Calgary Hitmen send Greg Chase to Victoria Royals, Keegan Kanzig moves east in big WHL deal

With the naming the Team Canada selection camp roster just around the corner, Greg Chase is now under the wing of the national junior team coach Dave Lowry with the Victoria Royals.

Two weeks ago, at the time that the Edmonton Oilers signing left the Calgary Hitmen, venerable Edmonton Journal scribe Jim Matheson wrote it would be a "logical deal"  to trade Chase to Victoria for fellow 19-year-old Keegan Kanzig, who would be able to play for the junior team that is owned by the Calgary Flames, his NHL organization. On Wednesday night, the Hitmen didn't get the fistful of bantam draft picks they envisioned as part of the return for Chase but they certainly have improved their blueline. Victoria, which is second in the B.C. Division after digging out of an early hole, gets a former 85-point scorer.

The timing raises the question of whether there still is time for Chase, whom Hockey Canada had on its summer development roster, to make a late push for the final selection camp in December. Point production is not the end-all when it comes to the selections for the camp when a player has had extenuating circumstances, if he's good enough. The Hitmen also said Chase's healthy scratch from a game shortly before he asked out wasn't due to off-ice issues.

The 19-year-old is dangerous around the net and should fortify the attack of the Royals, who have a .520 point percentage despite having a slow start while waiting for veterans to trickle back from NHL camps. (They also had to wait for overage Brandon Magee to return from a suspension for a spearing penalty in the 2014 playoffs; speaking of which, Magee got a spearing major/game misconduct in the Royals' game on Wednesday.)

Kanzig is a "fascinating prospect" with can't-be-taught size at 6-foot-6 and 242 pounds. it's actually been more than a decade since a Flames pick played for the Hitmen, which seems odd given there's been much more synergy between the other NHL/WHL operation, the Edmonton Oil Kings (who are owned by the Oilers). In the here and now the Hitmen have a hulking defenceman who can relieve some of the burden on Philadelphia Flyers first-rounder Travis Sanheim. Meantime, it is kind of imperative for the Flames that Kanzig pan out eventually. The opportunity cost of prizing size with that No. 67 pick in the 2013 was passing over playmakers such as current New York Rangers rookie Anthony Duclair, University of Minnesota star Taylor Cammarata, Portland Winterhawks 50-goal scorer Oliver Bjorkstand and two other Team Canada summer campers, Buffalo Sabres prospect Nick Baptiste and Ottawa Senators prospect Nick Paul. That's just naming a few. Hindsight is 20/20, though.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.