The news around the Saskatoon Blades was about the present and the future.
The Blades made tweaks at the national deadline as they seek success this Western Hockey League season. On Friday night, the Blades clashed in Regina with the host Pats prevailing 7-4. The Blades were 1-2 last week. As of Sunday, the Saskatoon squad had a 27-8-2-1 record.
The NHL Central Scouting’s 2023 NHL Draft Mid-Season Ranking was released last week. Two Blades cracked the rankings. Defenceman Tanner Molendyk was 36th among North American skaters. The blueliner has five goals and 17 assists in 37 games. Playing for the Blades, Belarus’ Egor Sidorov was 86th on the North American skater rankings. In 27 games, the winger has collected 22 goals and 41 points.
In addition, the lineups for the 2023 NHL/CHL Top Prospects Game were also announced. Molendyk will suit up for Team White. The contest puts the major junior Canadian Hockey League’s top draft eligible talent on display.
The Blades fell 3-1 on Jan. 11 at home to the Portland Winterhawks before losing Friday to the Pats. Vaughn Watterodt had Saskatoon’s lone goal against Portland. It came on the powerplay.
Sidorov’s hattrick Saturday powered the Blades to a 4-2 victory over the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds 4-2. Wong scored in the first period. Seattle tied things up in the second, but then Sidorov lit the lamp once in that frame and twice in the third. The Thunderbirds got one back in the third. Blades goalie Austin Elliott made 30 saves on 32 shots.
At the trade deadline, the Blades bolstered their lineup by adding 2003-born forward Jake Chiasson. The Brandon Wheat Kings received a package of draft picks in return: a 2023 first-round pick, a 2025 second-round pick, and a conditional 2026 second-round selection.
Chiasson was selected by Edmonton Oilers in the fourth-round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. The 6-foot-2, 188-pounder from Abbotsford had 10 goals and 28 points in 37 games this season for the Wheaties.
The busy Blades have four games this week. They are in Moose Jaw Tuesday and then host the same Warriors on Wednesday. The Prince Albert Raiders visit Friday. Those two teams play in P.A. on Saturday.
