Skip to content

Baptiste traded to Erie Otters

Sudbury Wolves’ star forward Nick Baptiste has been traded to the Erie Otters.
baptise660
Nick Baptiste scored his 25th goal of the season in Saginaw on Saturday night, but it wasn't enough as the Wolves dropped a 4-3 decision to the Spirit. OHL images file photo.

Sudbury Wolves’ star forward Nick Baptiste has been traded to the Erie Otters.

The deal sees Baptiste go to the Otters in exchange for 19-year-old forward Travis Wood, 17-year-old defenceman Cole Mayo and two second-round draft picks (2015 and 2020) and two third-round draft picks (2015, 2018).

Sudbury GM Blaine Smith was presented a deal he simply couldn’t refuse.

“It is significant when you get six pieces for one player who is in his last season in the OHL,” Smith said. “I feel we got fair value for him. When the deal is right and you feel good about, you make it.”

Baptiste has gone through plenty of mixed emotions since he found out about the news.

“It has been bitter-sweet for me,” the 19-year-old said. “I’m crazy excited to go to one of the best teams in the country. It is sad to say good-bye to my teammates, billets and fans.”

Baptiste is going to a powerhouse squad - the Otters are ranked second overall in the CHL Top-10 standings this week with a 17-3-0-1 record. He knows his job will be to score goals and finish plays by two world-class centre men in Connor McDavid and Dylan Strome, two of the top-rated players for the upcoming NHL draft.

“I have to provide offence,” Baptiste said. “I am going to help them win the Memorial Cup and prove they are the best team. It’s going to be great. You don’t get a chance to play with players like that often.”

Baptiste is going to miss Sudbury a lot.

“It’s been unbelievable here,” he said. “I couldn’t have asked for better teammates, friends, billets and fans. It was all more than I could have hoped for. I will miss the fans and my billets and my teammates. It will be tough leaving it. I am grateful for the experience I’ve had in Sudbury.”

In Wood, the Wolves are getting a veteran forward with 158 games of experience in the league. Wood has 15 goals and 46 points in 158 games.

“He is a solid, two-way player and he plays hard, smart and physical,” Smith said.

In Mayo, the Wolves are getting a promising young defenceman who is a former third-round draft pick in 2013. Mayo has played in just 16 career games, 14 of them this season, with zero points tallied.

“He skates well and has good offensive skill and could be a good quarterback for the power play,” Smith said.

The Wolves also haul in four high draft picks, with two due up in 2015. This has Smith excited.

“Teams rebuild with high draft picks,” Smith said. “It is how championship teams are built. The key for us are the two picks in 2015. We now have five picks in the first 55 selections of the upcoming draft.”

Gone from the Wolves is the co-captain and last season’s leading scorer. Baptiste was the driving force of the offence. He missed the first few weeks of the season recovering from a shoulder injury, but returned and put up six goals and 11 points in 12 games. He leaves the Wolves after playing in 207 games and recording 80 goals and 175 points.

“It’s hard to let him go,” Smith said. “We will miss his skill, offence and leadership. Nick represented the organization with honour."

Smith expects both new players to be in the lineup Friday when the team hosts the Guelph Storm.

Original story

 

The Sudbury Wolves traded co-captain Nick Baptiste to the Erie Otters today in exchange for 17-year-old defenceman Cole Mayo and 19-year-old forward Travis Wood.

In addition, the Wolves receive two second-round draft picks and two third-round draft selections.

Baptiste, 19, is the player the Erie Otters were looking for in order to make their run for a Memorial Cup Championship. Baptiste is signed to an NHL contract with the Buffalo Sabres, and a move to Erie will allow Baptiste the opportunity to play on one of the top teams in his final season in the OHL.

In return, the Wolves acquired Cole Mayo, a third-round draft choice of the Erie Otters in the 2013 OHL Priority Selection. Mayo is a 6-foot, 200-lb right-shot defenceman that brings size, speed and offensive skill to the Wolves’ blueline. Mayo played in Strathroy Jr. B last season and recorded three goals and nine assists for 12 points in 43 games. In his OHL draft year, Mayo led the Elgin Middlesex Midgets with five goals and 29 assists for 34 points in 30 games.

The Wolves also received left-shot forward Travis Wood.

Wood, 5-foot-11, 185 lbs is a solid two-way forward that has six points in 10 games with the Erie Otters so far this season. The Wisconsin native has played 158 games in the OHL and has 15 goals and 31 assists for 46 points. Wood plays a physical game and works extremely hard both on and off the ice.

With the four draft selections, the Wolves received a second-round pick in 2015, a third-round pick in 2015, a third-round pick in 2018 and a second-round pick in 2020.

With the Wolves’ current picks, the Wolves are expected to have five draft selections in the first 55 selections of the upcoming OHL Priority Selection.

“Nick has been a true leader for our hockey club and we are going to miss his skill, leadership and experience in our lineup the rest of the way,” said Wolves’ GM Blaine Smith.

“Based on the way that the season has gone so far, it was imperative that we acquire players like Cole and Travis and high draft selections that will allow us to address our team needs for the present and the future. With five draft selections in the first three rounds, the 2015 OHL Priority Selection will be very important to our franchise.”

The newly acquired players are expected to be in the Wolves’ lineup this Friday night when the Wolves host the Guelph Storm at 7:30 p.m. at the Sudbury Arena.


Comments

Verified reader

If you would like to apply to become a verified commenter, please fill out this form.