Drover dealt to Rimouski

The Saint John Sea Dogs made their first move of the holiday trading period on Tuesday, dealing forward Alex Drover to the Rimouski Oceanic for draft picks.

In return, the Sea Dogs will receive Gatineau’s second- and 10th-round picks in 2022 and Rimouski’s fourth-round pick in 2023.

Drover, 18, was in his third season with the Sea Dogs and had four goals and three assists in 14 games prior to the shutdown. Saint John acquired the Newfoundlander from the Cape Breton Eagles during the 2018-19 season. Drover was the 10th overall pick in the 2018 QMJHL Entry Draft.

Drover was consistently one of Saint John's hardest working players but could never translate that consistently into points, leaving him in the lower half of the team's depth chart where he regularly played as a third or fourth liner. Moving to a rebuilding Rimouski squad should allow him to see significantly more ice time and a chance to find his groove in an offensive role.

Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie noted in a press release that giving Drover a chance to play more was one of the reasons for the deal - especially with 16-year-old Simon Hughes joining the team.

“Alex is a great young man and we wanted to give him the opportunity play a more meaningful role on a new team," said Georgie. "I want to thank Alex and his family for the time that they put in and commitment to the team, and we look forward to watching from a distance as Alex’s career progresses. We wish him lots of success with his new club.”

The QMJHL's trading period has been extended to Jan. 25, but the expectation is that teams will be busy over the next few days in order to give new acquisitions time to quarantine in their new markets.