another weapon to our offensive attack. He’s a big kid, really fast, has a good shot and has offensive creativity.”
Sherwood is also an overage player.
OHL clubs can only dress three 20-year-olds and Kitchener was at the limit before the swap so the team was forced to ship Blaisdell to Sudbury for a conditional fourth round draft pick.
Blaisdell was Kitchener’s third round pick in 2013 and was enjoying a steady campaign after missing most of last season with knee and shoulder injuries.
The Dearborn Heights, Mich., native had six goals and 19 assists in 202 regulation games with the Rangers.
“It is tough to lose Dougie,” said McKenzie.
“He has been really solid for us this year. He’s done everything we’ve needed him to do and beyond. It does leave a little bit of a gap (on defence) right now but it also allows other guys to step in and fill that void.”
The Rangers will continue to lean on veteran blueliners Logan Stanley and Connor Hall while Kyle Gentles, Giovanni Vallati, Jack York and Grayson Ladd should now see increased roles.
Second year rearguard Alex Peterson is also in the mix, but is currently sidelined with a shoulder injury.