Today one of the most rumoured OHL trades has become official: Erie Otters star and Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Taylor Raddysh has been traded to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds with World Juniors and Otters teammate Jordan Sambrook in exchange for Hayden Fowler, five second round picks (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023) two third round picks (2018, 2023) and two sixth round picks (2018, 2021).
Raddysh has spent his entire OHL career with the Otters, winning the 2017 OHL Championship with them, and making it all the way to the final game of the Memorial Cup, before losing to the host Windsor Spitfires.
Raddysh played 189 games with Erie, scored 97 goals, added 170 assists for 267 points. Often overshadowed by bigger names like Connor McDavid, Dylan Strome, and Alex DeBrincat, Raddysh was a solid producer for the Otters and was their second leading scorer this year with 44 points, after Kyle Maskimovich (47 points) who is also rumoured to be on the trading bock.
It’s hard to find a better team to join than the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, who have a 33-3-2-1 record, were recently on a 23 game winning streak, and have 67 points for first overall in the OHL – 15 more points than the second place Hamilton Bulldogs. Raddysh becomes the third leading scorer for the Greyhounds who are lead by Morgan Frost (Flyers) and his future Lightning teammate Boris Katchouk. The lack of pressure to perform as one of the top players on the team should help him focus on winning the Memorial Cup this year in Regina.
The Greyhounds have been trying to be the top team in the OHL for years, overshadowed by the Otters and London Knights, but this is clearly their year and should give Raddysh his chance to potentially end his OHL career with a national championship before (fingers crossed) heading to the Syracuse Crunch next season.
