We are just under two weeks away from the start of the 2025 OHL preseason. Training camps are just around the corner, and the Kingston Frontenacs recognized the need to add a top-four defenseman to their lineup ahead of the 2025-26 season.
Last Wednesday, the Frontenacs acquired third-year defenseman Jack Brauti from the Niagara IceDogs in exchange for a 2027 conditional fifth-round pick (Oshawa), a 2029 conditional fifth-round pick, and a 2029 tenth-round pick.
Brauti, 19, has been traded for the second straight summer. After beginning his career with the Barrie Colts in the 2023-24 season, the Thornhill, Ontario, native was involved in the massive three-team trade last summer involving Flint, Niagara, and Barrie.
Niagara originally acquired defenseman Tristan Bertucci from Flint, then immediately flipped him to Barrie. Brauti was a part of the big package the IceDogs got in return for the Dallas Stars prospect.
London Knights Bolster Lineup With Latest Two Signings
There’s one thing that the London Knights don’t do: rebuild. Fresh off <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/ohl/latest-news/the-london-knights-hang-on-to-win-ohl-championship">back-to-back OHL Championships</a>, and several of their star players leaving the team due to graduating to the professional level or aging out of the league, don’t expect the Hunter brothers to stay quiet.
Brauti had a very successful sophomore campaign on a young IceDogs team that had a rollercoaster of a season. He recorded 46 points (8 goals, 38 assists) in 64 games. In the playoffs, he added another four assists in five games. The smooth-skating left-shot blueliner played in a top-four role, quarterbacked his team’s powerplay top unit, and led all defensemen in scoring. He became a reliable player for his coaches at 5v5 through his ability to push pucks up the ice on the breakout, and utilizes his feet to skate pucks out of the zone if there isn't a passing option.
The Frontenacs are losing their two top defensemen from last season — Quinton Burns and Emil Pieniniemi — due to them graduating to the professional ranks. Additionally, they have three 2005-born blueliners — Will Bishop, Maleek McGowan, and Cal Uens — and need to finalize their overage situation for next season, as it is doubtful that all three defensemen will return.
Acquiring Brauti is considered a suitable replacement for Pieniniemi, can take over Kingston’s quarterback position on their top powerplay unit, and immediately slot into their top-four next season.
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