Lightning Prospects Find New Homes Ahead of the OHL Trade Deadline

Tampa Bay Lightning prospects Declan McDonnell and Jack Thompson are on the move after being traded to new OHL teams ahead of today’s OHL trade deadline.

As per usual in the Canadian junior leagues each season, teams that are outside of playoff contention, or looking like longshots for a deep playoff run, ahead of the trade deadline look to send their best 19-year-old players in their final season of junior hockey eligibility to the highest bidder for assets to rebuild.

Forward prospect Declan McDonnell was traded from the Kitchener Rangers (6th in Western Conference) to the Barrie Colts (5th in Eastern Conference).

On Kitchener, McDonnell had been teammates with newly signed Lightning defense prospect Roman Schmidt.

McDonnell suited up for his new team last night and scored a goal on debut.

Defense prospect Jack Thompson moved from the Sudbury Wolves (10th Eastern Conference) to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (2nd Western Conference).

Thompson was one of the last big dominoes to fall in the OHL trade market as he played his final game with Sudbury last night with the uncertainty of if he would still be on the team today. He would go on to score in his final game.

Thompson had been one of the few bright spots on the league-worst Sudbury Wolves this season. And thus was one of the hotter commodities on the OHL trade market as his offensive exploits and solid defending caught the attention of teams looking to reinforce their defense.

Some rumors indicated that Sudbury was holding out for a blockbuster-type package in return for Thompson, but a deal with the Greyhounds was eventually done before the deadline.

Thompson leaves Sudbury as their season scoring leader and one of only four players on the team with a positive +/-.

Jack Finley was traded within the WHL

The OHL is not the only CHL junior league with a deadline approaching as the WHL has their trade deadline on the 17th.

Forward prospect Jack Finley was traded early in December from the Spokane Chiefs (9th Western Conference) to the Winnipeg ICE (1st Eastern Conference).

Finley finds himself well positioned for a postseason run as he looks to have landed on the best team out of the three Lightning prospects traded. Winnipeg has been a juggernaut in the WHL this season as they are currently first overall in the WHL and have outscored opponents more than 2:1. A potential showdown with the Everett Silvertips (1st Eastern Conference) – team of Lightning forward prospect Niko Huuhtanen – could be on the horizon for the WHL playoffs.

We will check back in on the Tampa Bay Lightning’s CHL prospects ahead of their respective playoffs.