The OJLL trade deadline has come and gone. For fans of trades, it was a good one.
Several blockbuster trades occurred, some surprising and others less so. For a full recap of all the trades that happened, check out the trade deadline tracker here.
While nearly every team was active, some teams and players won the deadline. Let’s get right into it.
The Beaches Revenge Tour
By now, you have heard the news of the Toronto Beaches and their forfeiture of their first eight games this season. You also probably have an opinion on it, which is unlikely to change.
For Beaches fans and others who are rooting for them to go on a Minto Cup run, the deadline was a clear win. I will get into the players they traded for, but the most important thing was the message they sent to their own players, fans, and the rest of the league.
The Beaches are very much still alive, and they are all-in on winning this summer.
The actual trade saw Will Sheehan and Eric McDonald come over from the Oakville Buzz. Sheehan gives another right-handed option to compliment Greg Palmer. Together, they are two of the highest scoring right-handed players in the OJLL.
Sheehan also gives the Beaches options on the powerplay, with a better ability to play three righties at times and another shooter that will make teams pay for shading towards Willem Firth and Matt Collison.
McDonald gives another 21 year old option out the back door who has played offence before in his career. The playoffs can be a weakest-link game, and McDonald helps raise the floor for a very good Beaches defence.
The Beach have lots of work left. With six games remaining, they will have to play Mimico twice, Orangeville once, and a game against Peterborough as well. But the revenge tour is all the way on.
Sheehan has gotten off to a relatively quiet start in his first two games with the Beaches, scoring a goal in each game. Don’t expect that to last.
Northmen Depth
Similarly to the Beaches, the Northmen took a big swing at the deadline. I was shocked at the trade they pulled off with Brampton, which brought Bowie Horsman, Dante Bowen, and Connor O’Toole to town.
Why am I so surprised? The OJLL has updated their standings with the Beaches results, and Brampton woke up this morning in second place in the league. They pummeled the Oakville Buzz last night, and will be a playoff team. Obviously there are other circumstances that led to this outcome, but I wondered if the Excelsiors would look to add at the deadline.
But Orangeville pulled off the trade and also added Brian Jackman to the roster from Oakville. In doing so, they got better in the goal, they got bigger, they got older, and they added some top-end talent.
Horsman is a lights out shooter who should pair nicely with Joey Spallina, one of the best passers in the country (well actually multiple countries).
For my money, Bowen might be the best defender in the OJLL. He is a big right-handed player which is important, given the impending matchups against stacked offensive left-sides in Mimico and Beaches.
O’Toole is in the conversation with best goaltenders in the country. I wouldn’t say it was a weakness at all for Orangeville before, but O’Toole gives some juice in the net.
They are gearing up for another deep run in the Ville.
The Challenge of Playing in Mimico Arena
Playing in Mimico Arena is a generally unpleasant thing for visiting teams. Through a combination of the always-tough play from the Mountaineers, the great home crowd, and the intense atmosphere, playing at the Drummond Street Bowl is designed to suck for opponents.
The Mountaineers were relatively quiet compared to Beaches and Orangeville but did add defender Nicholas Volkov from the Burlington Blaze. Volkov played in 13 games for the Albany Firewolves this year, and gives another big left-handed defender on the Mimico back-end.
Mimico already has Aaron Toguri, who is the number one pick in the “this guy sucks to play against” draft. In Volkov, they have another guy who can make lives miserable with his athleticism and experience.
Don’t be surprised to see more of this coming up.
Mimico has stumbled recently, but playing on Drummond street will be a test for anyone who comes through this summer.
Stay tuned to LCD for more coverage all summer long!