Blades solidify defensive corps ahead of training camp

The Saskatoon Blades are hoping to make another run at the WHL playoffs after adding a trio of defencemen this week.

Recognizing defence as his highest priority this off-season, Blades general manager Colin Priestner ticked that item off his checklist.

He landed WHL second-team all-star defenceman Scott Walford in a trade with the Victoria Royals on Wednesday before signing 2019 CHL import draftees Libor Zabransky and Radek Kucerik on Thursday.

Priestner was quick to act when Walford’s name began circulating in trade talks.

“I was expecting him to be the captain of that team,” Priestner said. “You don’t usually call on those type of guys because you usually don’t get past the first second of the call if you try and do that.”

Walford, 20, and a seventh-round draft pick in 2020 were sent to Saskatoon in exchange for fan-favourite 20-year-old Gary Haden, a fourth-round draft pick in 2022 and unsigned forward Riley Gannon.

Priestner sees Walford, who has amassed 120 points in 229 career WHL games, sliding into the Blades’ top pairing alongside Nolan Kneen.

“I think Walford comes in with more of an all-around game that has been established,” Priestner said. “We’re getting a complete No. 1 defenceman.

“The potential of those two guys (Kneen and Walford) being left-right shots, both 20-year-olds, that’s really exciting for our coaches and our team.”

For Walford, the lure of a championship makes the move to Saskatoon an easy adventure.

“I’m really excited for the opportunity, because looking at the roster, everyone has told me we have a really good chance to win this year,” Walford said the day after learning he was traded.

Like Kneen, Walford is a British Columbia product who has exclusively played hockey in his home province. One thing his hockey career hasn’t prepared him for is a winter on the prairies.

“I’ve heard of real winter before, (but) I can’t say I’ve experienced it,” he said, mentioning his only taste of snowy weather was in Penticton and Kelowna. “This winter is going to be new for me, but I’m excited to see what it’s like.”

Swapping 20-year-old players still leaves the Blades with four overagers on the roster – Ryan Hughes, Riley McKay, Kneen and Walford. That’s one more than the WHL will allow.

With all four players earning invites to NHL training camps, Priestner doesn’t see a need to make a move until NHL rosters start to form in September.

“That’s for our coaches and management staff to decide until Oct. 10,” he said. “If we want to go that long (before making a move), we have that long. All these guys are going to be in and out for the month of September.”

Czech d-men set to arrive for training camp

Priestner finished solving his defensive puzzle by adding a pair of Czech defencemen selected in June’s CHL import draft.

Zabransky, 19, played parts of two seasons with the Kelowna Rockets before landing with the United States Hockey League’s Fargo Force.

Both Kucerik, 17, and Zabransky stand 6-foot-2. Priestner feels that added size will only benefit his club this season, but he couldn’t overstate Zabransky’s comprehension of English helping out his fellow, less-fluent Czech.

“I think having an older, bilingual guy like (Zabransky) to teach (Kucerik) the ways of North America and also help him with the language is really good. I have high hopes,” Priestner said.

The Blades are to begin training camp Aug. 24.