Gabriel Bilodeau – McKeen's Hockey

QMJHL Trade Deadline: Want to improve your QMJHL team this season? Pay up!

Michael Sanderson — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 17:43:55 +0000

The QMJHL’s silly season is upon us.

The league’s trading period opens up Sunday, and several trades are already in the books, some of which were consummated before the opening bell was officially opened. The period closes up on January 6. One thing to be expected this season: contenders will have to pay to make their teams better heading into the second half.

All eyes are on the Halifax Mooseheads this season as the Memorial Cup hosts in May. Because of this, the team has some extra pressure to build a contender. On paper, they are one of the strongest teams in the entirety of the Canadian Hockey League, but they have struggled a little bit with consistency. The team is noticing some potential issues that may need solving for the tourney, adding to their depth.

Now, if newspaper quotes are to be believed, Mooseheads general manager Cam Russell is not all that interested in blowing up the future for the present, as he observes that his team could be even better next season as presently constructed. However, this year is a guaranteed Memorial Cup berth, whereas future years are earned solely by hard work from August-to-May. The sure thing dictates that this declaration is just posturing, as a Memorial Cup host can expect a heightened market for any assets.

Further, this Mooseheads squad could use some tinkering. Edmonton Oiler forward Ostap Safin, acquired from Saint John at the start of the season, has been in and out of the lineup due to ongoing hip issues. Overager Jordan Maher has simply not been the best fit with the team with just four goals so far, despite his best efforts. Anaheim Ducks prospect Antoine Morand’s game has been as expected, but the numbers are not quite where they should be, with 28 points in 29 games. Potential first rounder Raphaël Lavoie has hit a bit of a snag this season, not looking like himself from last season; he is scoring less and seeing his focus wane at times this season. The offence, a strong suit in prior years, is sixth-best in the league right now, with a few blowouts augmenting the numbers.

New Jersey Devils defender Jocktan Chainey has seen his ice time drop and Chicago Blackhawks blueliner Jake Ryczek has seen his rise, but behind Jared McIsaac and Justin Barron, who have been solid, there is no big third defender option. Despite that, the team has solid defending numbers, tied for second-best in goals against.

To his credit, goaltender Alexis Gravel has been maybe the team’s most valuable player so far this season, but his backup option is Cole MacLaren, a decent choice but not a goalie you want starting against the OHL and WHL champions.

To that end, Halifax will be in on a defenceman this trading period, and potentially a second goaltender as well. If the price is right, they may also look to add to the forward group to try and jumpstart the offence.

Noah Dobson

Thankfully for the Mooseheads, the two biggest names available in the trading period are both defencemen. New York Islanders prospect Noah Dobson is the biggest fish in the pond, and right behind him is Arizona Coyotes draft pick Pierre-Olivier Joseph.

The price for Dobson will set the market, as he is the prize all teams are competing for. Dobson is a game-changer on defence, capable of controlling a game from the back-end, and has championship experience on the biggest stage. Joseph is a very solid consolation prize, as teams who find the price for Dobson too high may rather try to acquire one of the league’s hardest workers and smartest players. The Islanders also have very useful players to add into a Joseph trade to help a win-now team, such as Keith Getson or Anaheim Ducks prospect Hunter Drew, but it’s believed that Jim Hulton is not looking for far-off picks, preferring players that can help as early as next season in exchange for his assets. Having said that, the Islanders are in a contending position, and could choose either to stand pat or add to their team.

What is interesting in the Dobson speculation is that it is rumoured that any deal involving him will have to go through the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, as part of conditions of a prior deal for Bathurst last season. The Sags would rather the assets that Dobson would provide rather than use him this season, as Chicoutimi is a middling team with no real title aspirations this season. The suspense will run into the new year, as Dobson cannot officially be traded until his term with Team Canada at the World Junior Championships are over.

There are some top-level defender and forwards beyond those two, but in goal, most contenders seem to be set with one or two good goaltenders. There are many options for a team to buy for a playoff run – Minnesota Wild prospect Dereck Baribeau from Quebec, Pittsburgh Penguin signee Alex D’Orio in Saint John and fellow Penguin camp attendee Tristan Côté-Cazenave, to name three – but most of the top teams are set in net.

