A Swift Current Broncos team that has lacked secondary scoring this season has made a move that could turn a weakness into a strength.

The Broncos have acquired 20-year-old centre, Matteo Gennaro and 19-year-old left wing Beck Malenstyn from the Calgary Hitmen, as well as a 2018 fifth-round pick.

Going the other way are 17-year-old winger Riley Stotts, 20-year-old centre Connor Chaulk, 18-year-old defenceman Dom Schmiemann, rights to 17-year-old forward prospect Josh Prokop and 15-year-old goalie prospect Ethan Hein, and a second-round pick in 2018.

"It's a good day, it's an exciting day and it's a tough day all wrapped into one," said Broncos associate coach Ryan Smith. "Welcoming the new guy with fresh faces and the opportunity that we have to let them join our group, and the guys that are leaving. There's lots of things going on... but it was something we felt we had to do."

Bringing in Gennaro, who has 14 goals and 25 points in 22 games for Calgary this season, meant the Broncos had to open up one of their three over-age spots, which is why Chaulk - who wore an 'A' with Swift Current and had six goals and 11 points in 21 games this season - was part of the return.

Malenstyn was a fifth-round pick (145 overall) by the Washington Capitals in 2016, but has only played four games this season due to injury. The 6-foot-2, 194-pound native of White Rock, B.C. has three assists.

"There was no secret the first 25 games have gone by and we've got three guys that are predominantly scoring all our goals," Smith said. "If they're not scoring they're making the plays to make them. We need secondary scoring and we thought after 25 games of evaluating what we had we needed to add from outside. We really still hope we've got some players to step up and puck the puck in the net, but (these two guys) with 75 goals last year that's hard not to talk about when we started looking around and it worked out well."

The Broncos are excited about what their two new additions can provide in the intense East Division competition.

"This is a tough division," Smith said. "There's no easy game in our division. So we needed to add something there that can help those top guys and make it difficult on other teams to cover them. Gennaro and Malenstyn are not small people... we're getting two very, very good all-around players and not just guys who can put the puck in the net. In a tough division those two bodies and the way they play and what they can provide are a key going forward."

"We're surprised," said Broncos goaltender Logan Flodell. "But of course (Broncos Coach/Director of Player Personnel Manny Viveiros) always wants to make this team better. This team wants to have a chance to win this year so we have high expectations on our side. The guys we are bringing in are going to be huge for us."



While excited about the new additions, the Broncos will also have to say goodbye to some quality teammates in the process.

"We had such great teammates with this team," Flodell said. "That's three great guys we are going to be losing, but I know Calgary is going to be very honoured to have those guys on their team. We're going to miss them a lot."

Last season Malenstyn, who is signed to an entry-level contract with the Capitals, had 32 goals and 56 points in 70 games.

Stotts has two goals and one assist in 22 games this season, while Schmiemann has three assists in 21 games. They are both former Swift Current Broncos first round bantam draft picks.

Prokop is playing for Vernon in the BCHL and has committed to the NCAA, but his brother is a Hitmen prospect. Hein is a signed third round 2017 bantam draft pick of the Broncos who plays for Saskatoon in the Midget AAA league.

The Broncos won't have Gennaro and Malenstyn in the lineup against Brandon tonight. You can listen to tonight's game live on The Eagle 94.1 FM with Robertson Family Group Swift Current Broncos Hockey at 6:30pm.