Kitchener trades for the signing rights of Adam Valentini from the Brampton Steelheads
We're starting to lose track of the amount of trades the Brampton Steelheads have made this summer, as the organization announced another deal Thursday morning.
The Kitchener Rangers have acquired the signing rights to Adam Valentini. Brampton drafted Valentini 13th overall in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection but he did not report to the Steelhead's training camp.
In exchange for his rights, Brampton received four 2028 draft picks:
2028 2nd round*
2028 3rd round*
2028 4th round*
2028 15th round
*conditional draft picks“
The Steelheads will also receive a compensatory first-round pick in the 2025 OHL Priority Selection.
In the last 10 years, we have never picked higher than 9th overall so we typically do not have access to draft elite surefire talents like Adam at the top of the draft so we need to be creative and find alternate avenues like this,” said Rangers GM Mike McKenzie.
“With the way the picks are conditioned, we feel there is little to no risk in making this decision to get an opportunity to show Adam and his family why Kitchener is such a special spot to play and develop as a player and person without handcuffing ourselves down the road.”
There's a good chance that the condition of the three picks in the deal is if Valentini does report and plays for Kitchener at some point, Brampton will receive those picks. If not, Kitchener will hold onto them. Important to clarify that these aren't the confirmed conditions of the picks, however.
Valentini and his family decided to sign in the USHL with the Chicago Steel and he has already committed to play in the NCAA for the University of Michigan in the future.
Kitchener will attempt to pry Adam away from playing in the States and develop his career on and off the ice in the OHL.
The return Brampton received for the 2023-24 GTHL Player of the Year would signal that he still has his eyes set on playing in the USHL this season, but attaining the rights to a game-breaking talent for four draft picks is a no-brainer move.
This is a low-risk, high-reward play by McKenzie. The organization could hit the jackpot if they ace their sales pitch to Valentini.
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