With one week to go until the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League trade deadline, the Power Dodge Estevan Bruins appear to be in a position of strength when it comes to their current and even future roster.
But with it being the trade deadline, virtually everyone is going to be tinkering a bit with their roster, the 22-12-2-1 first place Bruins being no exception.
In fact, there’s a more than slight possibility that the Bruins will have announced a deal of some sort between the time this is written and the time this is read. It’s just the nature of the game that Tuesdays seem to be the busiest days. Austin King-Cunningham, Arthur Miller I think even Jayden Davis were all announced on Tuesdays, which is our absolute deadline day. As the papers are rolling off the presses, the Bruins are sorting out equipment and billeting information for their next player.
Regardless, we press on. What do the Bruins need? Not really a lot. But everyone else will be picking up some players – even the Nipawin Hawks who are far and away in first place in the league with a 26-5-2-2 record and an impressive 15-0-1-0 in their last 16 games. The 24-5-2-0 Battlefords North Stars will likely get a player or two also.
So with everyone above them getting just a little bit better at least, the Bruins would be wise to pick up a couple of things – not quite a full grocery list – near the deadline.Â
The Bruins have been fortunate that none of their major players have been out with injury for a significant amount of time. When first line winger Michael McChesney was out for a game with a suspension against the Weyburn Red Wings Monday, the top six struggled to keep the pressure on for much of the first period and needed a big boost from the energy line. A player to fit into the top six if need be and also collapse into a third line, penalty-killing role would be a valuable addition. The Bruins’ power play is second in the SJHL but the penalty killing is in the second half of the league.
They don’t necessarily need toughness. King-Cunningham is the main guy to look to here, but Arthur Miller defends himself well and players like Matthew Chekay, TJ Irey and Raihan Kheraj can look after things on the ice if situations pop up. The Bruins have over 400 penalty minutes that the more genteel Red Wings. They don’t really need too much in the way of goals, as they’ve scored 166 on the season and 40 in their last eight games.
They don’t need goaltending, as Bo Didur appears to be the real deal. His reactions are excellent, he controls rebounds well and looks eager to prove himself in every game.
The leadership in the room seems to all be pulling in the same direction so the Bruins don’t even need a glue guy to help with that.
In all honesty, there’s no need to push all the chips into the centre of the table. This is really a very good team is it stands right now. I don’t honestly feel the team would suffer if they didn’t pick up anything over the next seven days but considering everyone else will be, it makes a certain amount of sense.
