TRADE ALERT! - HSK/CGY

[Mr_Hatter 1,608]

 

 
Trade Details
 
To: Calgary Wranglers

S70 SEA 2nd

To: Helsinki Titans

Chico Smeb @xDParK

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Analysis

With yet another trade during the offseason, we see the Helsinki Titans move for players this time, giving up a low second-round pick from the Seattle Bears in exchange for the Calgary Wrangler’s Chico Smeb. Smeb’s progression has slowed recently, having somewhat stalled in development during his season with the Wranglers, and has found himself traded again, just one season after being traded from his rookie home of the Riga Reign. The trade is a relatively straightforward one; Helsinki is shoring up their forward lines with the addition of this left-winger. Although Smeb does not appear to be progressing very much as of late, he has a lot of talent and is entering the prime of his career on a team-friendly contract. Considering Helsinki is only giving up the 19th overall pick in the draft, one which is about as likely to be a bust as it is to be a sleeper pick, it seems both teams will be happy with how this has been sorted out. Helsinki gets a player to help them compete now, and Calgary gets a value pick they hope will sort themselves out of a quick rebuild in which they own three of the top four picks in the draft. 
 
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Get-to-Know the Players

Chico Smeb

Although never quite hitting the heights that would be desired of top-level players, left-winger Chico Smeb has provided extremely consistent output over the past three seasons, netting over 50 points in each season. Despite being a pass-first kind of player, he has developed his goal-scoring abilities every season since he has joined the VHL, scoring a career-best 24 goals for the Wranglers in S69. Smeb’s all-around game could use some work, as he had the third-worst plus/minus rating on the Wranglers, though that could be in part explained by his team-leading 29.94 average minutes per game (good enough for fifth in the league). Considering the Wranglers were having a relatively poor season as a team, it makes sense that their player with the most minutes was on the ice for a lot of goals against. It will be interesting to see where Smeb slots in on Helsinki’s lines, as he is the third-best left-winger by TPE (albeit only 6 behind new teammate Ben Hafkey currently), but he has a higher TPE than his teammates that traditionally fill in the right side of the ice. Look to him then as likely the first line right-winger, or second-line left winger, as despite the slight positional difference Helsinki will want him getting as many minutes as possible. 
 

 
VSN Writer Mr_Hatter