Prospect Update: Reid Duke Traded, Whitney to the Q, & Cuma Signs In Austria
The Duke of Lethbridge
Prospect Reid Duke spent last season with the cellar dwelling Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League (WHL). (How bad? Duke got drafted after having a minus-47 +/-, which wasn’t the worst on the team, who as a whole were outscored by 187 goals last year.) It had been rumored that Duke would be interested in a trade and that seemed especially likely after he held out of camp this year.
Well, he’s got his wish. Duke was a part of a major six player trade between The Brandon Wheat Kings and Lethbridge Hurricanes. The Wheat Kings acquired Duke and Macoy Erkamps, as well as the rights to 16-year-old forward Tak Anholt. Lethbridge acquires defenseman Kord Pankewicz and forwards Brett Kitt and Ryley Lindgren. This should be a nice boost for Duke development. He will be joining a team who made the playoffs last year and features a roster loaded with NHL prospects.
To the Q
Goaltender Brandon Whitney, who has been with the Wild on an amateur tryout from July’s Development Camp, through the Traverse City Prospects Tournament, and into this years NHL training camp, was released from his amateur tryout. He was released from his tryout on Monday without a contract offer from the Wild. The team could still offer him a deal, but he’s been sent back to the Victoriaville Tigres of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) for now.
Cuma to Austria
Former 2008 first round pick Tyler Cuma didn’t get a new contract from the Wild this summer after spending four years with Wild AHL-affiliates in Houston and Iowa, preceded by two years in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) after the Wild drafted him. Last week he signed a tryout contract with the Graz 99ers of the Austrian league. Cuma played one NHL game with the Wild.
Here’s a look at his history with the Wild:
Game Notes
– Pavel Jenys scored in his first game with the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL, which was also his first game in North America. Not a bad start for the big forward.
– Chase Lang has exploded in the first five games of his third WHL season with the Calgary Hitmen. So far, he’s got three goals and four assists.
– Boston College hasn’t started their season yet, but Wild prospects Alex Tuch (2014 1st round pick) and Adam Gilmour looked great in their first preseason match. In Saturday’s exhibition against the University of New Brunswick, Tuch had two goals and Gilmour had three assists. Not a bad start for their line.