BLADES MAKE TRADE
Goalie deal solves problem
Colin Priestner swapped goalies and solved a problem on Wednesday.
The Saskatoon Blades general manager — who has been carrying four 20-year-olds in a league that only allows three per team — found an escape Wednesday, dealing overage goaltender Logan Flodell to Swift Current for a fifth-round draft pick in 2019 and a secondrounder in 2020.
He then acquired 19-year-old workhorse goalie Ryan Kubic from the Vancouver Giants for a 2019 second-round pick.
“It’s been looming over my head for six months,” Priestner said after swinging the twin deals.
“I’ve known it’s coming, and we’ve been talking about it for ages with our managers and scouts and staff. We’ve had a hundred different ideas, and I’ve talked to 21 different teams about different things. And now, to know who our 20-year-olds are ... I feel really good about (it).”
The deal allows Saskatoon to keep overage forwards Braylon Shmyr and Cameron Hebig, along with defenceman Evan Fiala, who was recently named team captain.
Shmyr led the team with 35 goals, 31 assists and 66 points in 66 games last season.
Hebig missed all season with an injury after potting 26 goals and 69 points the previous campaign.
Priestner talked with various teams about both Shmyr and Hebig, but he said the return wasn’t enough — especially because he would have been giving up a big chunk of scoring on a team that managed just 190 goals last season, third worst in the league.
“(We had a) need to not lose a 40-goal scorer for a draft pick, which is basically the market right now for Hebig or Shmyr,” Priestner said.
“And with Hebig, it was conditional — there wasn’t a whole lot of interest because of his injury history. With Shmyr, there was lots of interest, but all the teams that wanted to add Shmyr wanted to add scoring without giving any up. That’s not something we were interested in doing.
“We have a lot of draft picks and great prospects, and we needed to do something that addressed today’s roster. I feel we’re much better offensively now, with this situation, and Kubic’s going to come in and have a good, solid season for us. We feel the extra goals Shmyr and Hebig will bring on a line together is really exciting.”
Priestner’s plan is to play Shmyr and Hebig on the team’s top line, taking pressure off talented youngsters like Kirby Dach and Chase Wouters.
Flodell, who Priestner holds in high regard, heads to Swift Current after putting together a 2.81 goalsagainst average and three shutouts in 48 games with the Blades last season.
Kubic represented Canada at the world under-17 championship in 2014, and played the last two seasons on a Giants team with a shaky defensive corps. He played 56 games in 2016-17, with a 3.67 goals-against average. The season before, he appeared in 50 games, including a streak that saw him post three straight shutouts.
He was one of four viable goalies in Vancouver’s camp this year, and they opted to deal him for the second-round pick.
Priestner thinks the Blades’ defensive unit will “give (Kubic) a bump statistically,” adding that the day’s deals met with the approval of his coaching staff.
“They told me, in no uncertain terms over the last week, that if you can get this done, please do it, because it makes us better this year and next year,” Priestner said. “They were unanimous that they wanted this deal done.”
We have a lot of draft picks and great prospects, and we needed to do something that addressed today’s roster. I feel we’re much better offensively now.