General manager Kirt Hill brought in another veteran presence to the Edmonton Oil Kings locker room last Wednesday when he sent off a fourth-round pick in 2020 and a fifth-round pick in 2021 to acquire Ethan McIndoe from the Spokane Chiefs.
The 20-year-old forward is coming into his fifth season in the WHL, spending the last two seasons as a significant offensive contributor for the Chiefs, scoring 42 and 40 points respectively. He’s a player that can be utilized in all situations on the ice and has the offensive touch that will allow him to mesh well in Edmonton’s top forward group. He should be a safe bet to hit 20 goals and 40-50 points with the Oil Kings this season.
McIndoe was a major part of Spokane’s leadership group and proved that he could bring his game to another level during the 2019 playoffs, where he recorded 12 points in 15 games en route to an appearance in the Western Conference Final.
“He brings the leadership qualities I believe we need,” stated Oil Kings head coach Brad Lauer. “I think he’s a guy that brings a work ethic, the habits, and the details that we like. Everything I’ve been told about him is that he’s a quality individual and a good guy in the locker room.”
After losing top offensive juggernauts in Trey Fix-Wolansky, Vince Loschiavo, and Quinn Benjafield, the acquisition of McIndoe helps the Oil Kings get closer to replenishing the much needed offensive production the team lost by not having those three on the roster in 2019-20.
While McIndoe isn’t going to come in and replace Fix-Wolansky’s 102 points this season, he will contribute to a deeper scoring roster from top to bottom of the lineup. This team is going to need to find more 40-50 point players in their forward group if they plan on repeating their success from last year.
The trade does help answer the question of who’s going to add more goal scoring this season. However, it does ultimately lead to a difficult decision for management to make regarding the overage roster spot situation. With McIndoe coming in, the team has now added to an overage group that was already full, with Riley Sawchuk, Conner McDonald, and Dylan Myskiw previously holding onto those positions.
While no official announcement has been made by the team at this point in time, Myskiw has been a scratch in the last two games since the trade. The tandem of Todd Scott and Sebastian Cossa look poised to take over as the future of Edmonton’s goaltending this season.
McIndoe has yet to play a game for the Oil Kings since being traded. He was listed as out week-to-week with a lower body injury. His next chance to jump into the lineup will be on Wednesday, October 2nd, when the team travels to Swift Current to take on the Broncos. Oil Kings fans could have their first opportunity to watch McIndoe on home ice when they welcome the Calgary Hitmen to Rogers Place on October 12th, should he be fully recovered form his ailment.
