Claimed:Danny Schneider Traded

[Da Bearfan 14]

Danny Schneider Traded

 

As the trade deadline in any league approaches, sleep is typically the last thing on any general manager’s mind. This was the case in the Victory Hockey League on Tuesday, as the Minot Gladiators traded Danny Schneider to the Moscow Red Wolves in the middle of the night. Minot received a season 41 second round pick in return, but with the draft almost a season and a half away, whether it was a good return for the young defenseman remains to be seen.

 

The newest member of the Moscow Red Wolves, Danny Schneider

 

A team that was expected to be a seller at the start of the season, Moscow has been quite a surprise this year. Through 46 games, the Red Wolves have a lead of six points in the standings over the Bern Royals, though the latter has played two fewer games. While the race for the European Conference title will likely come down to the wire, Moscow appears to be safely in the playoffs with 17 points separating the Red Wolves and the Turku Outlaws.

 

That’s about all that will come easy to Moscow, however. Should the Russian team advance to the Founder’s Cup Final, they will have to face a team from the North American Conference, which has proven to be the home of all the VHLM’s true heavyweights. Perhaps the most telling statistic in comparing the two conferences is this: The fourth place Yukon Rush, currently eight points out of the playoffs, would be leading the entire European Conference by a healthy 14 points. Even the last place Minot Gladiators, currently more than 30 points out of the playoff race, would be tied for the final playoff spot if it played on the other side of the globe.

 

In spite of this apparent dominance, Red Wolves GM Bruce Wayne is confident that his team has a shot at taking down whichever team comes out of North America, citing the fact that Moscow has beaten each of the North American Conference’s top teams, the Brampton Blades, Saskatoon Wild, and Ottawa Lynx, at least once this season.

 

Red Wolves GM Bruce Wayne believes his team has as good a chance as any at this season's Founder's Cup

 

For his team to have any chance at winning, Wayne needed to significantly upgrade his team’s defense, and that is exactly what he has done with this trade. Knowing how scarce quality defensemen are, Wayne went after one of the top blue liners available: Only eight defensemen that are eligible for the season 40 entry draft have more TPE than Schneider, much of which can be attributed to the young skater’s late decision to enter the VHLM. While this lack of tenure might be a worrisome sign for some players, the same cannot be said of Danny Schneider: He is the son of four-time all-star Doug Schneider, a fact that provides reassurance to Wayne. Knowing that Danny learned to play hockey from one of the most formidable defensemen to ever play in the VHL, there is a lot of hope that this second generation player will blossom into what his father was. He has already put up some solid numbers while also providing stability to a weak Minot blue line, and Schneider is confident that he will be able to do much of the same in Moscow: When reached for comment, Schneider told us, “I’m thrilled to be going to a playoff-bound team, especially one where I have a chance to be the top guy on the blue line. They have some impressive players at forward, especially [Tyler] Cote and [MF Percy] Miller, and I hope their offensive prowess will allow me to focus more on my play in the defensive zone.” Removing any offensive responsibilities from Schneider should do wonders to his game, if his statistics from Minot are any indication. While putting up 15 points in 35 games as a Gladiator, Schneider racked up a plus/minus of -30, worse than any player not wearing a Bratislava Watchmen or Minot Gladiators sweater.

 

Schneider is excited to be teammates with Red Wolves forward Tyler Cote

 

Even though it is only for one season, this trade is all about Danny Schneider’s potential. Many in the league believe he can follow in the footsteps of his father and become one of the best shutdown players in the league. If he can do that sooner than later, this trade could prove to be exactly what the Red Wolves need to bring a Founder’s Cup to Moscow for the very first time.•

Edited August 20, 2014 by Da Bearfan

[Will 4,604]

Content: 3/3

Nice article! Sorry for the 5 day wait on a grade here, we've been backed up here for the last week or so and it seems everyone is on summer vacation! Nonetheless, great article, great start to the league, and best of luck to you.

 

Grammar: 2/2

Looks good!

 

Appearance: 1/1

Also looks good!

 

Overall: 6/6

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