Trade Period Enters Final Stretch

SAINT JOHN – We are now less than a week away from the trade deadline, and things are starting to get interesting in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

A few tweets from the Chronicle Herald’s Willy Palov.

QMJHL trade period in a lull. GMs I talked to today expect it will probably stay that way for 2 or 3 days. 

As some of you have mentioned to me, Gormley's status is clogging up the trade market. Once his destination is determined, it will open up. 

A lot is also hinging on what Rimouski does with Jerome Gauthier-Leduc. 

Three teams - Shawinigan, Victo and Saint John - would like to add another elite d-man but only Gormley and JGL fit that description. 

For those who have asked, also hearing Sea Dogs might sign a US free agent if they can't trade for a top d-man.

On Friday night, the Shawinigan Cataractes acquired defenseman Morgan Ellis from the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. With Ellis now off the market, Moncton’s Brandon Gormley and Rimouski’s Jerome Gauthier-Leduc are really the only two “big time” defensemen still out there.

Telegraph-Journal columnist Peter McGuire examined the possibility of Gormley moving down the highway in Friday’s paper. TVA Sports’ Mikael Lalancette tweeted today that it’s looking like Gormley will not be heading to Saint John. Any kind of announcement won't be made until after the world juniors are complete.

On Saturday, the Rimouski newspaper L’Avantage had an article about Gauthier-Leduc possibly being moved to Saint John. Rumours surfaced after the Scott Oke trade last week that if Maxime Gravel reported to Rimouski, a first round pick would be sent back to the Oceanic for the Buffalo Sabres prospect. But, Oceanic general manager Philippe Boucher denied those rumours, saying that there is nothing more to the trade.

Palov’s most interesting tweet was his final one about the possibility of the Sea Dogs signing another US free agent. There were rumours circulating on the interweb a couple of weeks ago about Chicago Blackhawks prospect Michael Paliotta leaving the University of Vermont and signing with Saint John. UVM quickly denied those rumours/reports.

Paliotta’s QMJHL rights are held by the Sea Dogs, but who knows who they may be targeting. Look at the Charlie Coyle signing, how many people saw that coming a week in advance?

Then there is the goaltending. Ask five Sea Dogs fans what they’d do with the goaltending and you’d probably get five different answers. If you ask us, Saint John needs an experienced netminder to backup Mathieu Corbeil. Sebastien Auger has done a pretty good job this year, but if Corbeil gets hurt heading into a Game Seven, how comfortable would you feel with Auger starting?

The Sea Dogs have three first round picks for the 2012 draft, which, as Peter McGuire put it, “are big-money chips in a high-stakes poker game.” Saint John has plenty of trade possibilities.

The deadline is Saturday. It’s going to be a wild week.