It hasn’t been a successful first half of the season for the Subury Wolves. The team currently sits second last in the league with a record of 11-19-1. Much of their season thus far can be attributed to inconsistent defensive play as a whole and goaltending.
However, the Wolves gave their home fans a couple of wins to be happy about over the weekend, and their offensive leader, Kieron Walton, was leading the charge as expected.
The Winnipeg Jets prospect exploded offensively last year. Not only did he lead Sudbury in about every offensive statistical category last season, but he also finished with 22 more points than second on his team (not including Henry Mews, who they acquired from Ottawa at the trade deadline). Walton had one of the best point streaks last season, racking up 16 goals and 29 assists for 45 points in a 19-game stretch.
On Friday, Walton recorded one goal and four points in Sudbury’s massive 7-6 shootout win over the Owen Sound Attack. All three assists were primarys, and his 19th of the season came off a penalty shot, where his patience and quick hands fooled the goaltender, which also sent the teddy bears flying.
Then, on Sunday, Sudbury took care of a struggling Brampton squad by a score of 5-1. Walton scored the game-winner back in the first period. Over a two-game weekend slate, the Jets prospect put up six points.
Even though Sudbury’s record may not suggest this, they do have one of the top five scorers in the league. Yes, it is Kieron Walton.
Walton is currently tied with Minnesota Wild prospect Adam Benak with 43 points (20 goals, 23 assists) in 26 games. His 20 power play points are tied for the league lead in that category. And his 166 shots on goal (6.38 SOG average) is first in the league by over 30.
Last season, the 6-foot-6 skilled forward went 17 games out of the 66 he played without recording a point. Out of the 26 games he’s played this year, he’s gone only five games without a point. Walton is factoring in offensively every single night. Sudbury’s offense flows through him, and if he isn’t having a good game, well then the team is most likely losing that game.
The Wolves have scored 92 goals this season (tied for fourth-fewest), meaning that Walton has factored in on exactly 50% of his team’s goals. Considering where this Wolves team would be this season without Walton is a troubling thought.
Seeing that Sudbury is struggling this season, and this being his last season in the OHL, Walton’s demand in the trade market should be at an all-time high. It wouldn’t be shocking to hear a trade announcement that has the Winnipeg prospect shipped out of Sudbury, and the Jets probably want that.
However, it is rumored that this year’s trade market is a buyer’s market. Look at the return Guelph got for Jett Luchanko. Or look at Sarnia’s return for their captain, Lukas Fischer. Both returns were noticeably lower than in years past.
So, Sudbury may decide to just hang on to their star player to keep fans coming to their building for the games. That’s an aspect that has to be considered. If the Wolves trade Walton and Nathan Villeneuve, the appetite for fans to come to the games drops significantly.
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