The changed playoff format this season could also have an effect on the trading period, due to the imbalance of talent between the Eastern and the Western Conferences. Starting this year, to prevent so many easy matchups in the first round and to cut down on potential travel, the league decided to drop the 1-vs-16 format and form two conferences of two divisions each. The Maritime teams and the Eastern-most Quebec teams form the 10-team East, and the rest create the eight-team West. There is the potential for wildcards to allow the top 16 teams to make the playoffs, but the weakness of this playoff format is best demonstrated by the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. At the time of writing, the Eagles would hold home ice in the old playoff format, sitting in eighth spot in the league. Because of the new conference format, though, Cape Breton would be sixth in the East, drawing a tough, contending Baie-Comeau team, on the road no less, in the opening round, rather than 11th-place Quebec. That format change could influence some teams in terms of whether to buy, sell or stand pat this season.

Two definite contenders outside of Halifax that dominate the list of other potential buyers are the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and the Drummondville Voltigeurs.

Rouyn-Noranda are a very strong team built from within and coached and managed by last year’s Memorial Cup winner, Mario Pouliot. They are hard-working, very deep in net and on defence, and just one player on the entire roster has played for another Q team. Their wildcard is the potential return of injured Pittsburgh Penguin prospect Zachary Lauzon. His return would put the Huskies in limbo with their overagers, and they would have to make a decision on their 20-year-olds.

Joe Veleno

The Voltigeurs are maybe the league’s deepest team, led by Anaheim Ducks prospect Maxime Comtois and Detroit Red Wings first rounder Joe Veleno up front, Chicago Blackhawks first rounder Nicolas Beaudin and New Jersey Devils prospect Xavier Bernard on defence, along with Edmonton Oilers prospect Olivier Rodrigue in goal. Comtois’s return to the Q is maybe the biggest acquisition any team could have made this season. They are a rumoured team for Dobson, and adding Dobson to Beaudin and Bernard defensively would make Drummondville a very tough team to face in the playoffs with that three-headed monster on the back end.

One team that is certainly making some changes is the Baie-Comeau Drakkar. General Manager Steve Ahern has promised that several trades will be announced Sunday. They are heavily linked to the above-mentioned D’Orio.

Further with the Drakkar, Calgary Flames pick D’Artignan Joly has left the team on his own accord, awaiting a trade. Joly and the team have had a bumpy 2018, with player wanting to be more creative and team wishing he was more engaged and aggressive. Joly can absolutely score at this level, but he is an artist more than he is a worker.

Editor’s note – prior to publication, it was announced that Joly had been dealt to Victoriaville

The Rimouski Oceanic were a contender for the league title on paper this season, but they look up at the Drakkar at this point in the year and are facing a decision – do they go for it or hold back and go for it next year. According to bench boss Serge Beausoleil, they will be tentative, but not sell off players who won’t return, including captain Charles-Edouard D’Astous, who drew some interest from the Ottawa Senators in the summer. The Oceanic are the proud team of phenom Alexis Lafrenière, who will return to the league next season, and Rimouski could set themselves up to be an even better team next season.

The Moncton Wildcats may opt to do the same, as they have a high-flying offence, but many players also set to return for next season, namely potential first rounder Jakob Pelletier and Minnesota Wild pick Alex Khovanov, despite some issues on the defensive end. Unlike the Oceanic, though, players not returning next season or otherwise not in the plans for next season could be available for trade.

Among the anticipated sellers, the Acadie-Bathurst Titan have also had a move announced ahead of Sunday’s opening day for the mid-season trading period. They will acquire forward Anderson MacDonald from the Wildcats for a pair of picks. MacDonald has not had the bounce-back season either he or the Wildcats were hoping after he was surprisingly undrafted in last June’s NHL Entry Draft. MacDonald has battled injuries all year, and has played in only four games, largely on the fourth line, before being shuffled out of Moncton to the north of New Brunswick.

The Titan have also all but moved Dobson, fellow blueliner Keenan MacIsaac and forward Ethan Crossman, and will continue to take calls on defender Michal Ivan. The foursome all played key roles for the Memorial Cup winning Titan squad last year, as they look to set themselves up for a rebuild.

