Sudbury Wolves strengthen D-Line with trade

The off-season for the Sudbury Wolves has been a very productive one.

The team added a number of highly skilled scorers in the drafts, both import and OHL entry draft, but as the season closes in the Wolves shored up there defence with a trade.

The Wolves acquired 20-year old defencemen Patrick Murphy from the Erie Otters for a conditional 15th round draft pick in 2018.

Wolves President and General Manager, Blaine Smith believes they are getting a two-way defencemen.

“We’re getting a very skilled offensive defencemen who is also very solid in his own zone as evidence of his plus-20 rating last season with Erie. He really is a good set-up man, but he has a really good hard accurate shot from the point as well.

“I really believe he is exactly what we need to provide a little more offense from our blue-line, and take some pressure off of Kyle Capobianco,” said Smith.

While Murphy did not see the trade coming, he wasn’t caught off guard and is excited about the opportunity.

“I’m really excited for it, Sudbury has been a well known organization for many years. When you’re a little kid and you don’t know all the teams in the league, but they’re one of the teams that stand out and I’m very excited to play there,” said Murphy.

Murphy has spent his entire OHL career with the Erie Otters and made huge strides last year increasing his point production from just seven points two seasons ago to six goals and 25 assists for 31 points in 56 games last season.

After the trade broke he took to Twitter thanking everyone in the organizations and had nothing but good things to say about the city, the organization and the fans.

“There is not a bad thing I can say, I enjoyed my time there. Everyone in the organization from billets, coaches, and front office staff always treated me really well, and some of the best fans I have ever played in front of as well. I’m sad to be leaving there but really excited to join Sudbury as well.”

But being a two-way players is not all he brings, the Otters featured players like Connor McDavid and Dylan Strome last season and lost to the eventual champs the Guelph Storm in the Western finals.

Murphy has played a total of 30 playoff games in his career.

“When you bring in a guy who has played 30 playoff games in the last two years, you are bringing in a guy with the right type of mindset, experience and leadership that we need with the young core of players returning.”

And Murphy wants to embrace that leadership role.

“I expect it from myself, as a 20-year old on any team you’re expected to be a leader and take on a leadership role, that’s what I’m going to try and step in and do there.”

Smith said he is going to leave the line pairings up to the coaches but the acquisition does allow the team to split up Murphy and Capobianco to have two pairings with at least one veteran defenceman.

And like the Wolves of last season the Erie Otters went through some struggles not too long ago.

“He was part of the turnaround in Erie, in speaking with their general manager, guys like Patrick Murphy were key to the turnaround of the culture in the dressing room and attitude on the bench,” said Smith.

The one chance you take with trading for a 20-year-old player is they could choose to go to play university hockey, or go to school, but Murphy confirmed that he will be there when camp breaks in September.

“I’m just looking to play my game do everything I can, and do everything they expect from me when they traded for me, and hopefully I can get the job done,” said Murphy.

Then the competition begins; as per league rule each team can only have three overage players on their team, the Wolves with the acquisition of Murphy would be at five, the others goalie Samuel Tanguay and forwards Travis Wood, Jacob Harris and Danny Desrochers.

“It certainly adds to the competition, we’re a lot like Erie and number of teams with five overage players, so these are all decisions we are going to have to make come training camp,” said Smith.

This move adds to the blue-line for the Wolves, but it certainly does not make the long list of training camp decisions any easier for the Wolves.