Defending WHL champions also sign Mintos’ Fouquette
The Prince Albert Raiders have added an overage forward to their lineup as they acquired Brayden Watts from the Vancouver Giants on Tuesday afternoon for a fifth round pick in the 2021 Western Hockey League Bantam Draft.
Watts, who is from Bakersfield, Calif., had 38 points in 57 games for the Giants last year and had 10 points in 22 playoff contests in the team’s run to the league final.
A third round pick by the Moose Jaw Warriors in the 2014 WHL Bantam Draft, Watts has 100 points in 254 regular season games.
With the trade, the Raiders once again have four overagers on the roster as Watts joins 20-year-old blueliners Jeremy Masella, Zack Hayes and Max Martin.
Masella and Martin were both in the lineup this weekend against the Saskatoon Blades, while Hayes is currently attending the training camp for the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks.
The Giants, who dealt 20-year-old forward Jadon Joseph to the Moose Jaw Warriors on Sept. 14, also have four overagers in their lineup.
Like the Raiders, the team will have to part ways with one of of forwards Owen Hardy and Milos Roman, blueliner Dylan Plouffe and goaltender David Tendeck by Oct. 10.
Earlier in the day, the Raiders landed their second player from their 2019 draft selections as they signed defenceman Tre Fouquette to a standard player agreement.
The 15-year-old had 21 points in 27 games for his hometown Warman Wildcats last year and has suited up in two games for the Prince Albert Mintos so far this season.
He has also been named to Saskatchewan’s Under-16 team that will compete at the 2019 WHL Cup tournament in Calgary, Alta. from Oct. 20-27.
Fouquette joins first round pick Niall Crocker as those who have signed with the Raiders after being selected by them in May.
In other news, one-time Raiders import draft pick Dominik Bokk had his NHL rights dealt from the St. Louis Blues to the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday.
The German forward, who was the ninth overall pick in the 2017 CHL Import Draft but never came to Prince Albert, was dealt with defenceman Joel Edmundson and the Blues’ seventh round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft in exchange for blueliner Justin Faulk and the Hurricanes’ fifth round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft.
The 19-year-old, who was the 25th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, had 23 points for the Vaxjo Lakers in Sweden last season.
He has dressed in four games for Rogle this year.
