Brantford Bulldogs Acquire Former First-Round Pick Sam Roberts From Oshawa Generals

The Brantford Bulldogs have acquired another former first-round OHL draft pick, acquiring forward Sam Roberts in a trade with the Oshawa Generals on Thursday.

In return, Oshawa will receive four picks, including a 2027 3rd (LDN), 2028 4th (PBO), 2029 5th (GUE) and conditional 2030 15th (BFD). The conditions on the 15th-rounder were not immediately disclosed.

Roberts, 17, is still looking to find his offensive role in the OHL. After a four-goal, nine-point rookie campaign in 55 games last year in a depth role on a rebuilding Gens team, he has just three assists in seven games this season, and hasn't been able to latch onto a true top-six role there.

There has always been potential in the 16th overall pick in the 2025 OHL draft, who put up 37 (14+23) points in 33 games for the Toronto Jr. Canadians in his draft year, alongside a goal and four points in the OHL Cup.

That got Roberts plenty of attention, and Oshawa jumped to select him in that first round.

In Brantford, he'll join a deep forward core, but that extra insulation up and down the lineup might be what the Uxbridge, Ont., native needs to find that scoring touch that made him such a touted prospect just 16 months ago.

Roberts will also join up with his father, Gary, who is the VP of hockey operation with the Bulldogs, and surely would've been consulted in this trade.

That being said, it seems like the rest of the brass in Brantford's front office was also excited for this player to become available.

“We loved Sam throughout the draft process,” GM Spencer Hyman said in a press release. “He’s a big, heavy power forward who can skate and score goals in the paint, and he has the ability to be a core piece of the Bulldogs now and into the future."

For Oshawa, this trade coincides with the team acquiring injured overage forward Jacob Therrien from the North Bay Battalion earlier Thursday, making it essentially one forward in, one forward out for the team.

The Bulldogs currently sit atop the OHL with a 7-1-0 record, and despite a large amount of roster turnover this summer, still look to be a legitimate team to beat in the Eastern conference once again.

Now, they have a new toy to play with and add to their deep forward group, and a fourth 2025 first-rounder added to the team alongside Kaden McGregor, David Buchman and Alexander Semenstov.

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