Stars Prospect Bertucci Dealt From Flint To Barrie In Multi-Player, Multi-Team OHL Trade

Dallas Stars prospect defenseman Tristan Bertucci was the centerpiece of a multi-player, multi-team OHL trade Monday. And writer Adam Proteau says Bertucci -- who is moving closer to his Toronto home -- has the chance to do big things with his new team, the Barrie Colts.

The Dallas Stars are currently in low-key mode, as their players and management members enjoy the summer. But one Stars prospect made news Monday when he was the centerpiece of a multi-player, three-team trade in the Ontario League: 19-year-old defenseman Tristan Bertucci – selected 61st overall by Dallas in the 2023 NHL draft – was dealt from the Flint Firebirds to the Barrie Colts, in the name of being closer to his Toronto home to help deal with a family health situation.

The three-team trade officially works out as follows: Bertucci was first shipped from Flint to the Niagara IceDogs along with a 2025 8th-round pick, a 2025 14th-round pick and a conditional 2028 third-round pick initially belonging to the Peterborough Petes in exchange for defenseman Artem Frolov, defenseman Urban Podrekar, the rights to forward Hayden Reid, and five draft picks (a 2025 second-rounder from Oshawa, a 2026 second-rounder from Peterborough, a 2026 third-rounder from North Bay, a 2027 third-rounder from Sudbury, and a 2027 third-rounder from Oshawa). The IceDogs then sent Bertucci to Barrie for defenseman Jack Brauti, blueliner Blair Scott, a 2026 second-rounder from the Colts, a 2027 third-rounder from Windsor, and a 2025 fourth-rounder from Kingston.

Clearly, Bertucci was the biggest prize in this deal. Drafted seventh-overall in the 2021 OHL priority draft, Bertucci posted 85 assists and 107 points in 186 games with Flint. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound D-man also played his first pro hockey game last season when he suited up for one game with Dallas’ American League affiliate Texas Stars squad. And the Colts were delighted to acquire him.

“When you can add a talent like Tristan to your lineup, it’s always a great day,” Barrie GM/coach Marty Williamson said in a press release. “Tristan is someone we identified as being one of the top defensemen in the league this season and we feel is a great addition to our group. We’re excited to bring his talent, leadership, and character into our room and are looking forward to start working with him in the coming weeks at training camp.”

Bertucci was recently ranked by THN prospects expert Tony Ferarri as Dallas’ second-best prospect at the left-shooting defense position. Bertucci is under no rush to get to the NHL level, but in the OHL, he’s a difference-maker and a shutdown defender who has a physical element to his game. He’ll be playing on a Colts team looking to do significant damage in 2024-25, and he’s got the potential to challenge for an NHL spot down the line. This trade was made for personal reasons for Bertucci, and Barrie is gambling that he'll be a needle-mover for them this coming year.

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