It's been just over a month since the OHL trade deadline
passed by.
Eight teams - Sudbury, Barrie, Mississauga, Belleville,
Plymouth, Owen Sound, Saginaw and Kitchener - went extra crazy
at or near the deadline.
It's time to take a look at how these teams have faired since
pulling off their minor tweaks and major blockbusters.
Kitchener, Mississauga and Plymouth have made the most of their
acquisitions and forged the best records since the Jan. 10
deadline.
Kitchener has been dominating since landing forward Steve
Downie from Peterborough for Yves Bastien and three second
round draft picks.
The Rangers have gone 10-1 since Downie touched down, and
have been pounding teams by four, five, six and seven goals.
(They sit third overall in the Western Conference with a record
of 36-14-1-2.) Downie has eight goals and 21 points in 11 games
and a +7 rating.
Plymouth has been just as destructive to opposing teams,
racking up an impressive 12-2 record since the deadline.
The Whalers added forward Daniel Ryder from Peterborough for
John Armstrong and three draft picks. Ryder, despite coming in
as a two-point per game player, has had modest totals with
Plymouth scoring just five goals and 14 points in the 14 games.
Still, their record speaks for itself and the Whalers are a
force as they're second in the Western Conference with a record
of 38-13-1-2.
Mississauga has gone 11-4, including winning their last five
games, since picking up defender Matt Corrente from Saginaw for
Cody Bass and Jordan Skellett and Jean-Michel Rizk from
Kitchener for a draft pick.
The IceDogs have scored 267 goals for so far, the most in the
OHL. They hold onto third overall in the Eastern Conference
with a record of 35-17-0-2.
Barrie and Belleville have also benefited from deadline deals.
Barrie has a record of 9-5, and sit first overall in the East
with a record of 38-15-0-1, since picking up defenceman Mike
Weber and forward Thomas Battani from Windsor for Blake Parlett
and two second round draft picks. They also grabbed Sudbury boy
Corey McGillis and Chris Purves from Windsor for two draft
picks.
Belleville has put together a record of 9-6 since hoisting
Tyler Doig from Guelph for two second round picks. The Bulls
are second overall in the East with a record of 32-18-0-5.
Saginaw's moves have not paid off, but hasn't hurt the team.
They have gone 7-7 since Jan. 10.
The Spirit nabbed Cody Bass from Mississauga, and the Ottawa
Senators prospect hasn't disappointed with 15 points in 16
games along with a +3 rating.
For Owen Sound and Sudbury, their moves have yet to have the
desired impact the teams' brass thought they would have.
The Attack has been miserable, going 5-10 in the span since the
deadline. The Wolves haven't been any better, going 6-10 since
Jan. 10.
Owen Sound spent their future acquiring defenceman Phil
Oreskovic and forward Howie Martin from Brampton for Thomas
Stajan, Dalyn Flatt and six draft picks.
Oreskovic and Martin have combined for 17 points and an ugly
-18 rating in 15 games with the Attack. Owen Sound occupies the
eighth and final playoff spot in the West with a record of
24-26-3-3.
The Wolves needed veteran scoring depth and added it by landing
Justin Donati from Toronto for Jesse Messier, prospect Justin
Vaive and two draft picks. They also picked up a new goalie,
Sebastian Dahm from Sarnia for a draft pick, after dumping
former starter Kevin Beech to Erie for basically nothing (a
14th round pick).
Although Donati has been stellar with 11 goals and 21 points in
16 games with a +5 rating, it has not translated into on-ice
success for Sudbury.
Dahm has been given the ball to run with as the starter, but he
has compiled a shaky record of 4-7-0-1, with a 3.58
goals-against-average and a .888 save percentage.
Overall in the East, Sudbury sits fifth with a record of
24-25-2-5. Kingston and Ottawa have 54 and 51 points
respectively and are starting to breathe down the back of
Sudbury's neck.
Interestingly enough, some top teams - London and Sault Ste.
Marie - did little at the deadline, but have also excelled
since Jan. 10.
London is 13-2 since the deadline. It has a lot to do with the
super rookie duo of Patrick Kane and Sam Gagner. Kane leads the
OHL with 114 points and Gagner is third with 105 points.
Sault Ste. Marie has been nothing short of spectacular, going
11-3 since Jan. 10. It's all about coaching, as Craig Hartsburg
has the Greyhounds believing in themselves.
With all the heavy moves at the deadline and so much at stake,
it's going to be interesting to see who finally stands at the
top of the heap when the dust settles in the 2007 OHL
playoffs.
