Trade grades: Sceptres win PWHL's biggest deal yet

The Toronto Sceptres and Ottawa Charge swung the biggest trade in the PWHL's short history Monday night.

Defender Jocelyne Larocque and forward Victoria Bach were shipped by the Sceptres to Ottawa for defender Savannah Harmon and forward Hayley Scamurra.

Larocque and Harmon have two years left on their contracts, while Scamurra and Bach are free agents at season's end.

Players combining for five Olympic medals and 22 at the World Championship were swapped in a seismic move for both franchises. Here, we break down the blockbuster and hand out grades to both teams.

Sceptres

Much has been made about the Sceptres' ties to Hockey Canada. General manager Gina Kingsbury and head coach Troy Ryan hold the same positions with the Canadian women's national team, and Toronto's roster boasts numerous players who feature on the national squad.

But when push came to shove, Kingsbury and Co. chose to improve the Sceptres by adding two Americans instead of keeping a Canadian national team stalwart.

The decision to trade Larocque, who wore an "A" on her jersey in Toronto, would have taken a lot of convincing, which is evident by the return.

Harmon is seven years younger than Larocque. A legitimate top-pairing defender, she led the Charge in ice time last season and had been doing so again in the early going of this campaign. The Charge selected Harmon fifth overall in the first PWHL draft.

Harmon offers more offensive upside than Larocque. She totaled three goals and 12 points last season, though she has been held pointless through six contests this campaign. Her ability to transport the puck will greatly aid the Sceptres' in breaking out of their defensive zone, which has been an area of concern.

The 29-year-old is likely to factor into the Sceptres' power play going forward, as her ability with the numerical advantage was noted by Kingsbury in the post-trade press release. If Harmon steps onto the top unit, it could ease Renata Fast's overall workload.

Scamurra adds to Toronto's embarrassment of riches up front. The 30-year-old has yet to register a point this season, but her track record likely makes this a blip on the radar. She racked up 91 shots on goal last season - fourth most in the PWHL - but managed only five goals and 10 points.

The Buffalo native's two-way prowess and ability to play both wings allow her to feature on any line and in many different situations. She's won her five-on-five minutes 12-10 in 30 total PWHL games, which is identical to Sceptres captain Blayre Turnbull.

The Sceptres gave up a significant piece in Larocque but got back a top-pairing defender to replace her minutes, plus a notable upgrade at forward. Toronto adds overall value today, and the long-term prospects of Harmon and Scamurra are greater than those of the outgoing players given Larocque's age and Bach's awkward fit.

Grade: A

Charge

Larocque ranked No. 19 on theScore's list of the top 25 PWHL players entering the season, and the Sceptres selected her second overall in the inaugural PWHL draft. She collected 10 points in 23 games last season and has two assists through six contests this campaign.

The veteran is one of the league's best defensive defenders when on her game. However, Larocque has fallen short of her lofty standards early this season. She's been on the ice for six goals against at five-on-five this season, which was the most among Toronto players.

It's impossible to ignore Larocque's age as her results start to slip, even in a small sample. She's 36 years old and will turn 37 before the Walter Cup is handed out. She's the league's oldest player, and Father Time is undefeated.

It's reasonable to expect Larocque to rebound, though, and a top four featuring her, Jincy Roese, Aneta Tejralova, and Ronja Savolainen will be a nightmare for opposing teams. General manager Mike Hirshfeld has made his team much harder to play against this season.

Bach is a fascinating add for Ottawa. The 28-year-old struggled to find a fit in Toronto's lineup this season and has much more offensive upside than what she's been able to produce in limited minutes. Bach has one goal through six contests after scoring two goals and five points in 16 games last season.

She has chemistry with Charge forward Rebecca Leslie, which could be an early look for Ottawa. Bach and Leslie often featured together on the Sceptres' fourth line last season, connecting for Toronto's only goal in Game 5 of the PWHL semifinals. The two were also superb together at Boston University.

A straight swap of Harmon and Larocque would've been closer to fair value. Scamurra's inclusion swings the deal in favor of the Sceptres. Still, the trade improves Ottawa's defensive game - a clear goal - and Bach has untapped potential.

Grade: B-