Trade day thoughts

• Rockets GM Bruce Hamilton obviously believes that once all of the injured pieces return to the lineup his team can a) make the playoffs and b) knock off a top three team in the Western Conference playoffs. The acquisition of Dallas Jackson and avoiding the knee jerk reaction in trading 19 year-old forward Brandon McMillan at any price were two good examples that Hamilton believes this team isn't as bad of as many may think. Jackson is a significant upgrade on a defencive core which - up until the deadline - didn't feature one player in the 19 or 20 year-old age group.
• McMillan remains a Rocket which tells me the offers for the two-way player were just to low. I am sure Hamilton would have liked the same return as the Moose Jaw Warriors received from Brandon for d-man Travis Hamonic. I would think Wheat Kings GM Kelly McCrimmon would only pay that steep of a price to address one area. McCrimmon elected to shore up the defensive side, not tinker with a team already top heavy on offense.
• I feel good for Curt Gogol. The disgruntled 18 year-old moves to a team that has a legitimate shot of winning the Eastern Conference crown. I am not sure Gogol will see much more playing time than he did with the Rockets on a talented team in Saskatoon, but it's better to be traded to a contender than a cellar dweller. Gogol has to be happy with moving on. I wish him the best of luck with the 'Bridge City Bunch'. I sounded like Blades broadcaster Les Lazaruk there. The only thing that saddens me about the trade is Gogol's grandfather won't be able to watch him on a nightly basis. Curt's grandpa lives in Kelowna and was often seen around the arena exuding with pride while wearing a Rockets jersey with 'Gogol' slapped on the back.
• Kyle Verdino should enjoy the move to Swift Current. Reunited with former teammate Stepan Novotny, Verdino was playing his best hockey when he was traded to the southwest Saskatchewan city. Verdino had points in 4 of his last 5 games. Was the 18 year-old heads and shoulders better than 17 year-old's Mitchell Chapman and Colton Jobke? Discuss that question among yourselves.
• I don't know the reasoning behind the WHL holding off on issuing the details on trades until after the deadline closed at 2 pm, but if I was making a trade would I want other teams to know about it in the fear that they would up the ante to improve their team as a result of an improvement I made to my team? If GM's made deals without knowing what their colleagues were doing, does that not show who has the 'beach balls' and who is too scared to venture out by rolling the dice? Rockets GM Bruce Hamilton just answered that question after making four trades with a team that is in 8th place.
• Rockets fans have to be smiling after seeing the Kamloops Blazers trading away assets like Jimmy Bubnick, Zak Stebner and Tyler Shattock to Calgary. Kamloops is significantly worse off after making those deals - short term - which only helps the Rockets efforts in earning a playoff spot this season. The Rockets trail the Blazers by three points for 7th place.