The high-flying Moncton Wildcats have made their first big acquisition of the holiday trade period, acquiring defenseman Evan Depatie from the Rimouski Océanic.

Going the other way is Moncton's own first-round pick in the 2026 QMJHL draft, Moncton's third in 2027 and 16-year-old prospect Jeremy Turcot, a recent 10th-round selection playing in U18 AAA this year.

Depatie, 19, is in the midst of his strongest QMJHL season, with 21 (9+12) through 30 games in Rimouski. His nine goals are tied for first among blueliners in 2025-26, alongside Charlottetown's Marcus Kearsey and Sherbrooke's Louis-Alex Tremblay.

In the end, it's tidy business for Rimouski, who acquired Depatie in June for just a fourth-round pick. Now, they've turned him into two better picks and a prospect. Good asset management like this should set them up nicely long-term.

While Moncton don't quite have the assets of Chicoutimi, who made three huge deals to open up the trade period Friday, Depatie should be a good boost of offence from the back end. Him alongside Tommy Bleyl should be a great 1-2 punch, helping the hottest team in the league keep pace once they return from the break.

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