BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW
The Sudbury Wolves were all business during
the CHL Import Draft, making a big trade and selecting
players.
The Wolves traded rookie Ryan McDonough and
their 2006 first round CHL Import Draft pick to Saginaw for
second-year forward Chase Crowder, Saginaw's' seventh pick
overall in this year's draft, and a second round pick in 2006
and 2007 in the OHL Priority Draft.
With the seventh pick, the Wolves picked
Czech forward Marek Polak.
McDonough had been rumoured to be on the move
since the season ended.
Polak played in the Czech Republic this past
season. Polak also played in the World Under-17 Hockey
Championships in Lethbridge, Alberta this past Christmas, where
he scored two goals and four points in five games, along with
18 penalty minutes.
Wolves head coach and GM Mike Foligno was
pleased with the results.
"We had a lot of calls involving trades,"
said Foligno. "Polak is a physical player and did quite well at
the Under-17 championship, and he can put pucks in the net. He
plays a grinding style, which fits in with our style. He's also
young and will develop with us for a few years."
A key piece of the trade was the acquisition
of Crowder, who is the son of former NHLer Keith Crowder, who
played 662 games with Boston and
Los Angeles.
The younger Crowder was, at one point, one of
the top midget players in his age group, but has fizzled in
Saginaw.
"Chase is a player we feel is ready to take
the next step," said Foligno. "Chase is an up-and-down player
and very strong. He's a guy that has a lot of development to
do. He hasn't realized just how good he can be. He plays hard
and drives the net hard. Chase also isn't afraid of anyone out
there. His grit will add to our depth."
Crowder brings size as he stands six-foot-two
and weighs 190-pounds. Chase scored only two goals and six
points in 55 games this past season with Saginaw, along with 24
penalty minutes.
Foligno isn't concerned about the loss of
firepower McDonough was capable of producing, since it wasn't
on a consistent basis.
"We hope to have picked up some offence in
the Import Draft," said Foligno. "Other players that have been
with us will materialize into good solid
players. We feel it's a tough situation to
lose a player like McDonough, but sometimes there are
conditions that are beyond our control. We improved our club
with this move and we wish Ryan well."
McDonough, who the Wolves drafted seventh
overall in the 2004 OHL Priority Draft, scored 15 goals and 37
points in 58 games as a rookie.
One of the most important aspects of the
trade is the two-second round OHL picks Foligno snagged from
Saginaw, which has been one of the league's doormats over the
past couple of seasons.
The picks could turn out to be high-end
selections, which would bode extremely well for the Wolves'
future, or in turn, be used to acquire experienced players to
help the team make a run for a championship.
"We are looking to take a shot at moving to
the next level and we're trying to acquire the depth that you
need to do just that," said Foligno. "Because of the value of
second round picks, these picks also give us the potential to
make more acquisitions or better our team with high
selections."
With their 37th pick, the Wolves grabbed
defenceman Anton Hedman from Sweden.
