Lessard traded to Drakkar

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs made a significant trade on Tuesday, dealing 20-year-old forward Marshall Lessard to the Baie-Comeau Drakkar.

In exchange for Lessard, the Sea Dogs receive a second-round pick in the 2023 QMJHL Entry Draft - a solid return for an overage player.

“Marsh is a great person and teammate” said Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie in a news release. “It’s not ideal having four 20-year-old players on your roster when you can only dress three, and we made it a priority to ensure that all of our overage players have full-time homes this season. Marsh is a resilient young man and he will bring a lot of character and experience to Baie-Comeau. For us, second round picks are valuable and important for our future. I am confident that our scouts will make the most of the selection.”

Lessard was acquired by the Sea Dogs at January's trade deadline. He went on to record four goals and six assists in 19 regular season games and registered an assist in five playoff games. He appeared in all four of Saint John's Memorial Cup games but saw limited ice time due to injury.

Lessard has appeared in just two games with Saint John this season due to a recurring knee issue. He was one of four 20-year-olds on the club's roster along with forward Brady Burns, defenseman Charlie DesRoches and goaltender Nikolas Hurtubise.

The Drakkar currently sit fourth in the QMJHL's Eastern Conference with a 5-6-0-1 record. The Sea Dogs and Drakkar meet on Jan. 4 in Saint John and Jan. 12 in Baie-Comeau.

Until this trade, the Sea Dogs weren't scheduled to pick in the 2023 draft until the sixth-round (according to the French fan boards). Saint John will no doubt try and make more deals during the holiday trade period to collect more picks.