Junior hockey deals don't get much bigger than this. And a top Flyers prospect is the headliner.
Flyers prospect Travis Konecny, captain of the Ottawa 67's, was traded on Wednesday to the Sarnia Sting along with forward Sam Studnicka for Sasha Chmelevski, Chase Campbell and eight OHL draft picks.
Rest assured, Flyers fans, Konecny is still property of the Flyers and did sign an entry-level contract with the team in July.
Konecny, who is returning from the World Junior Championship with Team Canada, had one goal and one assist at the tournament and has seven goals and 38 assists in 29 games with Ottawa this season.
The deal comes as the Ottawa 67's begin a rebuilding process in the OHL. Konecny was named Rookie of the Year two seasons ago, when he registered 70 points in 63 games and was named the team's captain for the 2014-15 season. The 18-year-old was also the first winner of the E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence, presented to the prospect who "best exemplifies the commitment to excellence through strength of character, competitiveness and athleticism."
Konecny scored one goal and added an assist in two preseason games with the Flyers, and is highly regarded as a prospect that could potentially make the team next season. If that does not happen, and Konecny returns to the OHL next season, Ottawa gets two more conditional picks.
The former first overall pick of the OHL Draft heads to a Sarnia team owned and coached by former Flyer Derian Hatcher.
Konecny joins fellow 2015 first-round pick Pavel Zacha, selected sixth overall by the New Jersey Devils, and 2016 NHL Draft eligible defenseman Jakob Chychrun on the Sting. Konecny will make his debut with Sarnia on Friday night when the Sting host the Owen Sound Attack.
Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Durso.
