Spenser Jensen was acquired by the Warriors from Medicine Hat on Friday. (Photo: MH Tigers)

We're still a week away from WHL trade deadline day, but the Moose Jaw Warriors got things started early on Friday.

The tribe added 18-year-old defenceman Spenser Jensen from the Medicine Hat Tigers in exchange for a third round pick and a sixth round pick in the 2014 Bantam Draft, as well as a conditional pick in 2016.

The 6-foot-4 192lbs. defenceman was originally selected 14th overall in the 2010 WHL Bantam Draft.  Jensen comes to Moose Jaw after playing in 138 games over three seasons with the Tigers and has 134 penalty minutes to go along with one goal and 19 points in his WHL career.

“He's a defence-first guy, he plays the game with some grit and keeps the game simple,” said Alan Millar, general manager of the Warriors, on Friday.  “He can play against the other team's best players and is really focused on the defensive side and keeping the puck out of his own net.”

Jensen brings size to the Warriors lineup and will be the tallest player on their roster when he joins the team.  His stay-at-home style of play will also be a welcomed addition with many young, offensive minded defencemen on the roster.

“We feel that with some young puck movers like (Reid) Zalitach, (Alexey) Sleptsov and Ryan Gardiner coming in, that Jensen can team up with Dallas Valentine and give us a real good, big, solid, shutdown D pair in the future,” said Millar.

The Tigers put Jensen on the trading block after he left the team in early December, but Millar said they've done their homework on him and he's looking forward to a fresh start in Moose Jaw.

“We've been aware of the situation of him wanting a new opportunity and sometimes that happens in our game, but we know Spenser's agent very well and are understanding of the situation,” said Millar.  “He's a great kid, both Stuts and I have talked to him and he's very excited to get to Moose Jaw and very excited about his future with the team.”

Jensen is from Airdrie, Alberta and the Warriors are currently in Alberta on a three-game road trip, so Millar added that head coach Mike Stothers would be handling when Jensen joins the team.

“Him and Stuts are connected now and coordinating him joining the team, so I'm assuming that he'll be joining the team on this trip and it will be up to the head coach on whether or not he gets into the lineup this weekend,” he said.

The trade deadline is coming up next Friday and the Warriors could be one of the busier teams in the lead up to the day.  This trade gives the tribe nine defencemen on their roster, but that could change over the next week if the team decides to move some assets, like leading scorer Travis Brown.

“It gives us options,” said Millar.  “The reality of the position of our team and trying to build for the future and adding assets, we'll continue to have a number of discussions and see how things go over the next week.”