Skip to content

Greyhounds deal Wale and Jacklin, ink Malik on deadline day

With the trade deadline behind them, the Soo Greyhounds roster is set
2019-11-14 Soo Greyhounds Holden Wale BC (1)
File photo. Soo Greyhounds defenceman Holden Wale. Brad Coccimiglio/SooToday

Winmar-Sponsor_2 (1)

With a roster that featured just three 19-year-olds, the Soo Greyhounds dealt one ahead of the Ontario Hockey League trade deadline on Friday.

The Greyhounds dealt veteran defenceman Holden Wale to the Kitchener Rangers one of two deals made by the club in the hours leading up to the deadline.

In exchange for Wale, the Greyhounds receive a trio of draft picks, including a third round pick in 2024 (originally Ottawa’s), a fifth round pick in 2022 and an eighth round pick in 2020.

“Kitchener was looking to bolster their deal by adding a 19-year-old,” said Greyhounds general manager Kyle Raftis. “It was a situation that, it was a great opportunity for him to go to a team that was loading up and we can get some ice time for some of our younger guys.”

With eight defencemen on the roster, the deal makes room for the Greyhounds on what was a crowded blueline.

Down to seven defencemen following the deal, rookie Matthew Halushak will get some added playing time this weekend as the team will also be without Drew Wawrow due to injury.

“It’s never easy when you’re getting into one game in a weekend or you’re getting two games in a weekend and might sit out for a week,” Raftis said. “This give him a little bit of daylight. He’s coming together really nicely in practice.”

“Sometimes with young players it doesn’t necessarily take them as long as everybody thinks (to develop),” Raftis added. “It just takes that opportunity and their confidence grows too.”

It was a busy and productive day for the Greyhounds as the team also announced the signing of import goaltender Nick Malik ahead of the noon deadline on Friday.

“We would have liked to have done it a lot sooner but at the same time, we’re happy that he can get comfortable here over the next little bit and add a new boost to our lineup,” Raftis said. “It’s going to be an adjustment for him but at the same time it’s great any time you can add depth to every position, it’s important.”

Raftis said the Greyhounds staff plans to discuss the goaltending setup going forward with goalie coach Dan Stewart in terms of how the team plans to handle it going forward with three goaltenders in Malik, Bailey Brkin, and Ethan Taylor.

Malik is expected to arrive in Sault Ste. Marie on Sunday night.

In a prepared statement, Malik said he discussed the team with Jaromir Pytlik and made the decision to join the team and called the opportunity to join the team “an honour.”

“After the World Junior Hockey Championship, I decided to leave the Czech Republic and join Sault Ste. Marie,” Malik said. “I was in touch with my friend Jaromir Pytlik, who only told me positive things about this great club.”

When asked Thursday about the situation, Raftis said there was little to report at the time

Friday’s other deal by the Greyhounds saw the team send the rights to forward Brett Jacklin to the Sudbury Wolves in exchange for a conditional 15th round draft pick in 2021.

Raftis called the deal “low risk.”

“Since he hasn’t been here all year for us, it gives him another opportunity,” Raftis said.

The condition on the pick hinges on Jacklin playing with the Wolves.

If Jacklin plays a game with the Wolves, the pick becomes a 10th rounder.

Jacklin is currently playing at Laurentian University where he has seven goals and 13 points in 19 games.

Deadline day saw eight trades involving 12 players and 25 draft picks.

The Saginaw Spirit, in a battle with the Windsor Spitfires atop the OHL’s West Division, acquired veteran forward Ryan Suzuki in a deal with the Barrie Colts.

The Spirit acquired Suzuki, Peter Fleming, Ryan Beck and a fifth round pick in 2020 from Barrie in exchange for Ethan Cardwell, Connor Punnett, a third round pick in 2020 (originally Peterborough’s), a second round pick in2021, a third round pick in 2021 (originally Sault Ste. Marie’s), a fifth round pick in 2024 (originally Mississauga’s), a conditional third round pick in 2022 (originally Owen Sound’s), and a conditional second round pick in 2024 (originally Peterborough’s).

The deal with Saginaw was one of two deals completed by the Colts on Friday as the team also dealt veteran defenceman Jack York to the Peterborough Petes in exchange for an eighth round pick in 2020, a third round pick in 2023 (originally Windsor’s), and a fourth round pick in 2023.



Discussion

Brad Coccimiglio

About the Author: Brad Coccimiglio

A graduate of Loyalist College’s Sports Journalism program, Brad Coccimiglio’s work has appeared in The Hockey News as well as online at FoxSports.com in addition to regular freelance work with SooToday before joining the team full time.
Read more