Editor’s note – Prior to publication, both Crossman and MacIsaac were dealt to Baie-Comeau

One can add the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada to the list of potential sellers, as they may look into cashing in on the remaining assets from three straight strong playoff runs. Montreal Canadiens prospect Joël Teasdale is a name that would garner lots of interest, and they have many useful veterans they do not need this season – Rémy Anglehart, Alex Katerinakis, Luke Henman, Thomas Ethier and Charles-Antoine Giguère come to mind. The Armada could recoup a lot of assets for their collection of forwards.

Editor’s note – Giguère was traded to Moncton prior to publication

The Gatineau Olympiques could also cash in on a few of their players for the future, namely Minnesota Wild prospect Shawn Boudrias and overager Gabriel Bilodeau, who could put up points on a contender looking to upgrade their powerplay. So could Val-d’Or’s David Noel, a St. Louis Blues pick, who is 19, but is currently on the shelf with an eye injury.

The composition of the QMJHL’s top teams will look different between now and January, and despite the high prices, expect a lot of player movement this time around.

Youngblood: World Under-17 Hockey Challenge Preview

Brendan Ross — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 18:36:02 +0000

Currently known as the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, the international tournament has underwent a name change from the Quebec Esso Cup (in 2011) and most recently, Hockey Canada has decided to change the format of its own team entries into the tournament. For the first time in 2014, rather than sending five provincial teams (Ontario, Quebec, Pacific, Atlantic and Western) to compete, Hockey Canada has opted to combine players from across the nation into three competitive teams - Red, White and Black. Canadian players will now have the opportunity to play alongside talented competitors from other provinces. For example, Ontarian Jakob Chychrun will be taping Nova Scotian Mitchell Balmas with passes rather than laying him out in the corner. The Under-17 Hockey Challenge is the first step in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence that is used to help identify talent for the Under-18 and National Junior Team and it has seen over 1400 National Hockey League draft picks come through the tournament.

Tournament organizers have moved up the Challenge on the calendar to November to avoid conflict with the World Junior Championships that runs over the holiday season. For the first time since Windsor hosted in 2012, the tournament returns to Ontario and the world’s top hockey talents have arrived in Sarnia, Canada as the border-town city, in collaboration with nearby Lambton Shores, is ready to host the 2014 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

Group A consists of two Canadian teams (Canada White and Canada Black), Finland and last year’s bronze medalists Russia while Group B will feature Canada Red, Slovakia, Sweden and the defending champions, Team USA. For more information on World Under-17 Hockey Challenge schedules and rosters, visit the tournament website.

The majority of participants are born in the 1998 age group and these players have spent months going through evaluations to reach their goal of donning their nation’s sweater. The following breakdown of teams will help to familiarize the general public with some of the names to watch. Here are just a few of the top talents skating in the #WU172014.

Team USA (Roster)

Knocking the four-time gold medalists off of the podium will prove to be a difficult feat as Team USA enters this tournament with a very talented roster, including 20 of 22 players who compete with the US National Under-17 Team. Non-National Under-17 skaters Spokane's Kailer Yamamoto and 6-foot-3 Riley Tufte (Blaine High School) will replace injured forwards Zach Walker and Graham McPhee. The Americans won’t have to fight through chemistry issues with such familiarity and with them icing five University of Michigan commits in Nick Pastujov, James Sanchez, William Lockwood, Griffin Luce and Luke Martin. In addition, Everett Silvertips draftee Patrick Khodorenko, London Knights first round selection Max Jones and Boston University commit and USNTDP leading scorer Clayton Keller are expected to help Pastujov and Sanchez with the offensive production. Towering netminders Joseph Woll and Minnesotan Jake Oettinger won’t surrender much net for the opposition and with Griffin Luce, Luke Martin, Plymouth Whalers’ hopeful James Greenway, Chad Krys (Moncton Wildcats prospect) and Harvard commit Adam Fox patrolling the blueline teams will be in tough against the champs.

Team SWEDEN (Roster)

Just like his older brother William Nylander (Maple Leafs draft pick), Alexander Nylander is an immensely skilled forward and has the ability to create space for him to showcase his elite puck skills, vision and shot. Playing alongside Nylander on the AIK U20 team, Jesper Bratt is a two-way forward with speed to burn and a blue-collar work ethic. Undersized and physically raw defenseman Alexander Andersson owns some slick hands, shrewd hockey sense and a poised approach that helps spark the offense and quarterback the powerplay. Committed to the University of Minnesota, William Fällström is a complete two-way competitor who offers a good level of physicality and the awareness to be trusted in critical game moments.

