CHL Trade Roundup: Sale, Toure, Sobolev, Thornton
The CHL Trade Deadline is set to hit on Wednesday and there have been several big moves made already that have involved NHL prospects. Several more have happened today; here’s a rundown of those moves.
- Kraken prospect Eduard Sale has been acquired by OHL Kitchener along with blueliner Olivier Savard in exchange for forward Kyle Morey, defenseman Blair Scott, and eight draft picks, reports Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek (Twitter link). Sale was the 23rd pick back in June and is in his first season in North America where he has struggled a bit, notching just 20 points in 25 games with the Colts. He was more of a factor for Czechia at the World Juniors, picking up seven points in as many contests.
- A Senators blueliner is on the move as Windsor picked up Djibril Toure from Sudbury for a pair of draft picks. The 20-year-old signed with Ottawa as an undrafted free agent back in September. Toure, who stands 6’7, has been a shutdown defenseman at the OHL level but still has 12 points in 24 appearances this season.
- While Brantford was selling with yesterday’s Jorian Donovan trade, they also added to their roster, acquiring Canadiens blueline prospect Danill Sobolev for forward Masen Wray and defenseman Callum Cheynowski. Sobolev was a fifth-round pick by Montreal in 2021 (142nd overall) and has been a shutdown defender in his three junior seasons. He’ll be too old for junior hockey next season and it remains to be seen if Montreal will look to find a place for him in their system.
- Coyotes goaltender Anson Thornton’s junior rights have been moved from OHL Barrie to Niagara for a conditional draft choice. The 20-year-old signed as an undrafted free agent with Arizona 2021 but has missed most of the year with an injury, being limited to just four appearances with AHL Tucson where he has a save percentage of just .849.
Ottawa Senators Sign Djibril Touré To Entry-Level Deal
The Ottawa Senators have made their first official signing of the Michael Andlauer era. Late-blooming defenseman Djibril Touré has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the club.
Senators general manager Pierre Dorion issued the following statement regarding the signing:
Djibril’s growth over the last two years has been remarkable. He’s come a long way, from playing in the CCHL as recently as two seasons ago, to earn this contract. He’s a rangy defender who skates well and who has shown consistent improvement in his game.
This signing is an intriguing one, especially given that Touré has only one season of OHL hockey under his belt. Ranked 178th by NHL Central Scouting for the 2023 draft, Touré went undrafted in the 2023 process. Touré is clearly a player the Senators have been tracking, though, and after an impressive showing with the Senators in the prospect tournament in Buffalo he earns his entry-level deal.
The biggest reason as to why Touré is an intriguing player is undoubtedly his size. Touré stands six-foot-seven, and as a result has the type of reach and overpowering physical ability that can make life miserable for opposing attackers. He also is quite a bit more mobile than one might expect of someone his size, and Touré’s skating is at times genuinely impressive.
While he didn’t put up a ton of offense in his lone season for the Sudbury Wolves (16 points in 57 games) Touré’s abilities in his own end should give him a chance to succeed as a professional.
With this entry-level deal in hand, he’ll be able to take the ice for the Belleville Senators in the AHL this fall. He’ll look to continue to develop his game with an eye on eventually making a push for an NHL call-up.