Reports: Sea Dogs to acquire Volts' Dufour

QMJHL

The Saint John Sea Dogs will acquire 19-year-old forward William Dufour from the Drummondville Voltigeurs when the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's trading period opens, according to multiple Quebec media outlets.

The Drummondville newspaper L'Express reports that the Sea Dogs will send their top pick in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft (eighth overall) and forward Simon Hughes to the Voltigeurs in exchange for the veteran forward.

Plein de collègues sortent des transactions #LHJMQ connues dans les cercles rapprochés depuis qq. semaines en voici quelques unes

Zachary Bolduc à QUE
Cole Cormier à GAT
Pierre-Olivier Roy (celui de Gat) à QUE
Louis Crevier à QUE
William Dufour à SJN
Christophe Farmer à QUE

— Stephane Leroux (@StephRDSJunior) June 4, 2021

Dufour recorded 17 goals and 29 points in 23 games with the Voltigeurs last season. His last game of the season came on March 6 due to a knee injury, L'Express notes.

Over his past three seasons in the QMJHL with Rouyn-Noranda, Chicoutimi and Drummondville, the Quebec City native has posted 54 goals and 105 points in 137 games.

Dufour was a fifth-round pick of the New York Islanders in last year's NHL Draft.

Rouyn-Noranda selected Dufour sixth overall in the 2018 QMJHL Entry Draft - the same draft the Sea Dogs selected their core group of William Villeneuve, Jeremie Poirier, Josh Lawrence, Brady Burns, Charlie DesRoches, etc.

The price to (reportedly) acquire Dufour was/is not cheap - but it's a move that makes sense for Saint John. Dufour, a 2002-born impact forward makes a lot more sense in Saint John's lineup than a 16-year-old they would pick with the eighth overall selection and a 17-year-old Hughes.

Hughes, a second-round pick of the Sea Dogs in last year's QMJHL Entry Draft, joined the team this past November. He appeared in just seven regular season games with Saint John in the restart and was used sparingly. He'll likely have more of an opportunity for ice time with the Volts.