The Peterborough Petes make yet another move, and acquire a fourth first round player from the 2023 OHL Draft in Caden Taylor, in exchange for captain Donovan McCoy.
The Peterborough Petes make yet another move, and acquire a fourth first round player from the 2023 OHL Draft in Caden Taylor, in exchange for captain Donovan McCoy.
The Peterborough Petes trade count is becoming impossible to keep track of, as they have now traded their captain Donovan McCoy for Caden Taylor. This is Peterborough's least-complicated trade of the deadline so far, in a one-for-one deal.
Sudbury is finally beginning to "load up" by acquiring nineteen-year-old defender McCoy, who knows what it takes to win when it matter most. He won the OHL Championship with the Petes last season, and also went to the Memorial Cup.
McCoy has been having a very strong season on both ends of the ice. He has always been reliable in the defensive zone, with his precise defensive stick and physical edge.
But this season he has taken some strides offensively.
The undrafted defender has 21 points in 37 games from the blue line — a career high for him. He has been taking lots of runs on the power play, and playing lots of minutes across the board.
Sudbury has been needing to add to their back-end all season long, and adding McCoy is a very suitable option for them. The Wolves play a fast game, and are very quick in transition. McCoy is the same way, and he can play a lot of minutes in key situations.
They have Collins and Toure who are very reliable in their own zone, but adding McCoy gives them another layer of reassurance.
In return, the Petes gain another first round player from the 2023 OHL Draft — Caden Taylor.
Taylor is a shooter, and a great one at that. When he is given the opportunity, he will put the puck in the back of the net every single time. He may not drive the puck or skate from end-to-end with it, but he can score goals as well as anyone.
With limited minutes on the fourth line in Sudbury, Taylor hasn't really gotten those chances this season. In Peterborough — who severely lacks depth right now — he should see a significant increase in ice time for the rest of the season.
The Petes now have four first round players from the 2023 OHL Draft — Carson Cameron (PBO), Nico Addy (OS), Aiden Young (SAG) — and now Caden Taylor from Sudbury.