Pats deal again

And another Pats trade....this time with the Giants. The Pats have sent 17 year old goalie prospect Derek Tendler (who was playing Jr A for Estevan of the SJHL after being beat out by Dawson Guhle for a job with the Pats in training camp), a 2010 5th round bantam pick, and their 2010 first round import draft pick to Vancouver in exchange for 19 year old forward Cass Mappin, 17 year old defenceman Mitch Spooner, and the rights to 17 year old forward Mikael Jung. Jung has been playing Jr A in the BCHL for Cowichan Valley.

Reaction....well, we knew the Pats weren't done dealing, they needed to add defencemen and getting Spooner addresses that need. Spooner was Vancouver's 2007 first round bantam pick but had been playing sparingly in Vancouver and looked like he might have been passed on their depth chart by three or four 16 year old d-men. The Pats are shorthanded on defence so right away this is a chance for Spooner to get a lot of ice time and maybe show some of the abilities that made him a first round pick in the first place.

Mappin is another former first round bantam pick who is on the move for the 2nd time this year - Vancouver acquired him from Red Deer just two months ago. He's an enigmatic player, a guy who has not quite reached expectations due to a lack of consistency. He had the problem in Red Deer, he had it in Vancouver. I see the Pats talking about their high expectations of him....why do they think he'll be any different there? He's 19, at that age and after two organizations, what you see is probably what you get. But the good news is that inconsistent or not, Mappin has point-a-game ability and will fit in on the top two lines in Regina.

Not sure if Jung - little brother to Edmonton Oil Kings goalie Torrie Jung - is reporting to Regina this year or if this is a move for next year. He was cut by the Giants both of the last two seasons but wants to play in the WHL. Whether the Pats have room for him this year after acquiring three other new forwards in the last two days, I don't know. They have 16 forwards on their roster right now already, so if they do bring Jung in, then a couple other guys are getting reassigned.

As for the Giants....now they have a goalie glut. I'm pretty sure they are going to bring Tendler in right away, he is good enough for the WHL. The question is what they do with their two existing goalies, Mark Segal and Jamie Tucker, both 18. Plus they sent 16 year old Brendan Jensen down to Jr A a few weeks back, so this team now has four goalies aged 18 or younger in their plans, and they really only need two. Got to be some more moves coming here....I'd have to say that on the surface of things, it doesn't look really good for Tucker. Jensen is a next-year guy and I doubt they are bringing Tendler in to sit him on the bench, so it's probably either Tucker or Segal who is being moved out. They just got Segal and he has played fairly well, so my guess is that Tucker gets moved and they go with Segal-Tendler the rest of the year. We'll see.

So, Brent Parker has gotten an early start on his post-Christmas shopping. Which GMs are going to be the next to follow suit?