Yesterday, the Kingston Frontenacs announced they had completed a trade with the Peterborough Petes. The Frontenacs received a 2027 third-round pick, a 2027 fifth-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick in exchange for overage forward Matthew Soto.
Soto has been with Kingston since the team selected him fifth overall in the 2021 OHL Priority Selection. In that time he recorded 64 goals and 93 assists for a total of 157 points in 231 games.
"We would like to wish Matthew success in Peterborough next season," said Frontenacs GM Kory Cooper. "We would like to thank him for his contributions during his time here in Kingston."
The two trading partners make perfect sense when you look at the age of their respective rosters last season.
The Petes had one of the youngest rosters in the OHL last season as they continued to rebuild after winning a championship at the end of the 2022-23 season. The team ultimately finished at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
The bright side is, they picked up Kaden McGregor with the first overall pick in the 2025 OHL Priority Selection. the elite youngster scored 38 goals and added 44 assists in 29 games with the Ottawa Valley Titans last year.
Peterborough Petes Take Kaden McGregor With First-Overall Pick
The Peterborough Petes kicked off the 2025 OHL Priority Selection by selecting Kaden McGregor with the first overall pick in the draft. It was a big moment for McGregor, who will go down in Pete's history as the only first-overall selection made by Peterborough to date.
They also recently announced the signing of 2025 second-round pick Matthew Perrault to an OHL Standard Player Agreement earlier today.
This team will still be very young, with most of their star players being under the age of 18. That's why Soto is such a valuable addition.
"We're very excited to add Matthew Soto to our group as we prepare for the new season," said Pete GM Michael Oke. "Matthew is a player who will bring a lot of experience to our team, having played in over 230 games during his career in Kingston."
Young players often benefit from having veterans who can show them what is required to win and compete at the OHL level. It appears Soto will take on that role next year.
"I'm excited and grateful to get an opportunity to play for the Peterborough Petes," said Soto. "I look forward to connecting with my teammates and getting to play in front of the amazing fans at the PMC next season."
For Kingston, this trade continues an offseason of shedding 2005-born players. This is the second trade executed by Cooper this week that sends an overage player out the door in exchange for picks. Earlier this week, the team announced a trade that sent Ethan Miedema to the Guelph Storm.
Frontenacs GM Wins Jim Gregory Award
Earlier today, the OHL announced that Kingston Frontenacs GM Kory Cooper is the 2024-25 winner of the Jim Gregory OHL General Manager of the Year Award.
Cooper, who was just named OHL GM of the Year, doesn't really have a choice when it comes to these trades. Sure, he and Head Coach Troy Mann can decide which three overage players the team keeps, but at the end of the day, Kingston must move these players or release them and get nothing in return.
Additionally, Cooper moved a ton of draft capital during last year's trade deadline in order to acquire Ethan Hay, Will Bishop and Nashville Predators prospect Joey Willis from Saginaw. The cupboards need to be restocked, so to speak, and Cooper is doing a good job of gathering assets in the offseason.
It seems likely we will continue to see these kinds of trade from Kingston moving forward. With 12 2005-born players on last year's roster, there are a lot of questions that remain unanswered.