After making four trades last week, the Tri-City Americans (13-18-4-1) were just a tad quieter this week with three deals as the January 10 trade deadline approaches.
While the Americans were busy off the ice, they were busy on it as well. They played Saturday and Sunday against two of the top five teams in the Western Conference. While Tri-City took leads in Saturday’s game and outshot the other team on Sunday, they fell 6-2 in Portland and 7-3 at home against the Kelowna Rockets respectively.
Prior to the game on Sunday, the Americans moved out former first-round pick Kaden Kohle and a seventh-round pick in 2020 to the Vancouver Giants for fellow 2002-born forward John Little and a sixth-round pick in that same 2020 draft.
The Americans have acquired forward John Little in a trade deal with the Vancouver Giants.
DETAILS ? → https://t.co/ezanSDZxfu pic.twitter.com/3DPs9TsOkd
— Tri-City Americans (@TCAmericans) January 5, 2020
Kohle, who was taken 12th overall in the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft, had one assist in each of the past two seasons with the Americans.
Meanwhile, Little – a third-round pick by Vancouver in that same 2017 draft – has one goal over 31 games this season after signing with the Giants on August 12th of 2019.
Little is 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds and hails from Parksville, B.C.
In a press release by the Americans, governor and general manager Bob Tory referenced the 26 point campaign Little put up with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks in the BCHL last season as a 16-year-old.
“We feel that there is untapped offensive upside to his game,” Tory said in the release.
The Americans have acquired 18-year-old defenseman Aidan Lawson from the @EdmOilKings for a conditional 8th round pick in the 2020 @TheWHL Bantam Draft.
Welcome to Tri-City, Aidan!
? → https://t.co/sgRw4ZdluY
? → Andy Devlin pic.twitter.com/IYQNZTdrsE— Tri-City Americans (@TCAmericans) January 6, 2020
The following day, the Americans moved a conditional eighth-round pick to the Edmonton Oil Kings for 2001-born defenseman Aidan Lawson.
The native of Providence, Utah had a goal and an assist last year and has five assists this season for seven points over 62 games in his WHL career.
Referenced in the press release put out by the team, Tory referenced another bit of news. Fellow 2001-born blueliner Mitchell Brown has been shut down for the season.
After the Americans played on 11/27/19, Brown was shut down for two games but played three more on 12/7, 12/8 and 12/13 which turned out to be the last games he will play during this campaign.
Lawson adds some size on the back end at 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds and is the seventh defenseman on the Americans roster.
The Americans have acquired 20-year-old forward Jadon Joseph from the Kelowna Rockets in exchange for a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2022 WHL Bantam Draft.
Welcome to Tri-City, Jadon!
? → https://t.co/fqo4wnUYAj
? → Marissa Baecker pic.twitter.com/dz5N8PPTbi— Tri-City Americans (@TCAmericans) January 9, 2020
Lastly, the Americans moved another conditional pick – this one in the sixth round of the 2022 draft – for overage forward Jadon Joseph.
They filled one of their two open spots for 1999-born players with the acquisition of Joseph from the Kelowna Rockets.
Joseph has potted 119 regular-season points over 226 regular-season games and 27 playoff points over 58 postseason contests.
This will be his sixth WHL team.
“He will add depth, scoring, and leadership to our group,” Tory stated in a team press release.
The games:
Saturday, 1/4/20: Portland 6 vs Tri-City 2
Krystof Hrabik opened the scoring just 1:37 into the game but after that, it was the Winterhawks cruising to a 5-1 lead at the Moda Center and holding on. Our Josh Critzer was there and has more here.
Jayden Platz did pot his second of the season, following up on a Sasha Mutala chance.
Talyn Boyko stopped 36-of-41 in the loss.
Sunday, 1/5/20: Kelowna 7 @Tri-City 3
After a scoreless first, the Rockets scored twice to take a 2-0 lead.
Mutala got the Americans on the board, but again the Americans fell behind 5-1 in the third period.
They pulled Boyko after he gave up five goals on 23 shots.
This time their comeback had a little more on it with Booker Daniel putting in his fourth of the season and Samuel Huo scoring his eighth.
Mason Dunsford was solved twice over three shots though and the comeback fell short.
This week:
Friday, 1/10 vs Seattle
-3-1-1-0 vs the Thunderbirds this season.
Saturday, 1/11 vs Regina
-Last two games have not been that close. 5-1 Pats win in Regina last season and a 6-0 Americans victory the last time the two played in Kennewick.
The American Way…
-The Americans named Hrabik their new captain as Kyle Olson was traded away last week. Hrabik extended his current point streak to four games and now sits third on the team in scoring with 20 points.
-Joseph immediately comes in as their fourth-leading scorer.
-Two points behind Seattle now for the final playoff spot. However, the Americans have two games in hand.
