OHL trade recap

More than a dozen deals — several of an impact nature — were made over a frantic span of a few recent days as the annual Ontario Hockey League trade deadline came and went.

Rosters are now set as all 20 OHL teams focus on the stretch run of the 2019-2020 season that leads in to the playoffs.

Recapping the moves that were made in the couple of days prior to the OHL trade deadline is as follows.

• The first-place team in the overall OHL standings added to its skill, spunk and seasoning.

In what sets up as a shrewd, calculated move, the Ottawa 67’s obtained 2000 birth-year forward Daylon Groulx from the Owen Sound Attack.

To get the gritty Groulx — who Owen Sound took in the fourth round of the 2016 OHL priority selections draft — the 67s sent three future draft picks (a third, a fourth and a sixth) to the Attack.

• Soo Greyhounds cut down to seven defensemen by moving 2000 birth-year defender Holden Wale to the Kitchener Rangers for third, fifth, and eighth-round draft picks.

• Saginaw snagged 2001 birth-year forward Ryan Suzuki in a major swap with the Barrie Colts that also included draft picks.

As the Spirit now has Suzuki, Saginaw dealt a promising pair to Barrie — 2002 birth year forward Ethan Cardwell and 2003 birth year defenseman Connor Punnett.

Of note, Suzuki (in photo above) was a first-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes at the 2019 National Hockey League draft.

• Niagara IceDogs dealt Team Canada forward Akil Thomas to the Peterborough Petes.

In return for Thomas, who has a 2000 birth date, Peterborough sent 2002 birth year forward Cameron Butler, two second round picks, a third and a fourth to Niagara.

Thomas scored the winning goal for Team Canada in the gold-medal game against Russia at the recent World Junior Hockey Championships.

• North Bay Battalion sent overage winger Brad Chenier to the Sudbury Wolves for overage forward Shane Bulitka and a third-round draft pick.

Battling for an Eastern Conference playoff position, North Bay then dealt 2001 birth year defenseman Martin Has to the Guelph Storm and picked up 2002 birth year blue liner Avery Winslow from the London Knights for third and fifth round draft picks.

And the Battalion then acquired the rights to 2002 birth-year forward Christian Stevens along with third and eighth round draft picks from Niagara for 2002 birth year forward Cameron Peters and a sixth-round pick.

• Sudbury continued its busy ways by obtaining 2000 birth-year forward Matej Pekar from Barrie for two second round picks, a third, a fifth, and a sixth.

The Wolves then dealt 2000 birth year defenseman Peter Stratis — a former Ottawa first-rounder — to the Sarnia Sting for a fourth-round draft pick.

• Barrie shipped overage forward Jason Willms to London for overage forward Josh Nelson, a second round draft pick and a fourth round pick.

And the Colts continued their purge of older players by dealing 2000 birth-year defenseman Jack York to Peterborough for third, fourth and eighth-round draft picks.

• Niagara dealt 2001 birth year forward Phil Tomasino to the Oshawa Generals for nine draft picks, including six second-rounders.

• Oshawa then flipped 2000 birth year forward Serron Noel to the Kitchener Rangers for 2001 birth year winger Ryan Stepien, two second round draft picks and two thirds.

• In a blockbuster deal involving three players who are all former first-round picks, Flint Firebirds obtained 2000 birth year, point-per-game defenseman Tyler Tucker and 2002 birth-year forward Riley Piercey from Barrie for 2002 birth-year forward Evan Vierling and two future second-round draft picks.
• Barrie continued to wheel and deal and sent third, fourth and fifth round draft picks to Sarnia for hulking, 2001 birth-year forward Anthony Tabak.
• Sarnia pared down its three-goalie rotation by shipping 2000 birth-year stopper Jordan Kooy to Oshawa for second round and fifth round draft picks. Kooy had been obtained by the Sting from London earlier this season.
• After getting Kooy from Sarnia, Oshawa then flipped 2001 birth year goalie Andrew MacLean to Niagara for a fifth-round draft pick.
• London paid a big price to secure overage defenseman Markus Phillips from Guelph as the Knights sent second, third and fourth round draft picks to the reigning OHL champions.
• Flint added some forward insurance in getting 2000 birth-year winger Quinn Yule from Ottawa for an eighth round draft pick.