Photo Credit: Vancouver Stealth
Clearly the offseason is here for the Minnesota Swarm. Following a disappointing season, they’ve started making moves. This year, they’ve started with moving for players instead of for draft picks. Looking to improve in net, the Swarm gave up the coveted number one pick in the 2014 entry draft along with goaltender Tyler Carlson and a second round pick in 2015 to the Edmonton Rush for netminder Brodie MacDonald. MacDonald has been serving as a backup to Aaron Bold for the past four years.
Goaltending has been a point of inconsistency for the Swarm, and going into the 2015 season, it was likely going to be Zach Higgins’ net, leaving Carlson on the outskirts.
MacDonald will be challenging Higgins for that position and putting Higgins through a challenge. On Carlson’s end, spending some time behind Bold won’t be bad for him either.
MacDonald has a career GAA of 9.44 and save percentage of .744 while Carlson has an 11.44 GAA and .749 save percentage on a larger sample. MacDonald will get an increased chance to play in Minnesota that he wasn’t getting in Edmonton, however, I’m not entirely convinced this trade is the best move for the Swarm.
If you remember back to the previous offseason, the Swarm moved several players, albeit in search of draft picks, and it affected team performance. I’m not convinced this won’t do the same. There will be more on that later this week.
