Tuesday, February 28, 2023 was a weird day in Chicago sports. Three-time Stanley Cup Champion Patrick Kane was traded from the Chicago Blackhawks to the New York Rangers. Everyone knew it was coming, but the impact could be felt through Blackhawks nation.
While fans everywhere — myself included — were stuck in their feelings over losing a franchise icon, another minor AHL deal was taking place.
The Rockford IceHogs sent defenseman Adam Clendening to the Hartford Wolf Pack in exchange for forward Zach Jordan.
The Players
Adam Clendening
Adam Clendening is a 30-year-old defenseman that brings a lot of experience to the Hartford blue line. The majority of his professional career has been spent in the AHL, but he has 90 games of NHL experience. In those 90 games, he has four goals and 20 assists. He’s currently on an AHL-only contract, so the Rangers would have to give him an NHL deal should they want his services at their disposal in the case of playoff depth.
The Wolf Pack currently sit in sixth place in the Atlantic Division, but they have 20 games remaining to try to claw their way into a playoff spot. Clendening can bring some offense to the team from the back end. His three goals and 21 assists this year with the IceHogs place him sixth in points on his new team. Of course, he will have to continue that scoring in his new home for it to mean anything. Not to worry, Wolf Pack fans; offense has never been an issue for Clendening. It shouldn’t be for the remainder of this year, either.
On the other side of the coin, you do get some poorly-timed penalties and questionable defensive decision making. It’s all part of the Adam Clendening experience (trust me, this was his third stint with the IceHogs).
Overall, he should be a fine addition to the roster and possibly supply enough extra points to get that playoff spot.
Around The AHL
Zach Jordan
Zach Jordan is a 26-year-old forward who’s spent the majority of this season with the Jacksonville Icemen of the ECHL, scoring 17 goals and nine assists in 43 games. He’s been assigned to the IceHogs’ ECHL affiliate Indy Fuel, so it’s yet to be seen if he gets any time with the Piggies this season. Should he make the jump to the AHL, he does have 47 games of American League experience. In his brief AHL experience (mostly spent with the Cleveland Monsters), he has six goals and three assists.
Conclusion
The timing of this trade is a head scratcher for the IceHogs. Currently, the blue line severely weak due to injuries and call ups. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense for them to trade one of their healthy defensemen — especially one of their leaders — before they get some bodies back in the lineup. With Hartford being involved, I’d have to assume it goes along with the Kane trade. But, with Zach Jordan being in the ECHL and the Rangers also acquiring Cooper Zech in the deal for Kane, I’m not sure this couldn’t have waited until closer to the March 10 American Hockey League trade deadline.
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