T-Birds acquire Watson from Lethbridge for Millette and pick

The Thunderbirds announced early Friday morning that they acquired forward Jamal Watson from the Lethbridge Hurricanes in exchange for Cory Millette and a fifth-round selection in next year’s Bantam Draft.

“We look at Watson as a guy who can make big plays and break things open,” said general manager Russ Farwell of the 20-year-old forward. “He pushes the pace and he’s an NHL skater. I expect him to come in and really contribute. He’s an older guy, a fairly physical player, and a big, strong man. A lot of his goals last year were shorthanded and he really breaks things open with his skating.”

Watson had 54 points in 66 games last season, including 26 goals, five of which were shorthanded, while playing for a Lethbridge team that struggled to put up points. The T-Birds, who were strong defensively last year but also went through scoring droughts of their own, will look forward to the additional offense that Watson will bring.

“At one point, (Watson) was 6 for 6 in the shootout,” said Farwell. “He’s done very well in that area. He’s even better on shootouts than on breakaways because he’s moving so fast. He’s got a special quality. I think he’ll play a key role and we expect him (to be a top-six) guy.”

In addition to his offensive abilities, Watson’s excellent skating allows him to recover well defensively, and his leadership abilities will be welcome for a team that is losing last year’s captain, Shea Theodore, to the professional ranks.

“He’s an experienced guy,” Farwell said of Watson, who was the Hurricanes’ captain last season. “Even though we’re fairly young, (our team) knows what Steve wants. We’re looking for him to provide an older guy’s presence, but his whole career has been in Lethbridge so there will be a learning curve. We think he’ll fit in and bring a lot of qualities to our team.”

As for Millette, Lethbridge will be his fourth team since the beginning of the 2014-15 season. He started last year with Saskatoon, was traded to Prince Albert after 22 games, and came to Seattle at the trade deadline. He did well during his brief stint with the T-Birds, registering 29 points in 32 games, including 16 goals, seven of which came on the power play.

“(Lethbridge coach) Pete (Anholt) knew him. He was in Prince Albert when he was there and was actually working in Red Deer when they drafted him, so he knows his whole history,” Farwell said of Millette, who is also 20. “He’s a gifted guy around the net and that’s what they were looking for. On their team he’ll have a chance not to be shuffled down and play a key role. They’re looking to completely shuffle things over there and they felt this would be a good new start for Watson.”

Just prior to this year’s playoffs, Keegan Kolesar, one of Seattle’s few true power forwards, was lost for the remainder of the season with a broken arm. The loss was felt heavily over the regular season’s final few weeks and during the team’s first-round series against Portland. Watson’s multi-dimensional game should help take some of the burden off of Kolesar and the team’s other skilled young forwards, as he brings a healthy combination of size, skill, and grit to the forward ranks.

“He’ll come and give us another guy that can (be a power forward),” Farwell said. “We felt we really missed it when (Justin) Hickman left last year. He is that kind of player and can be effective pushing his way to the front of the net.”

With Watson, Jerret Smith, and Jared Hauf occupying Seattle’s three overage spots, the 20-year-old situation appears to be set. This is certainly in contrast to last year, when Seattle didn’t cut its roster down to three over-ages until after the regular season had begun. However, with NHL training camps set to take place over the summer, it’s still possible that someone could shine in a tryout with a professional team and earn a contract.

“Last year, had Hickman not been hurt before pro camp, we’re not sure if he would have even been back,” Farwell said. “We still have to wait and find out that those guys will be back. Smith had a really good year and I think he’ll get a chance. Right now we’re happy to have those guys back but we have to wait until we know for sure we’re going to have them.”

The T-Birds now turn their attention to the offseason’s next big event, the Import Draft, where they’ll have one selection after the graduation of Roberts Lipsbergs. The T-Birds continue to recruit and things could change drastically before the draft occurs. But should things stand the way they are, Farwell has acknowledged in the past that they hope to add a defenseman who can play right away.