As the Hamilton Bulldogs get ready to resume their season against the Erie Otters, they have made a trade that will hopefully get them back on track. They have traded a fifth-round pick in 2018 to the Kitchener Rangers in exchange for goaltender Dawson Carty.
Bulldogs acquire goalie Dawson Carty from @OHLRangers exchange for 5th rd draft pick #blackandgoldunite
FULL STORY > https://t.co/LIHtGpyIyw— Hamilton Bulldogs (@BulldogsOHL) December 28, 2016
Carty has played 21 games for Kitchener this season with a record of 13-5-1-1. His goals against average is 3.23 and his save percentage is .902. Both the record and stats are better than the Bulldogs incumbent starter Kaden Fulcher. With the Bulldogs 2-8-0-2 in their last 12 games, General Manager Steve Staios is obviously trying to improve the team and get them into a better playoff position than they are in now. They have fallen to sixth in the Eastern Conference and are only four points ahead of the eighth-place Mississauga Steelheads.
Staios said this after acquiring the 20-year old Burlington native,
We are pleased to acquire Dawson Carty to the Bulldogs team… He provides us with veteran presence and playoff experience in net.
The Rangers had this to say about their departing goalie.
The Kitchener Rangers would like to thank Dawson for all his contributions – on and off the ice – as a member of our team. He has been an integral part of our recent success, including our run to the second round of last season’s playoffs… We wish Dawson the best as he moves on to complete his OHL career in Hamilton.
Carty was drafted by the Steelheads in the sixth-round of the 2012 OHL Priority Draft. He has went undrafted in the NHL. His career record is 38-18-3-5 with a GAA of 3.03 and a SV% of .901. Obviously this is a shorter-term move as he only has a season and a half of eligibility left but the Bulldogs need to improve now so it makes sense.
Our newest @BulldogsOHL goalie @dCarty1 meeting his new goalie coach in practice @FirstOntarioCU pic.twitter.com/tyoDF1mqJN
— Peggy Chapman (@PeggyChapman16) December 28, 2016
This acquisition does create a logjam in the Bulldogs crease. The 18-year old Fulcher will now presumably fall into the backup role. The incumbent backup Cole Ceci is now a third-stringer. Another trade could possibly be made to clear the logjam, but the goal right now is to improve the team so if they need to carry three goalies, they will.
According to the Bulldogs, Carty is expected to be in uniform against Erie tonight. Whether he gets the start remains to be seen.