Wolves have overage strength
Dipping into a stock of reserve draft picks, general manager Barclay Branch has again increased the volume strength of the Sudbury Wolves.
The latest veteran to join the Wolves via Branch transaction is overage defenseman Patrick Sanvido, acquired from the Windsor Spitfires for the bargain exchange of a sixth-round pick in 2018 preceded by a 14th-round selection at the 2017 Ontario Hockey League draft.
Possessing the leadership qualities that Branch places high priority on when making a trade, Sanvido was in his third season as captain of the Spitfires.
At 6-foot-6, 230 pounds, Sanvido adds a sizeable strength to the Wolves blueline that was taken into account by the Dallas Stars when they took the big defender in the seventh round of the 2014 National Hockey League draft.
Sanvido becomes the third overager who Branch has reached out for since the beginning of the 2016-2017 season.
In earlier, separate tranfers with the London Knights, Branch obtained 6-foot-2, 200-pound defenseman Aiden Jamieson and 6-foot-2, 210-pound right winger C.J. Yakimowicz for multiple draft picks and a single fringe player.
Sudbury heads into the second half of the season in seventh place in the 10-team Eastern Conference with 30 points from a record of 14-18-2.
And while the Wolves have shown some improvement under third-year coach David Matsos after missing the playoffs each of the past two seasons, they are arguably the least-disciplined team in the OHL with a league-high 538 penalty minutes. They have also had a number of players handed suspensions of eight games or more, a further indication of a lack of discipline.
There is a form of consensus around the OHL that while Branch as GM has positioned the Wolves to at least be a playoff team with a .500 record, Matsos as coach needs to have better control of the actions of his penalty, suspension-riddled club.
PHOTO: Sudbury Wolves general manager Barclay (Dealing Man) Branch.
Looking forward to seeing him, in the line-up Friday night. Excellent trade, not giving up much to get a quality defense man!
100 % correct – the Woofers take way to many dumm penalties!
I’m glad the Barc is putting a proper value on this acquisition and not giving away premium picks on other teams’ free agent walk-ons and extra OAs.
The Battalion’s small forwards like Harland, McMaster, Vertiy, Chenier and others will have their hands full trying to move a moose like Sanvido.