Vancouver Giants Trade Cameron Schmidt to Victoria Royals: A Look at Recent Trades and Draft Picks
Cameron Schmidt, a former Vancouver Giants player, was traded to the Victoria Royals by the Seattle Thunderbirds in exchange for a draft pick and a fourth-rounder. Schmidt, who scored 51 goals last season, will now face his former team more frequently in the upcoming season. The Giants have faced the Royals eight times in each of the past three seasons, while their series with the Thunderbirds has featured four games.
Schmidt, a Dallas Stars prospect, had a successful season with the Giants, finishing third in league scoring with 100 points in 72 games. He was traded to Seattle in January as part of a retooling effort by the struggling Vancouver side. The Giants received defenseman Kaleb Hartmann and several draft picks in the trade.
In another trade, the Giants exchanged their No. 2 overall draft pick with the Wenatchee Wild for the No. 3 pick and additional draft picks. Vancouver, which had a disappointing season, also held the No. 4 pick in the draft. The No. 2 pick was originally acquired in a trade involving forward Zack Ostapchuk.
The Kelowna Rockets retained the No. 1 draft pick and selected Madden Daneault, a talented center from the Under-15 Red Deer Rebels. The Wild then picked forward Parker McMillan from the Under-15 Yale Lions. Vancouver selected defenseman Eli Vickers and center Brayden Jugnauth with their back-to-back picks.
Jugnauth, who played at the Under-18 level this year, is eligible for 34 games with Vancouver due to an exception in the league rules. The Giants have made similar draft pick swaps in the past, including a trade in 2016 that led to the selection of defenseman Bowen Byram.
The Giants are currently without a general manager or coach, with former coach Michael Dyck rumored to be a potential candidate to fill these roles. Dyck previously led the Giants to the championship series in 2019 before joining the Toronto Marlies as an assistant coach. The Giants are looking to make significant changes this summer following a disappointing season.