Earlier today, Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Kole Sherwood was traded in the OHL. He will be moving on from the Flint Firebirds and join the Kitchener Rangers.
To answer the question some of you may have right off the bat, this doesn’t affect his status with the Columbus Blue Jackets. It just means he will be playing for a new team this year.
Columbus product Kole Sherwood will be making his second career move in the OHL. After signing with the Blue Jackets, Sherwood went to play for the London Knights.
There it is. #CBJ prospect Kole Sherwood off to Kitchener https://t.co/F8Nq1yA3jV
— Mark Scheig (@markscheig) October 17, 2017
He was then traded to the Flint Firebirds, where he had a breakout season last year. Now, after recovering from an injury suffered in training camp, he will join the Kitchener Rangers.
What to make of the trade
The Kitchener Rangers are currently in first place in the Midwest Division of the OHL. They were likely looking for some firepower as they move deeper in the season, and they found it with Sherwood.
Flint is sitting at fourth place in the West Division, so the trade makes sense for both sides.
The Kitchener Rangers have acquired F Kole Sherwood from the Flint Firebirds for two 2nds, a third and a fifth.
— Josh Brown (@BrownRecord) October 17, 2017
Trade rumors were beginning to heat up, but the official trade happened before the rumors were able to make many headlines.
For Kole, this will be a great opportunity to showcase his abilities with a team making noise in the OHL. He was expected by some to make the Cleveland Monsters roster this year, but going back to the OHL isn’t the end of the world.
His high-ankle sprain probably had an effect on the decision to return him to junior hockey. Now, being on a contender, he will be able to develop more efficiently.
He has the chance to stand out more than he would have as a bottom six AHL player. Playing time would’ve been more difficult to come by in Cleveland.
Here’s Jarmo Kekalainen speaking about Sherwood this past April:
Last year, Sherwood had 85 points in 60 games with the Firebirds. The year prior, he managed only 34 points in 63 games. This is why Jarmo had such positive things to say about Sherwood.
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Sherwood will be one of the more interesting prospects to watch this season. Hopefully he stays healthy for the rest of the year, and beyond, because he has what it takes to be a solid professional hockey player.