Denver Ice Chips!

 Addition by subtraction? Time will tell....

Recently the Spurs management threw in the towel on the season after the club plummeted to the bottom of the Canosa.
12 assets were brought in over 2 days with 4 going out. With the other trade on 12/14 with Capeside that brings it to 16 in with 5 going out.

Sent packing to Springfield on January 15th were team leaders Brayden Schenn (33) and blueline leader Jared Spurgeon (35). Coming back to the Spurs were veteran Zach Parise (40), blueliner Chad Ruhwedel (34) as a hedge for the rest of the season for trading Spurgeon and prospects Cedrick Guindon C (20), who has 102g, 139a, 241pts in 244 games to date in his OHL career, and Marcus Gidlof G (19) who has put up some excellent numbers backstopping the Leksands IF Jr. team. To be certain, goalies are usually long term projects in making it to the CCHL but the future looks bright for this 6'6" Swedish goalie out of Falun, Sweden. Parise was included as both a salary dump and to clear a roster slot for the incoming Schenn and Spurgeon.

Later in the day Jason Dickinson (29), who was a UFA signing this season for the Spurs, was traded to Fort Erie for Jesse Puljujarvi (26), a salary throw in, along with prospects Adam Scheel G (25), and Anthony Romani RW (19). Scheel has put up some eye popping numbers in the AHL this season albeit in a short sample. Romani looks like he might be a good one with his numbers belying his 6th Rd draft selection in 2024. His career in the OHL has seen him register 91g, 82a, 173pts in 195 games to date.

The final deal on January 16th saw team leading scorer Valeri Nichushkin (29) pack his bags for Fort Erie. This was a total shocker for the Spurs faithful! Especially on the heels of Spurgeon, Schenn & Nelson going out the door. The fans are devastated and calling for the head of GM Poelker! The Falcons GM, Matt Young, was elated when Nichushkin had a 5 point game in his first game with his new club! Two goals and three assists! He now has 87 points and 37 goals, both numbers currently leading those categories for the Falcons. He may very well be the final piece that puts the Falcons over the top in their quest for the Kehler Cup! It will hinge on whether the firepower of the Falcons that features Matthews, Draisaitl, Marner, Nichushkin & Fox can overcome the brick wall that Ullmark puts up for the Donuts every night. Although netminder Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen of the Falcons has stellar numbers of his own. Yes, this writer is calling it a Fort Erie - Wisborg Kehler Cup final. Wisborg has already clinched a playoff spot. The Smythe Division and Canosa Conference crowns will be next.

Coming Back to the Spurs were Nicolas Roy (27), Ice 2nd Rd Pick in '25 and prospects Akil Thomas C (25), Oliver Moore C (19) and Ilya Nabokov G (21). Thomas is currently playing for the LA Kings of the NHL with 3 pts in 16gp. However, his OHL career saw him post 223pts in 241gp. While in the AHL he put up 93pts in 157gp. Could project as a solid 3rd liner with good size 6' 195 lbs. Moore and Nabokov were the primary pieces for GM Poelker in making his decision to move Nichushkin to the contending Falcons. Moore, who was drafted 19th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL, is currently toiling for the University of Minnesota. Moore is from Mounds View, Minnesota. A Minnesotan through and through. In 62 games in the Big-10 he has put up 14g, 37a, 51pts with a +24. Ilya Nabokov, who won a championship with Magnitogorsk Mettallurg of the KHL in 2023-24, had stellar numbers of 43gp, 2.15, 0.930 with 23-13-3 record. The current season to date he has posted all star numbers again with 33gp, 2.19, 0.926 with 15-12-4 record.

If you're counting, that was 3 goalies brought into the organization by the Spurs. Gidlof (NHL Islanders) Nabokov (NHL Avalanche) and Scheel (NHL Avalanche). Poelker is hoping Nabokov and Gidlof are the goalies of the future for the Spurs.
It is certainly hoped that Guindon, Romani & Moore can form a triumvirate of scorers down the road for the Spurs. Nic Roy will be one of the primary penalty killers for the next couple of seasons.

With Schenn, Spurgeon, Nelson and Nichushkin gone, donning the 'C' for the rest of the season will be Brandon Saad with Jeff Petry as Alternate #1 and Evander Kane as Alternate #2. Coach Craig Berube in naming the three said, "They are all veterans and have good leadership qualities. I have confidence that they will do a tremendous job on the ice." He went on to say that he'll have a lot of input on player personnel in the off season regarding what direction the franchise will take going forward.

Reported by I.P. Daley