Rimouski Oceanic deal away Memorial Cup experience to add Patrik Zdrahal’s scoring touch

The Rimouski Océanic shored up their depth in a trade with Acadie-Bathurst Monday, while the Titan swapped overagers and netted a prospect to boot.

Acadie-Bathurst sent well-traveled veteran Dominic Beauchemin and Euro Patrick Zdrahal to Rimouski, in exchange for fellow-traveled veteran Scott Oke, prospect Charles-Anthony Poulin and a fourth round pick in 2014.

The trade was the story of two teams going in opposite directions. The Oceanic sit seventh in the league and need to keep pace with division-leading Baie-Comeau. The Titan sit 17th, tied with Saint John for the final playoff spot, and went for it last season, looking to rebuild and retool.

Both teams accomplished that with the deal on Monday, which filled Rimouski’s second European spot and swapped 20-year-olds.

Beauchemin, 20, was acquired in a trade in the offseason from the Halifax Mooseheads. Last season was his first as a full-time player in the QMJHL, where he netted 34 points in 60 games on a very deep Halifax group. He added two points in 16 playoff games and won the Memorial Cup last season. Beauchemin will slot in with experience in a bottom-6 role, the same he had last year with Halifax. He had 11 points in 17 games, fourth in team scoring for Bathurst.

Zdrahal, 18, is in his second season in the QMJHL, after a 20-goal season in his debut. He is a slick forward who isn’t afraid to get gritty, and will slot in as a secondary scorer behind Peter Trainor, Frédéric Gauthier and Anthony DeLuca. He has 12 points in 18 games, enough for third in team scoring with the Titan. Both players are undrafted.

Oke, 20, was a member of the 2011 Memorial Cup-winning Saint John Sea Dogs. He was traded midway through the 2011-12 season to Rimouski in a swap that netted the Sea Dogs a first rounder. He had over a point-a-game last season with the Oceanic, with 71 points, including 29 goals, in 57 games for the club. Oke has 12 points in 20 games so far this season.

Poulin, 16, is playing for Magog in Quebec Midget AAA this season. He has 11 points in 16 games so far this season. He was a Rimouski second round selection last season. He is known as a two-way power forward who is known as a tenacious forechecker and possesses a great shot. He could play in the QMJHL next season at 17.

The fourth round pick is a bargaining chip at the draft for the Titan, who will hope to get as many picks as possible heading into it. They need to pick assets to build on, and the fourth and Poulin are excellent futures. They could hang on to Oke to bring the team some needed offensive punch or swap him at the deadline for more futures. Bathurst has the third-worst offence in the league with just 49 goals on the year.

Rimouski hopes to make a run and Beauchemin and Zdrahal help them that way. Zdrahal will provide a similar offensive punch to Oke on the offence, while Beauchemin brings the experience and the two-way play to the lineup. Both players add to the depth of the Oceanic and their fifth-best offensive punch.

Quebec League teams are only allowed to trade overage and import players before the trade period begins in December.