Any doubts about how the Estevan Bruins defense core would handle the loss of so many veterans are being slowly erased. Though the loss of graduating players Johnny Witzke, Jake Heerspink, and Aigne McGeady Bruce will be felt, the Bruins went a long way towards injecting some veteran presence into their lineup with three trades over a two-day period.

After adding '99-born defenseman Tylor Ludwar from the Okotoks Oilers of the AJHL on Wednesday, June 26, the Bruins have further added to their defensive depth with '99 born defenseman CJ Corazzin and 2000-born defenseman Kelvin Hair. 

"We may have a little extra as far as assets go," said Bruins head coach and GM Chris Lewgood. "The Ludwar thing came out of nowhere, it wasn't something we'd planned for. When you get an opportunity to grab a guy like Ludwar you don't pass on it. We're probably at one more defenseman than we need to have right now... we're flush with defensemen and it's a really good problem to have."

Corazzin is the second 20-year-old defenseman the Bruins have acquired this week after Ludwar. In his first season of junior hockey in the MJHL, he posted an impressive 15 points in 49 games. Last season he played junior on the east coast of the United States, where he posted 11 points in 43 games split between Connecticut and the Islanders Junior Hockey Club. He signed with the Bruins as a free agent. 

"He was a really good rookie with Winkler of the Manitoba Junior League," Lewgood said. "He had 15 points as a rookie so we've had our eye on him for a little while. We were able to get him to sign with us."  

Hair, meanwhile, played 30 games for the WHL's Kelowna Rockets in 2017-18, before spending most of 2018-19 with the BCHL's Penticton Vees, where he put up no points. As a big, smooth skating defenseman, he represents an intriguing prospect for the Bruins.

"He's a guy we hope cracks our lineup," said Lewgood. "All reports are he's a terrific young man. We've got some very good young defensemen we're really excited about so we'll see where he fits into the lineup and go from there."

The Bruins now have seven twenty year olds on their roster for 2019-20. Under CJHL rules, they are allowed one more.