Sweden is a team that lacks a true individual standout but the squad is comprised of some solid depth full of smart and competitive players. Look for Oskar Steen, a shifty winger with a quick release and some untapped offensive upside, and Linus Weissbach to act as forwards who have an ability to create offense on their own. Jacob Cederholm, younger brother to Vancouver Canucks draftee Anton, has already suited up in the SHL and will help the Swedes defend their zone. Niklas Andersson, the son of current Los Angeles scout and former NHLer Niklas Andersson, is already off to a hot start with the HV71 U18 team picking up six goals and 14 points through 10 games. It could be a coming out party for 5-foot-6 defenseman Oliver Horrsell as this offensive blueliner certainly knows how to fill the score sheet. Lastly, pivot Tim Wahlgren should earn plenty of minutes as his great hockey intelligence and sense for the game is evident in all three zones. Both of Sweden’s goaltenders, Filip Gustavsson and Gusten Lundh have the size and big-game pedigree to provide Sweden with great stability between the pipes.

Team FINLAND (Roster)

Without forwards Jesse Puljujärvi, Patrik Laine, defensemen Olli Juolevi and Jusso Välimäki, the Finns will unfortunately be missing some of their top talents from the `98 age group. However, Finland is a nation that has been pumping out some great prospects and their entry isn’t without talent. Kristian Vesalainen and Urho Vaakanainen are two of Finland`s top underagers. Vesalainen is already skating at 6-foot-2 and offers up confident puck skills, suffocating physicality and an impact shooting arsenal. Emil Oksanen is a skilled right-shooting forward playing for Blues Espoo and his game features a deceptive shot that seems to find the net with regularity. The 6-foot-1 left shooting Tappara forward Otto Mäkinen is the former teammate of Patrik Laine and he`s got an advanced playmaking skill set, featuring soft hands and creative vision. Look for Finland to rely upon their depth and play some defensive hockey, much like they`re known for, to compete in Group A.

Team RUSSIA (Roster)

The Under-17 tournament provides an opportunity for the North American hockey world to be introduced to the up-and-coming talent from overseas. As a result, there isn’t much familiarity with these players coming into the World U17 Hockey Challenge. Headlining the Russian team are forwards Dmitri Sokolov and Vitali Abramov. Undersized but extremely skilled, Vitali Abramov is considered a potential first round talent for the 2016 NHL Draft and he`s off to a great start with Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk (MHL) scoring six goals and eight points (12 games). As good as Abramov is, it`s Dmitri Sokolov who projects as a potential Top 10 selection for the 2016 draft. The 6-foot-2 forward has racked up nine goals and 10 points through 13 games with Omskiye Yastreby Omsk (MHL). Russia will lean heavily on Sokolov and Abramov to provide the bulk of scoring but 6-foot-4 forward Nikita Popugaev (not to be confused with 5-foot-8 teammate Nikita O. Popugaev), Vladimir Kuznetsov and Vyacheslav Shevchenko should offer good secondary support.

Team SLOVAKIA (Roster)

Much like the Russian squad, Slovakia`s entry is a bit of a mystery. Forward Samuel Solensky is a pint-sized offensive making noise with HC Liberec`s U20 team with six goals and 16 points through the club's first 20 games. Viliam Cacho is a 5-foot-9 forward who has noteworthy playmaking skills and the offensive prowess to be considered a prospect for the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. Cacho racked up eight goals and 44 points in 37 games playing up with Dukla Trencin's U20 club. Keep an eye on underagers Milos Roman, Patrik Hrehorcak and Adam Ruzicka to see how they handle the competition against older opponents.

Team CANADA WHITE (Roster)

The first of Canada’s three tournament entries may just be the most popular, at least among local fans. With Sarnia hosting the event, local fans can come out to cheer on their 2014 1st-overall selection in Jakob Chychrun and 2nd-round forward Jordan Kyrou as key members of Canada White. Chychrun and Kyrou have already stepped up in their rookie seasons and are playing top minutes. In addition to the familiar Sting faces, fans can expect to get excited about Ottawa 67`s two-way threat Travis Barron, Erie`s Taylor Raddysh, Moose Jaw's Brett Howden and high scoring BCHLer Tyson Jost.

