Giants looking to end four-game skid
Still in first place in B.C. Division, team unlikely to make major deal by Thursday’s WHL trade deadline
The Vancouver Giants are in a funk heading into this week’s WHL trade deadline.
The Giants have been known to stumble after the deadline, as in 2014-15 when they lost their first five games and then eight of nine after the league put a stop to swaps.
Twenty-year-old forward Zane Jones was their key trade acquisition and they wound up finishing seven points out of a playoff spot.
This time around, they’re riding a four-game skid with Thursday’s trade deadline on the horizon.
The Giants (23-12-2-0) will look to end their season-worst slide today when they head to Cranbrook to visit the Kootenay Ice (8-25-6-1). The Ice, losers of five straight, hosted the Spokane Chiefs (21-13-22) Saturday night.
Before Saturday’s slate of games, Vancouver had a ninepoint lead atop the B.C. Division on the Victoria Royals.
Oddly enough, Vancouver and Kootenay made a deal Friday with the Giants sending forward Cyle McNabb, 18, to the Ice in exchange for 20-year-old defenceman Dallas Hines.
Hines, originally from Marwayne, Alta., debuted with Kootenay as a 17-year-old in 2015-16 and ended up playing 221 regular-season games with the Ice.
Hines and fellow trade pickups Jadon Joseph and Seth Bafaro all played their first games in Vancouver colours on Friday, when they Giants dropped a 4-3 decision on the road against the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
It was Vancouver’s second consecutive one-goal loss on this road trip, following a 4-3 setback against the Medicine Hat Tigers. Vancouver is 10-42-0 in one-goal games this season.
Milos Roman, fresh off his stint with Slovakia at the world juniors, also returned to the Vancouver lineup.
Also Friday, the Giants landed Joseph, a forward, from the Regina Pats in exchange for a 2019 second-round draft pick and a 2020 sixth-round pick.
Vancouver has three second rounders next May, thanks to a deadline-day deal with the Brandon Wheat Kings two years ago for defenceman Dmitry Osipov and a swap just before the start of last season with the Saskatoon Blades for goalie Ryan Kubic. The Pats will receive the middle pick of those three.
Vancouver landed Bafaro on Wednesday from the Saskatoon Blades for a 2021 fifth rounder.
It’s doubtful Vancouver will make a major move before Thursday.
Giants goal scorers on Friday were Owen Hardy with his eighth, Justin Sourdif with his ninth and Bowen Byram with his 10th.
ICE CHIPS: Going into Saturday’s WHL action, Byram was tied for the WHL lead in goal scoring for defencemen ... David Tendeck made 24 saves in the Vancouver net against Lethbridge ... The Giants’ next home game is Saturday, Jan. 12 against the Kamloops Blazers.