The Erie Otters are still looking for their first win of the 2023-24 season. They’re also looking for a spark. On Tuesday, they pulled off a major trade hoping to get momentum back on their side.
The Otters acquired overage goaltender Benjamin Gaudreau from the Sarnia Sting in exchange for Nolan Lalonde, a 2026 third rounder, a 2027 fourth rounder and a 2027 sixth rounder. Lalonde was ultimately traded to the Saginaw Spirit afterwards.
From an Otters’ perspective, their goal was simple. They needed to address their goals against while bringing in a leader who can help their younger players along.
What Otters Are Getting in Gaudreau
Gaudreau has enjoyed success at different levels. Most notably, his play on the International stage has stood out. Here’s GM Dave Brown on what his team is getting.
“We are thrilled to be adding a goaltender with a considerable amount of experience in the OHL, and internationally, a two-time gold medalist with Hockey Canada’s National Program. Alongside his OHL playoff experience, Ben is proven to be up to the task. Equally important, Ben is someone we know will help lead this group, someone with great character, and someone we are excited to add to our group.”
While Gaudreau has enjoyed regular season success, it’s his playoffs that have set him apart. Over 22 career OHL playoff games, he has a 2.55 goals-against average an a .910 save percentage. He was selected in the third round of the 2021 NHL Draft by the San Jose Sharks.
Gaudreau also owns a pair of gold medals while representing Team Canada. He won gold at both the 2020-21 U-18’s as well as at the World Junior Championships last season.
How We Got to This Point
It was expected that Lalonde would get the majority of starts for the Otters given his experience. That expectation was seemingly coming true when the team elected to waive Kyle Downey. That left Lalonde and Jacob Gibbons as the duo in net.
But then allowing 24 goals in their first four games made the Otters take a hard look at their situation. It was apparent they needed to do something. They elected to trade for Gaudreau.
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The Otters came into the new season facing higher expectations. They haven’t been to the playoffs since winning the OHL Championship back when Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome were there. With elite young talent mixed with some good veterans, it seemed the Otters were heading in the right direction.
Defense and goaltending was going to be the question. It simply wasn’t good enough. They needed to bring in someone with experience who could be a true backstop. Gaudreau fits that description.
How was Gaudreau available? The Sting are in the midst of a rebuild of their own. This move was expected at some point. The Otters had the need and paid up.
Immediate Impact
First, Gaudreau will be able to mentor Gibbons. Gibbons came into the new season as the Otters’ goalie of the future. This should be invaluable experience.
Second, Gaudreau will be able to bring his leadership to the room. He’ll be able to tap into his vast experience to help the Otters’ leadership group grow while helping their young studs Malcolm Spence and Matthew Schaefer along as they continue to develop.
Third, Gaudreau should provide a major boost of confidence to his teammates. They should be able to play more freely knowing they have a solid backstop behind them.
Overall, it was a trade the Otters had to make. They addressed their biggest area of need while providing a major boost to the locker room.
Up next for the Otters is a three-game weekend. They are in Niagara Thursday night. They host Windsor Saturday night before heading to Mississauga on Sunday afternoon. They hope this trade will be the major spark they’ve been looking for.