Taylor MacDougall and the Moncton Wildcats might not have a substantial “wish list” entering the QMJHL Trade Period, but things could get very complicated given the current situation with their team and possible trade partners. The jockeying amongst contenders and potential trade partners is incredibly complex every year, but this year it’s insanely complicated.
If you’re the Wildcats you have to target players on the usual suspects or teams near the bottom of the standings, knowing full well with the Memorial Cup in Rimouski and other teams aiming at a potential run next year things get very thin, very fast.
Now, if you’re Taylor MacDougall who do you target?
How many missing pieces do the Wildcats have and do any of those teams have any desired players that fit a need for the group? Clearly this is the year where you go “all in” everyone knows that and that’s another issue, asking prices are no doubt astronomical because of it.
There’s not a legitimate amount of players out there right within the league that might address the desired need for the Cats right now. When things are laid out like that there’s not a ton of players available that might be an upgrade for a Wildcats lineup that’s already stacked, but are the Wildcats good enough to go where they want to go and accomplish what they want?
The worst thing you can do in this situation as a hockey executive is look back on it after and have regrets on the trade you should have made to put your group over the hump. Let’s face it, there’s a lot of pressure right now, but pressure is privilege if you’re MacDougall and the Moncton Wildcats.
Whenever you talk trade, you also have to talk subtraction, but like always those would come in June at the draft and are an afterthought if the Wildcats eventually go on to win a championship or two. It’s still way to early and not even remotely fair to throw around names (trade targets) out there, but in my opinion the Wildcats are two to three pieces away. Nevertheless, it’s not too early to discuss what areas the Wildcats might choose to add during the upcoming trade period like potentially more scoring depth, a two-way gritty forward that could play up and down their lineup and another gritty hardnosed transitional two-way d-man preferably a right shot and well over the 6-foot mark.
Photo Credit Daniel St Louis
Now if you know or follow the league there’s not a ton of those types of players available, they are either untouchable or they have already been spoken for by other teams which already have deals finalized and are in a holding pattern waiting for the trade period to officially open.
Any team with championship aspirations needs scoring depth, the Cats forward group is solid, but one or two pieces up there would definitely help. Again, Gardiner MacDougall has predominantly stuck with and relied on his top 9 to log the vast majority or the bulk of the TOI, with the fourth line seeing limited action game in, game out. Any addition to the group has to be the right fit and they have to understand their role moving forward in a talented deep group, so character is the key.
The Wildcats fourth line have been averaging anywhere from 6 to 8 minutes this year. It’s going to be tough to crack an already deep top 9, so any player that the Cats introduce to the group will have big skates to fill, but that also means a player has to move down in the lineup.
On the backend, the Cats need to add on the right side, but that doesn’t always mean add a legit right shot guy. Right shot impact D-men are tough to find, actually they are “rarer than hens’ teeth” right across in the QMJHL.
So that’s the predicament Taylor MacDougall and the rest of the Wildcats braintrust find themselves in right now only mire days away from arguably the most important trade period in the history of the franchise.
It’s highly unlikely that MacDougall pulls the trigger on an impromptu overage upgrade at this time. Over the course of history in the Q, some teams have elected to take that route depending on the makeup or configuration of their group, again that’s an option, and you have to consider all of your options in this position, but let’s face it, that’s highly unlikely and probably not even remotely close to what MacDougall and his staff have outlined and have set in place.
Photo Credit Daniel St Louis
Making a trade for the sake of making trade doesn’t always provide answers. The MacDougall’s have been assessing their group and the entire league throughout the season, they know exactly what they need, but are those pieces available or are they better than what they already have? Quality assets are out there, it’s thin, but they’re out there, but that’s why this trade period is no doubt the most complicated and intriguing one in franchise history.
Things are going to get very interested in the days ahead for the Moncton Wildcats.
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