The QMJHL's trade period has begun

The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League trade period opened on Sunday.

It's an intriguing year for the Saint John Sea Dogs in that it could be eventful or could be quite quiet. It's obvious that the Sea Dogs would have interest in acquiring younger players and draft picks but, at the same time, they aren't under a huge amount of pressure to deal players away given their ages.

“I hope to acquire some draft picks, get younger and remain competitive,” Sea Dogs general manager Anthony Stella recently told The Hockey News. “Our goal is to keep playing entertaining hockey, continue to be in every single game. We’re committed to win another championship.”

The biggest question mark for the Sea Dogs is overage captain Peter Reynolds, who is having a career best season and sits seventh in league scoring. The decision to stay or go is ultimately up to Reynolds and there are only a select few contending teams that may be looking for an overage upgrade.

There are certainly a number of Saint John players other teams may be interested in acquiring but, again, given their ages, the Sea Dogs aren't under a huge amount of pressure to make deals. But if something like this summer's Cole Burbidge trade comes up, we could see some activity.

The other area to keep an eye on is playing time. The Sea Dogs may look to create some space for players like Egan Beveridge, Matthew MacLean and Benjamin Amyot so they can play more crucial minutes in the second half.

The Sea Dogs are back in action on Dec. 28 when they visit the Cape Breton Eagles. The QMJHL's trade period ends on Jan. 6.