Tips trade Trent Lofthouse to Victoria

The Silvertips swung a deal this morning, sending 18-year-old winger Trent Lofthouse to Victoria in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft.

Lofthouse, a 6-foot-3 and 185-pound native of Surrey, B.C., went unselected in the bantam draft and was later listed by the Tips. This season, his second in Everett, he had nine goals (including a hat trick) and three assists in 34 games.

Lofthouse is a player of great potential who is still trying to fully harness those abilities -- although he was a fourth liner when the team was healthy, he was often one of the players chosen to fill in on a top line. He's a late birthdate, so this is his NHL draft season, and he was mentioned in the NHL Central Scouting Service's preseason rankings. He'll be back in Everett quickly as the Royals visit Comcast Arena in eight days.

In the press release, Tips general manager Garry Davidson talked about creating room for more playing time for younger players. That suggests the Tips like what they've seen from recent addition Mitch Skapski, and that perhaps Dawson Leedahl is nearing a return from his knee injury.