As deadline looms, Petes stand pat amid flurry of OHL trades
A lot of big name OHL players have been traded in recent days with a number going to Peterborough Petes’ competitors.
Petes’ GM Mike Oke made a splash prior to Christmas acquiring defenceman Ryan Merkley from the Guelph Storm. He’s been in discussions on all the big names moved more recently but he hasn’t been willing, or some cases able, to give up the assets other teams want to make those deals.
Players like Owen Tippett, Nick Suzuki, Jack Studnicka, Mackenzie Entwistle, Markus Phillips, Lucas Chiodo, Kyle Maksimovich, among others, are all last year players. O
ke said his primary objective is to get a player who can help the team next year as well. He’s not against a rental player but not at the expense it’s cost other teams. With their first-round pick this season defected to Windsor and not having a second-round pick last year, Oke can’t match some of the offers accepted.
He’ll continue to work the phones until Thursday’s noon trade deadline but as of Wednesday night he was still searching for a dance partner.
“To this point, there hasn’t been anything from the players we’ve looked at and what we’d have to give up in return that has made sense,” said Oke.
Some of the teams adding players are built around their 19year-old players. The bulk of the Petes team is 18, noted Oke.
“We’d like, if possible, to acquire a player who could potentially be back next year,” he said. “Not to say we wouldn’t be interested in a player who might not be back. We’ve certainly had some discussions about those types of players. Some of those players have come with a substantial price.”
He believes he’s shown in the past with acquisitions like Nikita Korostelev, Chris Paquette, Alex Black and Hunter Garlent, he’s willing to pay a price when the time and deal make sense.
“I’m not prepared to give up some of the players teams have been asking for,” he said.
“If there is something there that makes sense for us we’ll proceed. If not, I know the coaches and myself are quite pleased with the group we have.”
There have been a number of blockbuster trades the past two days. On Wednesday, the Guelph Storm acquired Canadian national junior team star Suzuki, defenceman Sean Durzi and Zachary Roberts from the Owen Sound Attack in exchange for Zach Poirier, Barret Kirwin, Mark Woolley and a second-, two third- and fourth-round draft picks. On the weekend, Guelph acquired national team players Entwistle and defenceman Phillips as well as forward Fedor Gordeev.
The Niagara IceDogs loaded up with another national junior player in Oshawa Generals captain Studnicka along with defenceman Matt Brassard. In return, Oshawa received firstround IceDogs draft pick Llayton Moore and three second- and three third-round picks.
Oshawa, who visit the Petes at 7:05 p.m. Thursday at the Memorial Centre, acquired Brandon Saigeon and defenceman Nicolas Mattinen from the Hamilton Bulldogs in exchange for overage forward Eric Henderson, three second-round picks and two thirds.
The Ottawa 67’s kept up in the arms race acquiring high scoring forwards Chiodo and Maksimovich from the Barrie Colts and Erie Otters, respectively. Barrie got Shaw Boomhower a second- and