Trade Period Flashback, 2010-11

Alex Noel. Acadie-Nouvelle photo.

The trading period is approaching so in preparation, Islanders Country will take a look at previous trade period movement made by the Rocket/Islanders.

Please note, seasons 2006-07 and beyond are archived by the QMJHL with full trades.

We will take a look at the trades the P.E.I. Rocket made during the 2010-11 trade period.

The trading period opened up approximately around Dec. 20 2010 and came to a close on Jan. 6, 2011.

It was actually a fairly quiet trading period for the Rocket, as they made three trades during the trading period and made a trade one week prior.

On Dec. 13, the Rocket acquired 18-year-old forward Olivier Croteau from the Gatineau Olympiques for a 12th-round pick in 2011.

During the first day of the trading period, the Rocket traded forward Cody Linteau, 18, a fifth-round pick in 2012 a first-round Import pick in 2012 to Gatineau for fellow 18-year-old forward Alex Noel, a sixth-round pick in 2012 and a first-round Import pick in 2012.

Jean-Sebastien Founier with Cape Breton.
Journal Express photo.

On deadline day, the Islanders made two trades, both involving defencemen.

Defenceman Jean-Laurence Beauchemin, 19, was traded to the Montreal Junior (now Blainville-Boisbriand Armada) for Baie-Comeau's fifth-round pick in 2011.

With the departure of one defenceman, the Rocket then acquired Jean-Sebastien Fournier from Cape Breton for Lewiston's fifth-round pick in 2011 and a third-round pick in 2012.

Analysis:
The Rocket weren't winners, nor were they losers during this trade period. It was actually a pretty decent set of trades made.

Croteau brought a gritty and tough game to the Rocket's line-up and managed to score six goals and 11 points in 33 games. Croteau played the following year, scoring 15 goals and 34 points in 63 games. He can be compared to Jack Nevins, with less skill and not as tough. As for what was given up for Croteau, a 12th-round pick was nothing.

Acquiring Noel was the Rocket's best trade. Linteau was a third-liner at best and only managed four goals and 16 points in 74 games over a season and a half with the Rocket. Noel on the other hand was  a former 15th overall pick by the Val-d'Or Foreurs in 2008. In 62 games with Gatineau over the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons, Noel amassed 12 goals and 26 points. Noel scored 10 goals and 23 points in 31 games with the Rocket before scoring another 10 goals and 28 points in 66 games the following season.

Noel was not in Rocket's plans as an overage player in 2012-13. Linteau didn't play in the QMJHL after the 2010-11 season and later played Jr. A in Quebec.

Eric Lagine, who was the Rocket's head coach at the time, coached Noel in Val-d'Or.

Beauchemin was a steady stay-at-home defenceman who picked up three goals and nine points in 38 games with the Rocket. With the Junior, he scored one goal in 25 games and helped the team reach the second round of the playoffs. He would play CIS hockey the following season.

Fournier was an under-sized defenceman standing at only five-foot-nine and 179 pounds. In only the 29 games he played in a Rocket jersey, the offensive-defenceman scored two goals and 10 points. He was then traded to Drummondville the following off-season.

You can't really pick out a bad trade from this trading period, which is a good thing.

Stay tuned for the 2011-12 edition of Trade Period Flashback.