Greenside has big upside

Now with the trade deadline over, it's time to break down the new members of the Sudbury Wolves.

Over a span of a month, Wolves head coach and GM Mike Foligno retooled his line up to get a lot younger.

In December, he sent veteran Stephen Miller to Guelph for unknown 18-year-old defender Brandon Greenside.

During deadline week, Foligno shipped captain Kevin Baker to Oshawa for Dean Howard and prospect Eric O'Dell followed by goalie Sebastian Dahm going to Niagara for Chris VanLaren, Andrew Loverock and two draft picks.

Out of all this wild action, I am most impressed with Greenside.

Personally, I didn't give the five-foot-eleven defender much of a chance, as Guelph gave him up for Miller who, as a player, had just toughness to offer.

Greenside has come in and knocked my socks off with his poised play and interesting skill set.

The 190-pounder has good speed, strong defensive instincts, knows when to step up, gets his shots through traffic and shows a great competitive drive. The puck also seems to follow him around, whether on offence or defence. In his first 10 games with Sudbury, the rookie had four points and 12 penalty minutes. He also had a -7 rating, but he has been playing a lot of big minutes on a team that gives up plenty of goals.

In time, I see Greenside being the quarterback of the Wolves power play and the player who gets the tap on the shoulder to defend against the opposing team's best players when the game is on the line.

I've always liked Howard, even from his days with the Sault Ste. Marie midgets. Howard has great hands and knows how to score goals. He's picked up two points in his first three games, but I do see 30+ goals in his future.

VanLaren came advertised as a physical player and didn't disappoint at all. The rugged 17-year-old smashed bodies, moved the puck well and even got into a tussle against Niagara.

As for Loverock, I still haven't decided on whether he will be a good fit or not. He got shelled in his first two games, even been chased from the net in his home debut against Belleville.

Dahm didn't take long to make an impression on his new teammates. In his first game, Dahm made 21 saves for a shut out win against Sault Ste. Marie, a team rated in the Top 5 in Canada.

In his second game, versus Sudbury, Dahm made 32 saves for the win. In his first two games, Dahm forged a 1.01 goals-against-average and a .964 save percentage.

Baker meanwhile, has three points in three games for Oshawa, all wins, so he has impacted the Generals positively.

Local OHL fans will have plenty to cheer for in May when Kitchener hosts the Memorial Cup. Sudbury probably will not be there, but Azilda's Mike Mascioli will be. Mascioli is in his rookie year with the Rangers and acquitting himself well. In his first 31 games, Mascioli had three goals, 14 points, 96 penalty minutes and a +10 rating.

I was surprised Kitchener made it through the deadline without trading him for a veteran. Mascioli is a rugged customer and will no doubt make the most of his chances at the Memorial Cup.