Raoul Boilard has been moved to Cape Breton in exchange for top prospect Olivier Charron and forward Samuel Boyer.
Despite seeming like a selling team after moving captain Tomas Lavoie, the Cape Breton Eagles have now gone for a big acquisition, adding New York Rangers prospect Raoul Boilard from the Shawinigan Cataractes on Saturday.
Going back the other way is Olivier Charron, the 14th overall pick in the 2025 QMJHL draft, as well as forward Samuel Boyer. Cape Breton also receives a 2027 first-round pick as part of the deal.
Boilard, 19, was acquired by Shawinigan from Baie-Comeau over the summer. In 33 games with the Cataractes this season, he put up seven goals and 16 assists.
Raoul Boilard with the Shawinigan Cataractes. (Photo: Vincent Létourneau)Charron, 16, is a top prospect, but has been unable to find a spot in the Eagles' lineup yet this season. Instead, he's spent time in the U18 AAA circuit, where he has 49 (26+23) points in 30 games for the Châteauguay Grenadiers.
Boyer, 17, was a third-rounder in the 2024 QMJHL draft. He has two goals and zero assists across 15 games in his rookie season with Shawinigan this year. He's committed to the NCAA's University of Vermont for the 2027-28 season.
This trade is a bit of a surprise, given how the Eagles opened the trade period. But, they've kept winning without Lavoie, and clearly see an opportunity with many other teams across the league selling, including Shawinigan.
It's possible Cape Breton sees Boilard as a guy who could stick around for his overage season, which would give them another year of him as a key contributor on their team.
For the Cataractes, getting Charron is a big deal, as he has the potential to be a high-level scorer in the league. Boyer also has room to grow, and overall they've begun to build a really strong core of young players and picks for the next few years.
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