Sea Dogs acquire another overager

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SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs have acquired another overager.

In a trade that was reported yesterday and made official today, the Sea Dogs have picked up 20-year-old defenseman Benjamin Gagne from the Quebec Remparts in exchange for an eighth-round pick in the 2021 QMJHL Entry Draft.

This is the third overager the Sea Dogs have acquired since late November. The team has added goaltender Mikhail Denisov, forward Casey Carreau and now Gagne.

The odd man out appears to be current Sea Dogs captain Anthony Boucher who, according to TVA Sports' Mikael Lalancette, has returned home and is awaiting a trade.

Le marché des transactions recommence à s’activer #LHJMQ.

Parmi les joueurs qui vont changer d’adresse dans les prochaines heures, Anthony Boucher des Sea Dogs. Il est retourné à la maison dans l’attente d’une transaction. #tvasports

— Mikaël Lalancette (@MLalancetteTVA) December 29, 2018

Boucher played in Saint John's 6-1 win in Bathurst last night. In his second season with Saint John, the centre has six goals and five assists in 33 games.

Gagne has served as the Remparts' captain this season. In 35 games the Quebec City native has six goals and 13 assists.

Carreau's status withe the Dogs remains questionable it would seem. He is currently with the USHL's Des Moines Buccaneers and has been in the team's lineup since the trade was announced. Carreau may have simply been a piece the Drummondville Voltigeurs opted to give the Dogs to complete the deal rather than a late round draft pick - which is usually the case. That trade is expected to have more conditional things attached to it.

Assuming Carreau doesn't report and Boucher is in fact the odd man out, that leaves Saint John with Gagne, Denisov and Michael Campoli has overage players.

The QMJHL's trading period comes to a close on Jan. 6.