The Scotsmen traded the top scorer for the team on Thursday, marking the end of 28-year-old Clayton Keller’s second stop in South Esk.  Along with the versatile forward who played every position in his time with South Esk, the Scotsmen sent to the Dorchester Devils, the Bathurst 1st round pick in season 13 of the ODBHL, 18-year-old defense prospect Vincent Iorio, veteran blueliner Colton Parayko and another versatile forward expected to be a commodity at the trade deadline, 29-year-old Anthony Beauvillier. 

 

Coming back to South Esk was 26-year-old offensive defenseman Evan Bouchard along with a Devils cap casualty, 31-year-old center William Nylander.

  

Looking at the trade, both teams went in very different directions.  The Devils, in a rebuild, acquired several assets and shed a contract that was heavy for third line duties.  Some of the assets, most likely Beauvillier and perhaps Keller, will be part of future deals expected by GM Alex Schumann.  

For the Scotsmen they clearly are pursuing a strategy GM Shannon Goodfellow has been publicly clear about.  THE REBUILD IS OVER!!!  However, netminder Yaroslav Askarov is only 21, and currently the least seasoned starter in the ODBHL.  He has tremendous upside, but while he develops, he will need a lot of help from his defense to keep the team competitive in games where the opposing goalie is giving the opposition a gametime advantage.  The top 3 are strong, but it quickly dropped off and either Brady Skjei or Colton Parayko were going to be tasked with playing against some of the best players in the ODBHL.  With the addition of Evan Bouchard, the top 4 are the strongest in the league, leaving the third pairing to come in for some energy and experience for 12 or so minutes per game.  The intention is to allow Askarov to gain some confidence, grow in his role as a starter and develop into one of the best goalies in the league over the next 3-4 seasons.  

The cost however was the top scoring player for the men in kilts over the first 10 games for the team, a 1st that would likely become a 2nd line professional, a third line offensive blueline prospect, a veteran blueliner who has perhaps 1-2 decent third line seasons left in him and a 29 year old forward that will likely net a late 1st or 2nd in the rental market just before the trade deadline.  That’s six professionals for two, or perhaps you could throw away the veterans who are at the end of their careers and evaluate it as 5 players for 1 that needs to make a huge difference for his team.  That’s a lot of pressure on the top 4 D and goalie who are expected to keep this team in games.  Only time will tell if Goodfellow is finished making adjustments, and if the vision was the right one.