Sea Dogs recall Stairs; make trade

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SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs made a couple of roster moves on Wednesday.

The team announced that 16-year-old forward Dawson Stairs has been recalled from South Kent Selects Academy in Connecticut. According to the team, Stairs will be in the lineup for tonight's game against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan and both weekend contests.

Stairs has been lighting it up this season with his prep school squad, recording 21 goals and 24 assists in 30 games.

“I have been waiting for this moment since the summer,” said Stairs in a press release. “It’s amazing that it’s finally here. This is where I want to be. I have been working out and skating with the team and the coaching staff this week. Everyone has been great to me. It’s a big jump to play major junior for sure, but it’s exciting to be part of this young group and I want to win here.”

Stairs, a Fredericton native, was a seventh-round pick in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft. He slid down the draft due to his NCAA intentions, but ended up signing with the Sea Dogs at training camp.

It's unclear what's going to happen with the Sea Dogs lineup with the team already over the 16-year-old limit. Stairs likely would have stuck with the team full-time if not for the limit.

In another roster move, the Sea Dogs have acquired 20-year-old goaltender Mikhail Denisov from the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in exchange for a 2020 10th-round draft pick.

Denisov is in his fourth QMJHL season having spent the first two-and-a-half years with the Shawinigan Cataractes. Denisov is 2-4 this season with the Armada with a goals against average of 3.24 and a save percentage of .886.

The Denisov move is obviously an interesting one given that he is an overager, which would signal another move coming. It also would indicate a move coming in goal - which most believe is coming anyways once the trading period opens.

The Sea Dogs have not made an announcement about the move, but the transaction is posted on the league website.