With Christmas behind us and the new year on the horizon it means one thing, ITS TRADE TIME! January 10th marks the start of the second half of the season, as rosters are set and its finally clear what teams are looking to push for a playoff run and what ones are looking towards the future. But who will be traded and where will they make their new home? Below I will highlight some, not all, of the top players in the OHL this year who I expect to be moved and where they might end up.

Owen Beck

Beck offers so much, he’s a skilled skater, quick of his edges, has a physical element to his game, and so reliable at both ends of the ice. Beck one of the best faceoff percentages this season at 63.3%. He’s played games in the NHL, he’s won a gold metal at the World Juniors, possibly two after this years tournament closes, he’s an OHL Champion, and has 30 points in only 25 games this season. Beck will be the player most teams are in the mix for, but the team I think he will be traded to is the Greyhounds. The Soo don’t have many more moves they need to make so can afford to throw all their assets into Beck. Three of their centers are also 2006/2007s, so they need some depth down the middle, however they would have three elite centers with him in the mix.

Justin Ertel

Ertel brings offense, speed, and consistency. He would also bring a good level of depth to the right side of any team he is on. The Dallas prospect has 14 goals and 15 primary assists, for a total of 18, so far this season. As an OA he also brings maturity and leadership to the locker room, thus making him a good fit for Mississauga as they still have room to add one more OA. I wouldn’t think Mississauga is looking to make to many changes to their roster, but what they do need is experience and scoring, two things Ertel brings.

Paul Ludwinski

Sticking with my prediction that Kingston will aim to go for a run next year, it just makes sense for them to move the Chicago 2nd rounder. Ludwinski is a skilled skater with a high IQ, making him a perfect fit for any team that needs an elite playmaker up the middle. This makes him a good fit for Guelph who are in need of such a player with the loss of Poitras due to him making the Bruins roster. Though Ludwinski isn’t the same level of Poitras, he will pair well with the likes of Bowman and Namestnikov, while also add a lot of depth down the middle to the Storm as Luchanko likely would find himself as the third line center.

Donovan McCoy

McCoy is probably the best shutdown style defensemen on the market this year. He had a very successful playoff run last year, with 10 points and ending his championship run with a +12, most of which came from the Conference Finals and the OHL Finals. He is very dangerous in the neutral zone, forcing turnovers, while giving his opposition very little space. Any team looking to make a deep run this year will want McCoy, but I think it will be Saginaw that wins the arm race for him. The Spirit have been on a monstrous run the last month, but they still look young on the backend despite how much talent they have. Saginaw also has a lot of draft picks they are willing to spend, which is exactly what Peterborough is looking for.

Ty Nelson

Once he returns from the World Juniors, Nelson will continue to dominate the blueline. On a thin Battalion team that is in need of picks, he is the most valuable player to move. Nelson is an elite puck moving defensemen and the best one on the market, yet he still plays a physical game not being shy to lay a hit or put his body in the way to slow down the opposition. He put up 25 points in 20 games last year in the post season, 14 points of which came on the powerplay. With these stats in mind it makes sense for a team struggling on the powerplay to add Nelson, and that team is the Sudbury Wolves who are sitting at a 16.9% on the man advantage. With an add like Nelson they will address the main concern for this team, which is important as it often comes down to your specials team to win you playoff series.

Connor Punnett

The Colts number one on the blueline, Punnett is best OA on the market this year. With 27 points in 29 games on the 9th seed in the East coming out of the the holiday break, he’s already proven his value as a puck moving defensemen who can help run the play, he brings a physical presence on the ice, and is a proven leader (currently Barrie’s captain). Any team could benefit from adding Punnett but I expect him to stay in the East, joining the 67’s who have a very young, mind you also very talented, backend that he could help bolster while still generating more scoring.