Charlottetown winger Mitchell Balmas (who replaces the injured Hunter Moreau), Saginaw Spirit defender Keaton Middleton (who replaces Josh Mahura) and Soo Greyhounds top 2014 pick Anthony Salinitri (who replaces Dillon Dube) are excited about their renewed opportunity.

The strength of Canada White comes from their outstanding defensive core which starts with Jakob Chychrun, Medicine Hat's David Quenneville (brother of New Jersey Devils 2014 1st rounder John), Luke Green of Saint John, Gabriel Bilodeau of Val d'Or and ends with the outstanding Samuel Harvey in net.

Team CANADA BLACK (Roster)

Donning the black threads for Canada is potential Top 10 2016 NHL Draft prospect and 2013 1st-overall WHL pick Tyler Benson (Vancouver Giants), 2013 2nd-overall WHL selection Sam Steel (Regina Pats) and a slew of OHL 1st-rounders in Brandon Saigeon (Belleville Bulls), Matthew Hotchkiss (Guelph Storm), Chris Paquette (Niagara IceDogs), Zach Poirier (North Bay Battalion), Cliff Pu (Oshawa Generals) and Reagan O'Grady (Kingston Frontenacs). Canada Black features some underrated scoring depth with the likes of Nolan Volcan (Seattle Thunderbirds), Pascal Laberge (Gatineau Olympiques) and Pierre-Luc Dubois (Cape Breton Screaming Eagles) who are all off to strong starts in their respective junior leagues.

On the blueline, look for Brandon Wheat Kings Kale Clague, Shawinigan's Samuel Girard, London Knights' Tyler Nother to help solidify the defensive zone in front of 6-foot-4 goaltender Stuart Skinner (Lethbridge Hurricanes) and Reilly Pickard (Baie-Comeau Drakker) who will share crease duties.

Team CANADA RED (Roster)

A quick glance down the roster for Canada Red will certainly appear as if Hockey Canada formed an All-Ontarian team as 11 players are from the Ontario Hockey League including exceptional defender Sean Day (Mississauga Steelheads), a potential 2016 Top 3 draft prospect. Joining Day on the blueline from the OHL is the intelligent Matthew Timms (Peterborough Petes), big tough Windsor Spitfire Logan Stanley and slick skating Knight Victor Mete. On the front lines, dazzling puck rusher Michael McLeod (Mississauga Steelheads), dangler Tye Felhaber (Saginaw Spirit), sniper Adam Mascherin (Kitchener Rangers), clutch forward William Bitten (Plymouth Whalers), power forward Givani Smith (Barrie Colts) and top 2016 prospect Logan Brown (Windsor Spitfires) will all represent the OHL. In total, eight of the OHL's Top 20 selections from the 2014 draft are competing for Canada Red.

Beyond the tremendous "potential" firepower from the Ontario top picks (McLeod, Mascherin, Felhaber and Brown), Canada Red may have three of the most productive 98s in the nation in Wheat Kings forward Nolan Patrick (15-4-8-12), William Bitten (13-3-6-9) and Kamloops Blazer Jake Kryski (16-5-6-11).

Blueline soldiers outside of Ontario will consist of BCHL stud Dante Fabbro, Sherbrooke's Thomas Gregoire and Victoriaville's Guillaume Beck - all fantastic defensive prospects. With goaltenders Dylan Wells (Peterborough Petes) and 6-foot-4 Phoenix puckstopper Evan Fitzpatrick in net, goals against should be held to a minimum.

On paper, Canada Red may have the best opportunity to end the red and white's three year drought of a World Under-17 Hockey Challenge gold medal. If I were a betting man (and I am), I would look towards Canada Red as the best chance to unseat the Americans.

With exhibition play slated to kick off Halloween night and the tournament commencing on Sunday, the shores of Lake Huron will be home to some outstanding world-class talent looking to make their country proud in hopes of taking home the 2014 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge gold medal.

Follow @RossyYoungblood on Twitter as he covers the entirety of the 2014 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.