The madness of the 2015 Ontario Hockey League Trade deadline is behind us and in its wake, all I see is carnage.
There are 20 teams in the Ontario Hockey League. In the final 5 days of the trading period, all 20 teams made at least one transaction.
Sure, some were for now, some were for future, some were to accommodate desires, but I don’t remember the dealing ever being this widespread….or curious.
I have no doubt that every team, every General Manager can rationalize what they did last week, yet in my view, some of the twists in the storyline were perplexing.
Furthermore, the value of a draft pick, which once was sacred, is now tossed around like a candy wrapper
In the final days of the trading period, 24 second round draft picks were dispatched.
TWENTY FOUR.
I’m old enough to remember the outcry in January of 1990 when the Peterborough Petes dealt goaltender John Tanner to the London Knights for two seconds and a third rounder.
I know times have changed, but have they changed that much ?
And if a second round pick is no longer sacred, than what would best describe the value of a first round body.
In the days leading to the trade deadline, 8 former first rounders were dealt. Amazingly, 6 kids selected in the first round of the 2014 OHL Priority Selection, just last April, are no longer with their team.
Madness.
I’m Fred Wallace