CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — The Charlottetown Islanders have added another big piece as they load up for a two-year run at the President Cup.
Charlottetown acquired 18-year-old centre Patrick Guay and a fifth-round pick from the Sherbrooke Phoenix in exchange for 17-year-old centre Justin Gill and the Isles’ first-round picks in 2022 and 2023.
“We think he’s that offensive, playmaking centreman that all top teams have to have,” Isles head coach and general manager Jim Hulton said.
The Isles then flipped the fifth-round pick to the Gatineau Olympiques for right-shot defenceman Braeden Virtue, who turns 20 on Friday. Charlottetown (12-2-0-0) is tied with Val-d’Or (10-1-2-2) for the league-lead in points but has played one fewer game.
Guay, who was taken one pick after Charlottetown selected Lukas Cormier fourth overall at the 2018 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League draft, has two goals and two assists in five games this season.
“Had Lukas been selected prior to us picking, Patrick was the guy we were going to take,” Hulton said. “We had done extensive background checks and homework on him. We really liked him then and his career hasn't disappointed.”
The five-foot-nine, 178-pound pivot had 21 goals and 19 assists in 55 games a year ago. He was not selected in the 2020 NHL draft. He is the younger brother of Nicolas Guay, who played last season with Saint John and Rimouski, after being the captain in Drummondville for two seasons. He’s now at UNB. The brothers are both noted for their higher character and leadership qualities.
“We think he’s a bonafide, elite, top centreman in this league and will continue to be for a couple of seasons,” Hulton said.
The most attractive part for the Islanders was Guay’s age.
“At 18, he fits in perfectly to what we consider to be a highly competitive window here for two years,” Hulton said. “We paid, we paid heavily, but we think the years of service justify the price.”
Gill, a six-foot, 197-pound centre from Montreal, had three goals and seven assists in 14 games this season, primarily playing with Cédric Desruisseaux and Patrick LeBlanc. The Isles selected Gill in the second round (32nd overall) of 2019 draft.
“This was unfortunately the price. When you’re acquiring quality, you have to give up quality and we did.”
Hulton has been a big fan of Gill since the draft. Hulton sees similarities with Gill to when the Isles had to part ways with Mitchell Balmas and Shawn Boudrias in 2017, knowing they were going to be really good players as they aged.
Virtue, a six-foot-one, 192-pound mobile defenceman, was on the Isles’ list of potential targets six weeks ago as they looked to improve their back end. The blue-liner from Hartford, Conn., had 12 points and 83 penalty minutes in 56 games last season.
“We’re hoping to build a team that has the capability to go on a long playoff run and you can never have enough defencemen,” Hulton said.
The team currently has eight and may carry that many the rest of the way as the COVID-19 pandemic has created numerous variables, including quarantining after crossing provincial borders.
“With the uncertainty around (affiliate players), a lot of teams are looking at carrying upwards of 25 guys to get through this,” Hulton said.
Sunday’s deal was the third big trade Charlottetown and Sherbrooke have completed in the past 13 months. Charlottetown sent 19-year-old defenceman Xavier Bernard to Sherbrooke a year ago while the Phoenix flipped 19-year-old forward Bailey Peach to the Island on Dec. 20. Peach and Guay have played together on the same line in Sherbrooke.
Charlottetown also added 19-year-old defenceman Sean Stewart in a deal with the Moncton Wildcats on Dec. 28.
Through all the deals, Charlottetown still has picks in each of the first six rounds in the 2021 draft, including the coveted first-round selection they acquired from Drummondville for Pierre-Olivier (P.O.) Joseph in 2018.
The trade window closes on Jan. 25.
Guay and Virtue are expected to travel to P.E.I. on Monday and begin their 14-day quarantines.
