Yesterday, the North Bay Battalion moved 2007-born forward Reyth Smith to Niagara in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2028 eighth-round pick. 

"Reyth was a great player and person during his time here," said North Bay Director of Hockey Operations Adam Dennis. "We felt it was important to give him an opportunity for more minutes to take the next step in his career. We wish him the best of luck in Niagara."

The Battalion selected Smith in the fifth round of the 2023 OHL Priority Selection. During the 2023-24 season he was a point-per-game player with the Powassan Voodoos of the NOJHL. the following season, he joined the Battalion full time, playing in a total of 49 games. In total, he scored five goals and added four assists during his rookie campaign. 

This trade is fairly straightforward when you look at it from Niagara's perspective. They gain an 18-year-old forward who they hope will take a solid step forward as he moves into his sophomore season. It does show that new GM Frank Evola is not shy when it comes to making moves. He's averaging a trade a week since being hired in Niagara.

IceDogs And Colts Swap Overage Players In Offseason Trade Earlier today, IceDogs' GM Frank Evola completed his first trade by sending Alex Assadourian and a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Barrie Colts in exchange for overage defender Grayson Tiller.

However, the trade is much more interesting for North Bay. The Battalion is still a rebuilding group, having just barely scraped their way into the playoffs last season. Generally, rebuilding teams trade older players, not young players with room to grow.

This trade suggests the Battalion has a different plan in mind. This is corroborated by Dennis' comments. 

Ryan Finch And Mark Guy Acquire Sarnia Sting Earlier today, the Sarnia Sting announced that the OHL Board of Governors approved the sale of the team to new majority owners Ryan Finch and Mark Guy. Former Nashville Predator David Legwand maintains a minority stake in the team. 

"John [Winstanley] has been working extremely hard on several fronts, but getting our numbers down to provide a proper runway for our young prospects was a priority heading into the offseason," said Dennis. 

These comments suggest that North Bay believes it has better and younger players than Smith. It also suggests North Bay is playing the long game. Losing a few games due to inexperience is not as important as building the strongest group possible. 

We will see whether the strategy pays off.