Why Did Brampton Steelheads Acquire Guelph Storm's No. 1 Goalie Brayden Gillespie When They Have Jack Ivankovic?

Well, Guelph Storm's starting goaltender Brayden Gillespie wasn't on our top five list of OHL trade candidates leading up to the league's trade deadline of Jan. 10. But, the 2005-born netminder is on his way to the Brampton Steelheads.

Related: OHL Trade Candidates: Top 5 Players Who Could Be Moved Before Trade Deadline

As per the Steelheads, they have acquired Gillespie in exchange for three draft picks. Below are the full details of the trade between Guelph and Brampton:

Brampton Steelheads Receive:
G, Brayden Gillespie
2024-25 season statistics: 9-15-1-0, 4.24GAA, .869SV%

Guelph Storm Receive:
2025 2nd round pick
*Conditional 2026 3rd round pick (LDN)
*Conditional 2027 5th round pick (BFD)

Gillespie has had a challenging season in Guelph, as he plays behind a young, rebuilding team. Although his performance numbers haven't been impressive, he has faced the sixth most shots in the league (804). Additionally, he has participated in 27 of Guelph's 34 games, indicating he has shouldered a heavy workload.

Related: Most Disappointing OHL Team, The Brampton Steelheads. Can They Turn Things Arounds In The New Year?

At first glance, it seems like a weird trade for Brampton to make when they already have a true number-one goaltender in top 2025 NHL draft prospect Jack Ivankovic.

Brampton has been missing Ivankovic as he represents Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship.

However, when you look further into what has plagued the Steelheads this season, at times, you'll recognize that acquiring a goalie with plenty of OHL experience was a wise move by GM James Richmond.

The team's goaltending has been below par since Ivankovic left. Jacob Gibbons, who they acquired from Erie before the start of the season, has really struggled. He's allowed 24 goals in his last five games and has a save percentage of .830% in those five starts.

This trade is an interesting move by the Steelheads considering they once had a tandem of Ivankovic and Buffalo Sabres prospect Ryerson Leenders. But they needed to add a goalie.

Now, in fairness to Brampton's management, they did recoup a whopping eight draft picks for Leenders when they traded him to Brantford, including three second and third-round picks. But clearly, this move indicates that they want more support for Ivankovic when he returns.

If Ivankovic were to get injured, Brampton would face serious challenges in goal. Trading for a netminder with over 100 OHL games of experience was a wise decision.

Related: London Knights Complete Massive OHL Trade, Acquiring Washington Capitals Prospect Cam Allen From Guelph

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