This year’s OHL trade deadline was highlighted by Sault Ste. Marie general manager Kyle Raftis making a flurry of quality acquisitions in their push for a first league championship since 1992. However, the Greyhounds weren’t the only team to be active leading up to yesterday’s noon trade deadline. Eastern Conference powerhouses North Bay and Oshawa also improved on paper, making it clear that the East is no slouch.
Here are the top five impact players moved leading up to the OHL trade deadline.
Nick Moutrey
From: Saginaw Spirit
To: North Bay Battalion
What Moutrey Brings: Size and leadership. At six-foot-three and 220 pounds, Moutrey is a big power forward who has shown this year that he can also put up points. The Columbus Blue Jackets’ fourth round selection in the 2013 draft had 15 goals and 40 points in 36 games before he was dealt to North Bay, and has three points in two games with his new team already. The former Saginaw Spirit captain was dealt for six draft picks and goaltender Evan Cormier, so it’s clear the Battalion wanted him bad.
Justin Bailey
From: Kitchener Rangers
To: Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
What Bailey Brings: Scoring. Lots of scoring. The U.S. native currently sits in top-10 in OHL scoring with 24 goals in 37 games and that number is likely to increase significantly now that he has a better supporting cast. The Buffalo Sabres scooped him up using a second round pick in 2013, and he has increased his offensive production in each season since. His biggest strength is his shot, plus he’s also a big body to handle at six-foot-three and 202 lbs.
Nick Ritchie
From: Peterborough Petes
To: Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
What Ritchie Brings: Size, grit, and scoring, as well as a Gold medal from this year’s World Junior Championships. Although he played a bottom-six role on the national stage, he will be counted on a lot more for offence in the Greyhounds run for an OHL title. Ritchie had 39 goals last season for the Petes in 61 games and despite just 14 so far this season, the Anaheim Ducks first round pick is a welcome addition for team that now boasts incredible forward depth. Five draft picks and defenceman Kyle Jenkins were a hefty price for the Greyhounds to pay, but Ritchie will be tough to handle come playoff time.
Anthony DeAngelo
From: Sarnia Sting
To: Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
What DeAngelo Brings: Offence from the back end. DeAngelo also played at the 2015 World Juniors, but didn’t find the same success as the Americans were ousted by the Russians in the quarterfinals. However, DeAngelo managed two goals and an assist in just five games, and his OHL numbers speak for themselves: 167 points in 143 games over the past two and a half seasons. He is fourth in ‘D’ scoring this year with 38 points in 30 games. The smooth skater is undersized at just 5-foot-10, but his offensive instincts were enough to catch Steve Yzerman’s eye, as the Tampa Bay GM scooped DeAngelo up in the first round at the 2014 NHL draft, 19th overall.
Matt Mistele
From: Plymouth Whalers
To: Oshawa Generals
What Mistele Brings: Point production. Mistele is not a crash and bang forward like Ritchie and Moutrey, but his numbers have been impressive this season with 24 goals in 35 games. The L.A. Kings draft pick saw his production decrease last season after an impressive 2012-13 campaign, but this year his numbers have shot back up again and the Generals are hoping he can be a big part of a deep playoff run. With the Generals giving up five picks and centre Ryan Moore, Mistele will be counted on to surpass his career high of 34 goals.
