No changes on trade front for Greyhounds

There is a new goaltender in the mix for the Soo Greyhounds as the team prepares for exhibition games this weekend against the Sudbury Wolves.

Free agent goaltender Connor Hicks, who finished the season with the Ontario Hockey League’s Flint Firebirds last season, has skated with the Greyhounds this week during practice with sophomore netminder Matthew Villalta away at the Los Angeles Kings training camp.

A 20-year-old, Hicks would take up an overage spot should he earn an opportunity with the Greyhounds.

“At this point, with only Dougie Newhouse in camp, it was a good opportunity,” Greyhounds General Manager Kyle Raftis said Wednesday. “With him being a free agent, it could be a win-win for both sides if he’s able to potentially push for a job with us.”

With goaltender Joseph Raaymakers not with the team as he awaits a trade, the process remains as it has since the request.

Raaymakers was a free agent invite this week as he played with the Tampa Bay Lightning’s prospects at a prospects tournament in Florida that wrapped up on Tuesday. He also was invited to Tampa Bay’s development camp in June.

As for the status of the Greyhounds import picks, Finnish forward Rasmus Kupari and Swedish defenceman Rasmus Sandin, Raftis said there isn’t anything new to report though he hoped to have an update “over the next couple of days.”