So what exactly did the Capitals acquire when they traded winger Eric Fehr to Winnipeg last Friday? Well, a fourth-round draft pick for starters. But the Jets also sent along minor league forward Danick Paquette, who has racked up penalty minutes at every level of play.
Paquette introduced himself to a few hundred fans at Kettler Iceplex on Thursday when he scored a goal during an intrasquad scrimmage and — of course — got into a fight. It was the second of three scrimmages Washington will hold at its rookie development camp this week — an event that features most of the organization’s top prospects.
The 6-foot, 210-pounder caught forward Adam Mitchell with a questionable elbow in the first period. He later fought defenseman Scott Wietecha and scored his goal after a pretty rush-and-dish by defenseman Garrett Haar. Paquette, 20, had an absurd 213 penalty minutes for Lewiston in the QMJHL in 2007-08 and topped himself with 230 for the MAINEiacs the next season. He earned another 136 with the Quebec Ramparts in 2009-10.
Paquette spent most of last season — his first as a pro — with the ECHL’s Gwinnett Gladiators. He had 13 goals, seven assists and 179 penalty minutes. No idea if Paquette ever makes the NHL. But the kid likes to stir the pot — even if he was joking in his postgame chat with reporters. At least we think he was.
“I think it’s not the elbow. I feel [Mitchell’s] helmet right on my jaw,” Paquette said. “I know it’s a blindside. But it’s a hit, it’s a hit. I’m a pretty dirty player. I did my job, like [Pittsburgh Penguins forward] Matt Cooke.”
