Sea Dogs' camp roster down to 25

The Saint John Sea Dogs' training camp roster is now down to 25 players.

Seven more players were reassigned on Sunday following the completion of the QMJHL's August trade deadline. With the acquisition of 20-year-old goaltender Charles-Edward Gravel, the team's camp roster now consists of 13 forwards, 10 defensemen and two goaltenders.

The following players were reassigned on Sunday.

Forwards

Will Allen

Benjamin Beaudry

Charles-Antoine Lavallee 

Goaltenders

Rafael Courchesne

Jack Flanagan

Charles-Antoine Girard

Luciano Ruggiero

Allen, 19, and Lavallée, 20, were both on loans from other QMJHL teams. Allen, who spent half of last season with the Charlottetown Islanders, had a fairly strong camp, posting a goal and two assists in three pre-season games. Lavallée, meanwhile, spent half of last season with the Cape Breton Eagles and is expected to return to the Maritime Hockey League's Amherst Ramblers to start the season.

Beaudry, a ninth-round pick of Saint John in 2022, appeared in nine games with the club last season. He had two assists in three pre-season games.

The four goaltending cuts leaves Gravel and returnee Justin Robinson as the team's netminders. Flanagan, Girard and Ruggiero all appeared in pre-season games and were all decent – but their lack of QMJHL playing experience likely hurt them. 16-year-old Courchesne, a third-round pick of Saint John in this year's draft, didn't play in the pre-season to maintain his college hockey eligibility – but him opting to stick around this long is perhaps a good sign for the future.

The team's updated camp roster can be found here.

The biggest question mark left for the Sea Dogs is what happens with the defense core. There are still three overagers on the backend – Matteo Mann, Nate Tivey and Joseph Ianniello – but that decision could always be delayed until (or if) Mann returns from pro camp. Of the 10 remaining defensemen, three of them are newcomers: Cruz Scanzano (2008), Julien Bonnet (2007) and Giuliano Caputo (2006).

While Sunday was the trade deadline, overagers can still be moved. Plus, team's can always add players via waivers or pick up free agents. More moves could still be on the way.

The Sea Dogs return to pre-season play on Friday, Sept. 6 when they face the Cape Breton Eagles in Port Hawkesbury.