Yahoo Sports Sudbury Wolves Acquire Flames Prospect In Surprising Trade Deadline Deal
With just minutes remaining before the OHL trade deadline, the Ottawa 67's and Sudbury Wolves announced a trade that sends Calgary Flames' prospect Henry Mews to Sudbury in exchange for Nolan Jackson and eight draft picks.
"We thank Henry for his contributions to our team over the last three seasons," said Ottawa GM James Boyd. "We wish him all the best going forward."
The full trade details are as follows:
Ottawa Receives:
D Nolan Jackson ('07)
2027 2nd Round Pick (SOO)
2027 2nd Round Pick
2025 3rd Round Pick
2027 3rd Round Pick (BRAM)
2025 5th Round Pick
2028 7th Round Pick
2027 8th Round Pick
2027 9th Round Pick
Sudbury Receives:
D Henry Mews ('06)
This is the second trade made by Ottawa at the deadline. The first sent Brady Stonehouse to Peterborough for a pair of picks. It isn't surprising to see Ottawa making these deals due to their position in the standings.
However, all eyes were turned squarely towards Luca Pinelli as a possible trade candidate because he hasn't played for Ottawa since Canada's elimination from the World Junior Championship.
It was somewhat surprising therefore to see the younger and more valuable Henry Mews going to Sudbury. In Mews, Sudbury gets a dynamic offensive defenseman who also has underrated defensive skills.
At the time of the trade, Mews led all OHL defensemen with 11 goals and 39 assists in 38 games. He has points on nearly 40 percent of Ottawa's goals.
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While the Wolves have plenty of firepower up front, they lack a real scoring threat on the back end. Mews has almost double the points of Nick DeAngelis, Sudbury's former highest-scoring defender.
It seems likely Mews will slide onto Sudbury's top power play with Kieron Walton and Seattle Kraken prospect Nathan Villeneuve. The trio of NHL prospects will play a huge role for Sudbury this year and next.
Sudbury surprised people with their success this season given the players who left at the end of last year. Acquiring Mews turns the middle-of-the-pack team into a more credible contender.
This trade indicates that Ottawa is rebuilding. They will finish the season fighting for a playoff spot that they may very well lose without their top defenseman. Next year they will lose Matthew Mayich, Will Gerrior, Collin Mackenzie and likely Luca Pinelli.
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They will need to rely on their youth next season. As a 2007-born player, Nolan Jackson fits their young group. Sudbury selected Jackson with their second-round pick in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection. He has six assists in 35 games this season.
Two of the picks Ottawa receives can be used this season but the vast majority won't be used for at least two more years. While in the NHL this would suggest a long-term rebuild, the short windows in the OHL argue against this idea.
It seems more likely Boyd will use the picks from this trade to acquire players in the next year or two. This method would give him more time to assess the team this year and next year before acquiring more players.
In the end, Sudbury is now a much more legitimate threat to challenge for a championship over the next few years. Meanwhile, Ottawa is set firmly in the rebuilding camp.
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