The Buffalo Bandits traded their 12th overall pick, goaltender Eric Penney and defender Rory Smith to the Vancouver Stealth for Nick Weiss and the ninth overall pick, which became Brandon Goodwin.
The move makes all sorts of sense for both teams. Buffalo had signed Dave DiRuscio to contend with Kurtis Wagar for the backup role while all Vancouver has as the backup is Matt Roik, so Penney will contend to be on that roster.
Penney was on injured reserve last season but played Junior ball this summer and is ready for the 2015 season. He could contend with Matt Roik as a viable backup but he also could be practice roster depth, as most teams carry three goalies now.
Vancouver also desperately needed defense after losing Jeff Moleski and Mike Grimes on defense, so Rory Smith will step right in as that physical presence and as a solid defender. Smith has played 103 games in the NLL and spent his last season in Buffalo.
The 12th overall pick which was selected by the Vancouver Stealth ended up being defenseman Conrad Chapman, potentially replacing Nick Weiss in the lineup.
“He’s a big body and somewhat of a late bloomer who’s really come on,” stated head coach Dan Perreault in the Stealth press release. “He’s turned into a fine player with great speed and keeps getting better every time I watch him.”
Nick Weiss goes to the Bandits as a depth player on defense; he should see plenty of roster of time for sure.
