Peterborough Petes trade Ryan Merkley to London Knights
The Petes had acquired Merkley from the Guelph Storm midway through the 2018-19 season.
San Jose Sharks 2018 first-round pick, defenseman Ryan Merkley has been traded to the London Knights, the Peterborough Petes announced Thursday evening. The Petes received Priority Selection Picks in return for the right-handed blueliner.
Merkley joined the Petes in the middle of last season in exchange for draft picks and forward Pavel Gogolev from the Guelph Storm. The Storm had originally drafted him into the OHL in 2016. In two and a half seasons, Merkley finished with 171 points for the Storm.
He recorded 32 points (9 goals, 23 assists) in 35 games with the Petes.
Following the end of the Petes’ season, Merkley joined the San Jose Barracuda for six games — two regular season games and four playoff appearances. He did not record any points.
Merkley appeared in the first game of the 2019 preseason for the Sharks. He recorded two assists in 17 minutes of ice time and saw just over a minute of power play time. He also had to go through concussion protocol following the game.