Raiders hope to get the “Max” out of the Guhle trade
It should come as no surprise that the Prince Albert Raiders dealt their top defenseman Brendan Guhle. However the timing of the trade is at least a mild to moderate eye-opener. The fact Guhle played last Friday night against his future teammates whom he met after the contest was borderline bizarre.
When it became apparent the Raiders would likely miss the playoffs, the Brendan Guhle trade watch began and gained momentum with each loss. The majority of trades involving impact players for future prospects and draft choices usually happen at or around the Jan. 10 trade deadline.
However you can’t blame general manager Curtis Hunt for pulling the pin on the Prince Albert-Prince George proposition because of the principles involved. The Raiders did extremely well in the deal.
The 17-year-old Max Martin brings an impressive resume as a puck moving defenseman which includes a Provincial Bantam AAA championship, and second team all-star selection the next season in the Manitoba Major Midget hockey league. The Cougars second round draft choice, 27th overall, in 2014 was also captain of the Manitoba U-16 team and would have played in the World U-17 challenge last season if not for an injury.