Erie Otters Acquire Overage Goaltender Benjamin Gaudreau As Part Of Three-Team Deal

Sarnia Sting overage goaltender Ben Gaudreau has been traded to the Erie Otters as part of a three-team deal! On Tuesday afternoon, the Sarnia Sting made quite the splash, sending the overage goaltender to the Erie Otters as part of a three-team trade with the OHL’s 2nd-ranked Saginaw Spirit, who acquired Erie Otters goaltender Nolan Lalonde.

Full Trade Breakdown 

The Erie Otters

• Acquired goaltender Ben Gaudreau.

The Sarnia Sting

• Receive a 5th-Round pick in 2024, 3rd-Round pick in 2026, 4th-Round pick in 2027, and a 6th-Round pick in 2027. 

The Saginaw Spirit

• Received former Erie Otters goaltender Nolan Lalonde and a 7th-Round pick in 2026.

The addition of Benjamin Gaudreau is significant for the Erie Otters, who are looking to get more competitive in 2023-24. The 20-year-old goaltender, who was a third-round pick by the San Jose Sharks in 2021, will join a young Erie Otters team that is looking to solidify its goaltending. 

Last season with the Sarnia Sting, Ben Gaudreau had a 3.07 goals against average with a .889 save percentage in forty-four games, according to EliteProspects.com. The newly acquired Erie Otters goaltender was also on Team Canada’s Under-20 World Junior team in 2023 but was pulled for Seattle Thunderbirds goaltender Thomas Milic after a rough start to the tournament. 

The Erie Otters were a team I had high expectations for coming into the season, but now, with the addition of goaltender Benjamin Gaudreau, I expect this team to be a lot more competitive after a slower-than-expected start to the year.

The most intriguing piece of the deal might just be the Saginaw Spirits acquisition of goaltender Nolan Lalonde. The 19-year-old, whose rights belong to the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League, definitely has the potential to make this trade worth it and could benefit from a change of scenery. 

The Ontario Hockey League season is in full flight after the first few weeks of the season. Just a couple of weeks ago, the London Knights made a splash of their own for an overage goaltender, and now the Erie Otters do the same! One thing to note about this deal is that two of the league’s biggest trade-speculated goaltenders have now been moved. 

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