OHL Record Trade: 17 Draft Picks in Exchange for a Single Player

Mathis Therrien
OHL Record Trade: 17 Draft Picks in Exchange for a Single Player
Credit: Capture d'écran OHL

Trades in the junior leagues—especially in the Canadian leagues—can often be very different from those we see in the National Hockey League.

Players with high potential—and sometimes others we don't quite know yet—are traded for absolutely mind-blowing returns.

Well, we witnessed a new record-breaking trade yesterday in the OHL.

The trade took place between the Brampton Steelheads and the Sudbury Wolves, with the Wolves acquiring forward Tanner Adams in exchange for 15 draft picks.

Two additional compensation picks were sent to the Steelheads, bringing the total number of picks received in return to 17.

That's a mind-boggling number—here's the breakdown:

  • 4 picks in the 2027 draft: second, third, fifth, and tenth rounds
  • 4 picks in the 2028 draft: second, third, fourth, and fifth rounds
  • 4 picks in the 2029 draft: second, third, fourth, and sixth rounds
  • 3 picks in the 2030 draft: second, fifth, and sixth rounds

As for the two compensatory picks, they represent the compensation a team receives when its top-5 draft pick does not play for that same team.

These picks are the fifth overall in 2027 and a second-round pick, which will normally be the 43rd overall.

As for Tanner Adams, who was the Steelheads' third overall pick in the last draft, he is a 6-foot-1, 16-year-old center who recorded 88 points—including 34 goals—in 52 games in the AAA U16 league.

He clearly has tremendous potential, as he'll play two seasons in the OHL before becoming eligible for the NHL draft in 2028.

We'll certainly be keeping an eye on him in the coming months and years—after all, it's not every day that a player is traded for 15 draft picks.

Let's see if the Sudbury Wolves have made a good choice.


In a Nutshell

– Wow.

– That's a sight to behold.

– Definitely.

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