CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – The Charlottetown Islanders have boosted their offence by adding Daniel Hardie from the Saint John Sea Dogs while trading Samuel Meisenheimer to the Chicoutimi Sagueneens.
Both forwards are 19-year-old Ontario residents. The deals were announced on Saturday, the final day of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League trade period.
Islanders head coach and general manager Jim Hulton said Hardie has a track record of producing offence. He has 12 goals and 18 assists for 30 points in 37 games this season.
“He’s now our second leading scorer,” Hulton said on Saturday afternoon. “We think he brings a bit more offence, a little different dynamic than what Sam brought.”
The first deal saw the Isles send a seventh-round pick in this year’s draft with Meisenheimer to Chicoutimi for Gatineau’s fourth-rounder in 2018. The Islanders then flipped the fourth and their own fifth in this year’s draft to the Sea Dogs for Hardie.
Hardie, a five-foot-10, 185-pound left-winger, had 18 goals and 38 points in 45 games last season in Rimouski. He also has four goals and nine assists on the power play this season.
“Those become important numbers for us as we move forward,” Hulton said.
Meisenheimer, who turns 20 on Wednesday, has eight goals and 14 assists for 22 points in 36 games this season. The Viking, Alta., native who calls the Ottawa area home was acquired during the off-season from Moncton. The Islanders sent goalie Mark Grametbauer and an eight-round pick to Moncton for Meisenheimer, defenceman Noah Massie, third- and fifth-round picks in 2017 and a third in 2018.
Earlier this month, the Islanders acquired overage forward Cam Askew from Shawinigan and forward Derek Gentile from Quebec in deals for Matthew Grouchy and Gregor MacLeod. They also reached a deal with their top pick from the 2017 draft, Brett Budgell, to join the club after he started the season with Chicago of the United States Hockey League.
“We look at our goals for and against column (and today’s deal) continues on the same theme as Askew and Gentile,” Hulton said. “We brought in three, and with Budgell four, guys now that are going to help improve our offence while continuing our identity.”
The Islanders were able to accomplish their trades without touching their top three picks in this year’s draft. They hold Val-d’Or’s pick in the first round and Moncton’s third. Their own second-round pick is frozen until the off-season. If Nicolas Meloche returns to junior, Charlottetown sends the pick to Gatineau. If Alex Dostie doesn’t return to Charlottetown, Gatineau sends a second to Charlottetown. Both are playing pro and are not expected to be back in junior. It would result in the Islanders having two seconds, but their own will go to Sherbrooke in return for the second- and third-round picks in 2019 Charlottetown sent to acquire defenceman Carl Neill last season. The original deal for Neill was seconds in 2019 and 2020, a third in 2019 and an eighth in 2018 because the Islanders second in 2018 was frozen in the Meloche deal. It will end up being a second and an eighth in 2018 and a second in 2020.
There is a conditional fifth-round pick in 2020 attached to the Saint John deal based on the number of games Hardie plays during the next 1 ½ seasons. Hardie could return as an overage player in 2018-19.
Hulton is hoping to have Hardie in the lineup Sunday for the 3 p.m. game with the Moncton Wildcats. There is an outside chance Gentile could also make his debut. He took a stick in the eye a week ago, but has steadily improved and was going to see the doctor on Saturday to determine if he would be cleared to play.
