IceDogs deal Sopa, could Thomas be next?
The Niagara IceDogs began what is expected to be a busy week of wheeling and dealing, trading forward Kyen Sopa Monday.
The IceDogs shipped the Swiss-born winger, along with a 13th-round selection in 2022, to the Erie Otters for a second-round pick in 2022, a third-round pick (from Sault Ste. Marie) in 2023, and an eighth-round pick in 2022.
“This was a difficult move to make,” IceDogs general manager Joey Burke said. “Kyen has been the most impactful import pick we have ever had, both on and off the ice.
“The reality is we are in a position where we need draft picks to solidify our future, and this deal helps to accomplish that.”
The IceDogs do not have second-round picks in 2020, 2023 or 2024 and “barely any thirds.”
The Otters are 16-14-2-6 and tied for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
“While it is never easy to see a guy like Kyen go, I know he will contribute to a very strong Erie team,” Burke said. “He will help them make a deep run, while allowing us to continue our rebuild process moving forward.”
Erie assistant coach and Niagara Falls native Wes Wolfe said the Otters are excited to add Sopa.
“His offensive production aside, his work ethic and attention to detail are two things that have always stood out whenever we’ve played against him,” Wolfe said. “Whether it’s blocking a shot in the defensive zone or getting to high traffic areas in the offensive zone, Kyen always seems to be involved in every game in an impactful way.
“We’ve also heard nothing but great things about him as a teammate and felt that his experience with last year’s IceDogs playoff push would be an asset to our team as we push towards a playoff spot ourselves in a very competitive Western Conference.”
Sopa, who made his debut as an IceDog in the 2018-19 season and recently represented Switzerland at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship, has already matched his point total (31) from the 2018-19 season, with 19 goals and 12 assists.
The Sopa trade could be the tip of the iceberg for the IceDogs before the OHL trade deadline Friday at Noon. The overage deadline is Thursday at noon.
“We certainly do have the mindset that we’re going to need to sell this week,” Burke said. “Going forward, while we’ve done a great job this year, we’re all very cognizant that this year and next year, we’re not going to win the league.”
Burke said the biggest need will be up front.
“We certainly need to, if we can, add some high-end young forwards, and we need to add as many draft picks as we can,” he said.
The biggest trade chip the IceDogs possess is captain Akil Thomas, who is expected to rejoin the IceDogs Tuesday after scoring the winning goal for Team Canada Sunday versus Russia in the gold medal game at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship.
“Certainly Akil is my favourite IceDog in team history and there is a lot of tough competition in that aspect, so I don’t say that lightly,” Burke said. “It’s very difficult to even consider the prospect of him playing in another jersey, but at the same time, as much as he means to us and to the organization and to Niagara, if we hold pat and don’t do something here, we’re going to be left with no draft picks and no young guys that we’re looking at.
“For the grand scale of the organization in the next five years, it’s something we need to be open to.”
Burke said the offers have already started to come in.
“Right now, there are certainly multiple teams that are interested so it’s trying to weed through the options that are best for us.”
The IceDogs could also be in the market to pick up a goalie with rookie Tucker Tynan likely gone for the remainder of the regular season.
“With Tucker being healthy, it’s something we wouldn’t have even considered,” Burke said. “We know we might need to do something to shore things up there. We love our guys (Christian Sbaraglia, Josh Rosenzweig) but the plan that Rosie was the guy for the future and he was kind of thrown into the fire here.”
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