Trade period begins Friday

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

As the holiday break begins, so too does the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League trade period.

The holiday trade period begins Friday afternoon and ends on Jan. 6, the day after the completion of the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship. 

What will the Saint John Sea Dogs do? That is an interesting question. Most teams that find themselves sitting 17th overall at this time of year would be big sellers, but that doesn't seem like it will be the case for Saint John. While deals are likely to come, it's unlikely this roster will be blown up – a roster which many believe underachieved during the first half.

Saint John is expected to make at least one move early in this trade period. 

Trevor Georgie taking back the general manager role from Travis Crickard adds some intrigue as well. Georgie showed during his previous time as GM that he's not afraid to make bold moves.

Here's a look at what the French fan board has as Saint John's current bank of draft picks.

2026: 1-1BLB-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-12SHA 

2027: 1-1RIM-2-2CHA-3-3RN-6GAT-7-9-10-11-12 

2028: 1-2-3-5CHA-6-7-8-9-10-11-12

Official trades will be listed on the QMJHL website.

The Sea Dogs made a major (and expected) move during last year's trade period, sending captain Eriks Mateiko to the Rimouski Oceanic in a deal that was completed at the QMJHL Entry Draft.

Most of Saint John's trades this year have involved overagers. The team acquired Natan Éthier, Angelo Fullerton and Justin Gendron while moving out Tyler Peddle.

A number of big deals not involving the Sea Dogs are expected to be announced Friday.