Ever since being drafted ninth overall by the Saskatoon Blades in 2019, Brandon Lisowsky has done nothing but score big goals for the team.
That era has now come to an end, however, with Blades president and general manager Colin Priestner pulling the trigger on a trade sending Lisowsky to the west coast despite Saskatoon sitting first place in the East Division.
“This is obviously a bizarre situation to be trading off an all-time great Blade while you’re in first,” said Priestner.
“I get it, it’s weird. It’s not fun, I did not want to do this.”
Lisowsky and a 2028 fifth-round pick are heading to the Victoria Royals in exchange for fellow overage forward Tanner Scott, a second-round pick in 2025 and a second-round pick in 2028.
Even though it’s been a hot start over the first half of the season for the 20-11-2-2 Blades, Priestner said it was a move which had to be done.
“We don’t have any draft picks before this deal until the fourth round this year and we don’t have any draft picks in the year after that until the eighth round before today,” said Priestner.
“That’s not sustainable long-term. We’ve been in on most every player for seven years that comes available. At some point, you have to pay off the credit card.”
According to Priestner, the idea of Lisowsky potentially being traded mid-season was floated in the fall and was revisited over the holiday break.
It also comes on the heels of a recent move by the Blades, sending centre Lukas Hansen to the Calgary Hitmen in exchange for prospect forward Adam Halat.
Scoring 143 career goals in 256 regular season games, Lisowsky has etched his name into Blades history as he will finish his tenure in Saskatoon sitting fifth in franchise goal scoring.
It’s all been while overcoming challenges as one of the smallest players on the ice any given night.
“He’s a fantastic player that got a ton out of a five-foot-eight frame,” said Priestner. “To put up 140 or something goals with us, that’s pretty awesome.”
While the Blades were able to put pen to paper on a Lisowsky, deal, an even bigger trade may be on the way for the Blades with star defenceman Tanner Molendyk in Ottawa with Canada’s World Junior team.
Regarded as the biggest potential trade chip in the WHL this year, Priestner said it’s something the team is actively exploring in the coming days.
“He’s one of the best [defencemen] the Blades will ever have,” said Priestner. “Obviously we’re listening to offers on him; we’d be foolish not to in the situation we’re in. He’s the kind of guy that can yield you multiple, good assets.”
Taking over the Blades amid a five-year stretch without tasting the post-season, Priestner added it’s a scenario the team doesn’t want to be in again.
He stressed the importance of turning over the roster and prospect pool to younger talent without the usual boom-bust cycle of junior hockey.
“When you’ve been through five or six years of missing the playoffs and you see the market go to nothing where you can’t even give away tickets to your games, it’s not fun to be a part of,” said Priestner.
“It’s something we’ll never go through again, so whatever we have to do to make sure that doesn’t happen we will.”
The WHL trade deadline is set for Jan. 9, while the Blades will play their first game of the post-Lisowsky era on Friday hosting the Brandon Wheat Kings at 7:00 p.m. with Scott expected to make his Saskatoon debut.