Blazers get Bauer from Oil Kings, add d-man . . . Blades land Johnson

WHL trades since Dec. 27:

Trades: 12.

Players: 21.

Bantam draft picks: 15.

Conditional bantam draft picks: 1.

(WHL trade deadline is Jan. 10).

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The Edmonton Oil Kings made their second trade in as many days as they moved out another veteran 20-year-old. This time, they dealt F Lane Bauer and a seventh-round selection in the 2017 WHL bantam draft to the Kamloops Blazers for D

LANE BAUER

Conner McDonald, 17, a second-round pick in the 2017 bantam draft and a fifth-rounder in 2018.

On Wednesday, the Oil Kings sent D Aaron Irving, 20, their captain, and a seventh-round pick in 2017 to the Everett Silvertips for F Graham Millar, 20, F Brett Kemp, 16, and a first-round pick in the 2018 draft.

McDonald, like Irving, is a right-hand shot so should fit in well on the Edmonton depth chart. He had one goal and 12 assists in 36 games with the Blazers this season. From Delta, B.C., he has a goal and three assists in 48 career regular-season games.

McDonald, who is expected to play for the Oil Kings when they visit the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Friday, was a second-round pick by the Blazers in the 2014 bantam draft.

The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Bauer, from Anchorage, Alaska, was in his fourth season in Edmonton. This season, he had 25 goals and 15 assists in 40 games. In 231 career games, he has 176 points,

CONNER McDONALD

including 86 goals, including 29 goals and 36 assists in 72 games in 2015-16.

Bauer becomes the only American on the Blazers’ roster.

The Blazers, who meet the visiting Kelowna Rockets on Friday night, now have four 20-year-olds on their roster, including F Matt Revel, who went down with a long-term undisclosed injury prior to Christmas. The other two are D Dallas Valentine and F Collin Shirley. The Blazers, who are scrapping with the Rockets for second place in the B.C. Division, have until Jan. 10 to get down to three 20s.

Meanwhile, the Blazers have added D Tylor Ludwar, 17, to their roster and the plan is to keep him for the remainder of this season. Ludwar had been the captain of the midget AAA Regina Pat Canadians.

The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Ludwar, from Regina, had 14 goals and eight assists in 20 games with the Pat Canadians. A list player, Ludwar was pointless in two games with the Blazers earlier this season.

The addition of Ludwar leaves the Blazers with eight defencemen on their roster.

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The Saskatoon Blades have acquired F Cole Johnson, 18, from the Swift Current Broncos for two WHL bantam draft picks — a seventh-round selection in 2017 and a fifth-rounder in 2018.

The seventh-round pick originated with the Regina Pats, while the fifth-rounder started with the Red

COLE JOHNSON

Deer Rebels. The Blades acquired both picks in a deal that had F Cameron Hausinger go to the Rebels.

From Marwayne, Alta., the 5-foot-11, 200-pound Johnson had four goals and six assists in 34 games with the Broncos this season. In 44 career games, he has five goals and six assists.

Johnson was a second-round selection by the Broncos in the 2013 bantam draft.

The Blades, with four forwards out with long-term injuries, acquired Johnson to add some depth to their roster.

“We currently have four forwards out of the lineup with longer-term injuries, so bringing in Cole will help shore up some holes in the roster and provide some help to our 1998 group moving forward,” Saskatoon general manager Colin Priestner said in a news release. “Cole’s an intriguing player. He had a lot of success in bantam and midget until his shoulder injury set him back.”

Johnson missed almost all of the previous two seasons with a shoulder injury. In 2013-14, his final season of midget AAA hockey, he put up 28 goals and 17 assists in 31 games with the Lloydminster, Alta., Bobcats. However, he played only 10 games over the next two seasons -- one with the Broncos in 2014-15 and nine in 2015-16.
Johnson will be available to the Blades Friday night when they meet the Warriors in Moose Jaw.

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