Crease clarity

Islanders trade Grametbauer to Moncton for three picks, two players

The Charlottetown Islanders have reduced their crowded crease and recouped some draft picks and young players.

The Isles traded goalie Mark Grametbauer and an eighth-round pick in Saturday’s draft to the Moncton Wildcats Friday for third- and fifthround picks in 2017, a third in 2018, defenceman Noah Massie and forward Sam Meisenheimer. Grametbauer, a Halifax native who turns 19 in August, was acquired in December from the Gatineau Olympiques with defencemen Nicolas Meloche and Jean-Sebastien Taillefer.

“He was everything and more that we expected,” Islanders general manager Jim Hulton said. “Mark was an extremely mature, professional kid who brought a lot to our room. It’s not easy to have to say goodbye.”

But the Islanders wanted to recoup some of the draft picks they moved during the trade deadline that helped them get to the third round of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

Hulton said staff were upfront with both Grametbauer and Matthew Welsh during their exit meetings. Hulton said Grametbauer asked if he was going to be moved, his preference would be for it to happen in the off-season as opposed to the middle of the campaign like this year.

The deal provides an opportunity for Welsh to be the No. 1 next year after playing two seasons in the league and working with older guys like Mason McDonald, Blade Mann-Dixon and Grametbauer. “The master plan, even before we traded for Mark, was we thought the future goaltending (tandem) would be Welsh and (Dakota) LundCornish,” Hulton said. “We took Dakota in the third round last year for a reason. This will allow us to create some clarity there as well as recoup some picks and some players.”

In Moncton, Grametbauer will get to play with Welsh’s older brother, Nicholas. The 20-yearold defenceman was acquired in a deal with the Shawinigan Cataractes.