Kingston re-acquires draft picks to make up for the loss in the Roman Schmidt trade, and the Fronts send Budnick to Guelph.
After a trade yesterday afternoon that saw Kingston acquire defender Roman Schmidt from Kitchener, Kingston deals defenceman Thomas Budnick to Guelph.
On a large scale, the Frontenacs completed a defenceman swap, by sending away Budnick, and acquiring Schmidt.
The picks acquired and traded in each deal are roughly the same as well. Kingston gave up a 2nd and a 3rd for Schmidt, and received a 2nd and two 3rds for Budnick.
Kingston comes out of these trades acquiring Roman Schmidt and a 3rd at the end of the day.
Though they are very different defenders, Schmidt and Budnick fill a similar role. They are both trustworthy in the defensive end, and will play in defensive situations and when their team is shorthanded.
The edge that Kingston gains with replacing Budnick with Schmidt, is that Schmidt is severely intimidating to play against. Roman Schmidt has the ability to throw big hits, and is incredibly difficult to battle against in the corners. He is not a fun customer in front of the net.
Budnick's physical edge isn't quite that intimidating, but nonetheless Guelph is still acquiring a reliable blueliner.
Looking at Guelph's defence core, they lack a player like Budnick that can be relied upon to lock down the defensive zone. They have some experienced defenders like Chandler Romeo and Michael Buchinger, but Budnick will become that go-to guy in lockdown situations.
Budnick will also be a strong role model for their younger defenders, such as Quinn Beauchesne, Grant Spada, and Rylan Singh.
The 6-foot-1 defender has 11 points through 29 games this season, playing a large role in Kingston. In Guelph, he will play a similar role, but he will not be needed for offence. Guelph's defence core already possesses a lot of offensive weapons, and Budnick will be able to focalize his defensive zone game.