Sea Dogs complete five trades ahead of QMJHL deadline
SAINT JOHN, N.B. – The Saint John Sea Dogs completed five transactions prior to the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League trade deadline Tuesday.
“Our approach to this trade period was to improve in the short term while setting us up for significant success in the upcoming seasons,” Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie said. “Our group is both talented and young. We were the youngest team in the QMJHL in the first half, so we prioritized adding experience either in the league, at the international level or otherwise. We wanted to add players that bring a different element and play with identity. We feel as though we accomplished this and set ourselves up nicely for the future.”
First, the Sea Dogs acquired goaltender Arseni Radkov from the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in exchange for a 2027 third-round pick. An 18-year-old from Mogilev, Belarus, Radkov was selected 82nd overall in the third round of the 2025 NHL draft by the Montreal Canadiens and attended their rookie camp in September. The six-foot-four, 203-pound netminder registered 12 wins, along with a .894 save percentage and a 3.01 goals-against average, in 23 games with the Armada this season.
“Arseni is a goalie that we have had interest in since the Import Draft and have continued to follow,” Georgie said. “He brings international experience and has already lived through the pressures of his draft year, and the rigours of an NHL rookie camp. He is also only 18 and in his first season of hockey in North America. We plan to be patient with him.”
Saint John then traded a 2027 sixth-round pick to the Gatineau Olympiques for 20-year-old forward and 2025 Gilles-Courteau Trophy champion Maxime Côté. The six-foot, 167-pound left winger has 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 29 games this season. Côté is a QMJHL veteran with 40 games of playoff experience, including four games at the Memorial Cup.
“We loved Max last season, in the playoffs and the Memorial Cup,” Georgie said. “He brings a lot of experience and identity to our group. He plays hard, can contribute offensively, and brings a level of physicality and competitiveness that will push others around him.”
The Sea Dogs also acquired Swedish defenceman Carl-Otto Magnusson and two second-round picks from the Moncton Wildcats in exchange for defenceman Max Vilén and goaltender Justin Robinson. A six-foot-seven, 230-pound blueliner from Onsala, Sweden, Magnusson has eight points (one goal, seven assists) in 31 games this season. The 19-year-old was part of Sweden’s roster for the 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase in July and attended the Detroit Red Wings training camp in September.
“Max Vilén was a significant piece of our defence core, but we had the opportunity to add Carl-Otto and two very valuable second-round picks,” Georgie added. “Carl-Otto will bring size and pro experience from both Sweden and the NHL. Second-round selections are hard to acquire, and these will be key assets for our future.”
Moments before the deadline, Saint John added a pair of 18-year-olds in separate deals. Defenceman Bo Damphousse was acquired from the Armada, with forward Elliot Dubé going the other way. Damphousse, the 26th overall pick in the 2023 QMJHL draft, has 11 points (one goal, 10 assists) in 36 games this season. He is the son of former NHL player Vincent Damphousse.
“You can never have too much on defence and after trading Max, we wanted to add some experience,” Georgie said. “Bo becomes the defenceman on our team with the most QMJHL games played and he is still only 18 years old. He grew up with several players on our team and will fit right in.”
The final move of the day saw the Sea Dogs acquire former 18th overall pick Jabez Seymour from the Charlottetown Islanders in exchange for sixth- and eighth-round picks in 2028. A product of North River, N.L., Seymour has seven points (five goals, two assists) in 36 games this season.
“We have liked Jabez for a long time, dating back to his draft year in 2023,” Georgie said. “When he is at his best, he is consistently bringing physicality to the game and is hard to play against. There is an obvious Newfoundland connection there with Travis (head coach Travis Crickard) and Mark (assistant coach Mark Lee), and we look forward to seeing what he can do with this opportunity.”
“Trade periods are always challenging as you get to know and appreciate players as athletes and off the ice as people,” Georgie said. “Whether they are here for a long time like Jacob (Beaulieu), Justin (Robinson), Elliot (Dubé), and Egan (Beveridge), or a shorter time like Max (Vilén), Patryk (Zubek), and Justin (Gendron), it is always challenging, and we wish each of them the very best with their new teams and opportunities.”
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