In case you’ve missed it, there’s been a plethora of trade rumours making their way around the OHL this week with the drama peaking as a result of Ryan Spooner’s trade request from the Peterbourgh Petes. The 18 year old former 5th Overall Pick back in the 2008 OHL Priority Selection reportedly made his request to General Manager Dave Reid recently and was sent home by the club yesterday to await an impending deal to another OHL club.

For those who don’t know much about Spooner, the Kanata native was selected in the 2nd round, 45th overall, last summer by the Boston Bruins and is regarded as one of the most potent offensive players in the OHL right now. Coming off a highly successful first foray into an NHL camp where Spooner was one of the Bruins’ last cuts, expectations were high for the third year forward, but amidst a season of frustration for the Petes, Spooner made it known that he wanted the opportunity to play for a contender instead of going through a third season of rebuilding in Peterborough.

I’m not here to argue the merit of his request or to take a stance on trade requests in the OHL as it’s obviously a very touchy subject and one that always factors in a new set of circumstances. Instead, I’m going to try to break down some of the potential landing spots for Spooner and which teams could make a serious play for his services. Bear in mind that Spooner does have a No Trade Clause (NTC) and it has been reported that he has given a list of teams to Reid to work with, but that won’t factor into this analysis. Reid has also stated that the Petes will be looking for a quality 1993DOB to be a part of any package coming back to Peterborough, which is also something to consider.

Eastern Conference

Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors

The Majors are the well documented host of the Memorial Cup this season, and despite boasting a very solid roster from top to bottom, you have to figure that General Manager Dave Cameron will be making a play for some impact talent at some point this season. Spooner would provide the Majors with a legitimate offensive jolt and would allow Justin Shugg to return to the wing, giving a 1-2 punch of Cizikas and Spooner down the middle. Mississauga does have some attractive pieces for the Petes, namely defensemen Stuart Percy and Dylan DeMelo, a pair of 17 year old defenders. Percy would likely be a good starting piece for a potential deal and along with a forward like Riley Brace and some picks, Cameron could put together a solid package.

Kingston Frontenacs

This is a bit of a make or break season for Kingston as they stand to lose most of their high end talent next year including Ethan Werek, Nathan Moon, Erik Gudbranson, Taylor Doherty and Philipp Grubauer. Suffice to say, it’s a safe bet that GM Larry Mavety will be looking to bolster his club this season via the trade market. One potential move that could have some legitimacy is dealing Alan Quine west along the 401. Quine, the 2nd overall pick in 2009, has been a bit of an underachiever thus far in Kingston and hasn’t quite been the focus of an offense centered around Gudbranson and Werek. This move could be a good change of scenery for Quine and Kingston likely wouldn’t have to add too much else to a potential trade package, although they do have some 17 and 18 year olds who could be incorporated as well as a draft pick.

Ottawa 67′s

Arguably the most likely destination for Spooner is his hometown Ottawa 67′s. A team that is desperately looking for an upgrade on its powerplay and another legitimate scoring threat, Ottawa is a good fit and has the pieces to make a deal happen. In the 17 year old group, the 67′s have Cody Ceci who played minor hockey in Peterborough, as well as some quality forwards such as Tyler Graovac and Steven Janes. A framework like this would certainly attract the attention of Dave Reid, but GM Brian Kilrea will need to determine what price he is willing to pay. Barring Spooner making the NHL at 19, he would also be a fixture up front on a team that will be returning a ton of talent in 2011/2012 as well, making it a good two year fit for the 67s.

Western Conference

Saginaw Spirit

The Spirit currently sit atop the Western Conference, but I can’t see them as being a likely suitor for Spooner. A team that is pretty deep up the middle especially with the recent addition of Matthew Sisca probably won’t be looking to disrupt the flow much more right now. GM Todd Watson could make some noise if he was willing to deal a player like Trocheck for Spooner, but on the surface I really can’t see a whole lot of benefit for Saginaw from that type of deal. I doubt they’re in the mix.

Kitchener Rangers

The Rangers are being tossed around in some rumblings as being a landing spot, but I’m not sure if they have what it takes to get a deal done. Beyond Ryan Murphy they’re next best 93 is Tobias Rieder and I can’t see them being too keen on trading a European player they worked hard to bring over, and I’m sure the Petes might be slightly leery about getting one back as the centerpiece of a blockbuster deal. Beyond that, I’m not sure Spooner is a great fit in Kitchener anyways. The Rangers have no shortage of firepower up front, but the team lacks size and physicality with their key players. Spooner will not alleviate any of those problems, which is why GM Steve Spott will likely look to spend his assets elsewhere to add a few players that can bring those roles to his club.

Guelph Storm

Guelph is a team that is definitely going to be throwing all their chips in this season as the Storm stand to lose Peter Holland, Taylor Beck, Michael Latta, Daniel Maggio among others. The Storm also have a few pieces including Carter Sandlak that will allow them to be proactive on the trade front. Spooner could be an option for them if they want to take that route, but I have a feeling the Storm are more intent on making a play for Kassian and/or Ellis, or Kyle Clifford if he is returned to Barrie.

Erie Otters

Despite currently sitting last place in the West, I think Erie will be trying to make a splash this season and Spooner would be a great fit as a two year player. Erie has a lot of young players and draft picks that they can move, including a guy like David Broll; so the pieces are in place to make something happen. Adding Spooner to the lineup and getting some of their injured players back such as Andrew Yogan, Anthony Luciani and Shawn Szydlowski could prove to be a major spark for the Otters to be a dark-horse team. Now will Spooner report to Erie, well that’s another question.

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Overall, the Spooner situation promises to be an interesting one to follow at least. Not often are marquee players dealt with an extra year left of eligibility and with the amount of teams that will be in the mix for his services, there’s no doubt that it will be intriguing to see how Dave Reid plays his cards and what he is able to land in return for Spooner.

Tags: Ryan Spooner

About the Author: Scott Campbell

Scott, 23, is the Managing Editor for TSR after helping to found the site in 2009. A 2010 graduate from Laurentian University's Sports Administration program, Scott currently attends Indiana State University as a graduate student majoring in Sports Management.