Michael McCarron Traded to the Oshawa Generals

After some speculation, it has been announced that Montreal Canadiens 2013 first round pick Michael McCarron, alongside defender Dakota Mermis, has been traded to the OHL Eastern Conference-leading Oshawa Generals. In return, the London Knights will add Cliff Pu (the 16th overall pick in the 2014 OHL Priority Selection), two-way centre, Josh Sterk, and a trio of draft picks.

The news comes shortly after Oshawa announced the acquisition of Brent Pedersen, a powerful, two-way winger for a pair of seconds, a third, and two conditional picks. It’s clear that with these deals, Oshawa is preparing to make a Memorial Cup run.

Oshawa is currently tied with Connor McDavid and Dylan Strome’s Erie Otters for first in the entire OHL. With a staggering 27-5-1-0 record, Oshawa owns an incredible 0.833 winning percentage. With the acquisition of one of the top two-way and powerforwards in the OHL in Michael McCarron, it’s tough to see the club slowing down any time soon.

Josh Sterk, a key part of this deal, centred New York Islanders 5th overall pick Michael Dal Colle. Until December, McCarron played with the highly-skilled Max Domi (afterwards McCarron played with Aaron Berisha and one of John Warren and Zach Grzelewski), racking up the points and emerging as a dominant force in the OHL. It’s quite likely that he will take Sterk’s place on the line, and play alongside Dal Colle, who is producing at a near two point-per-game clip.

If that doesn’t come to fruition, McCarron will still be surrounded by plenty of talent. Vancouver Canucks 2013 third rounder Cole Cassels has amassed 39 points in just 23 games, while Calgary Flames 2014 second rounder, Hunter Smith has picked up 27 points in 32 games. Ottawa Senators prospect Tobias Lindberg provides size and speed, and has impressed in his OHL rookie year. Anthony Cirelli, Bradley Latour, and Brent Pedersen all add solid secondary scoring. Additionally, McCarron has played a variety of roles on the powerplay (in front of the net, in the slot, in the corner, and top of the circle) and has performed extremely well in all them. He should slide right into the first powerplay unit.

Sophomore defender, and occasional centre, Mitchell Vande Sompel, provides explosive offence to a defensive core made up of a number of highly capable players in Josh Brown, Chris Carlisle, Stephen Desrochers, Will Petschenig, and now Dakota Mermis. Goaltender Ken Appleby as arguably been the best in his position in the OHL this year, posting a 0.923 SV% and a CHL-leading 2.11 GAA.

Furthermore, head coach D.J. Smith implements one of the most structured systems in the entire OHL, arguably even more so than the London Knights. The rigidity in London’s team has been a contributing factor to McCarron’s success, as it allows him to orchestrate extended periods of offensive zone time. Oshawa is similar in that sense, as they thrive on sustained pressure and working the puck along the boards. Smith also demands all of his forwards to play an accountable two-way game, which McCarron does extremely well.

McCarron has seen a period of tremendous growth this season, posting 40 points in just 25 games, eclipsing his total 34 in 66 last year. The hulking powerforward came into the season with tremendously improved skating, passing, and confidence. McCarron has emerged as a top two-way centre in the league, while upping the physical intensity and dominating along the boards and around the net. Additionally, he has been quite the sniper, scoring 21 goals, including 19 in his last 19 games, from all ranges thanks to a deadly shot that has been continually improving. For more on McCarron’s improvement check out: The Emergence of Michael McCarron.

Not even 24 hours ago, McCarron exploded for a six-point game, scoring three times and adding three assists.

Considering Michael McCarron’s success, it’s tough to imagine that slowing down this year. McCaron has proven to be a high-end scorer at the OHL level this first half of the season, and will be surrounded by an Oshawa Generals team that might not be quite as offensively-gifted as London, but appears to be a perfect match for McCarron. Oshawa leads the OHL’s Eastern Conference by 11 points–they clearly are the beast of the East–and they look as good of a bet as any to claim the OHL’s Memorial Cup berth.