The Saskatoon Blades have solved their overage player situation.
The team sent overage forward Ryan Hughes to the Kamloops Blazers for two draft picks and the rights to forward Jerzy Orchard.
“Jerzy is a local product who brings a lot of energy and has some untapped skill,” Blades general manager Colin Priestner said in a statement on Wednesday.
“We look forward to bringing him into our group and seeing what he can provide to the depth of our team.”
The Delisle native was drafted by the Blazers in 2016 and debuted on the team in the 2018-19 season, scoring one goal and adding two assists in 41 games. He also had one assist in six playoff games.
The Blades also received a second-round pick in the 2022 WHL Bantam Draft and a third-round pick in the 2021 draft.
The Blades now have three overage players on the roster: defencemen Scott Walford and Nolan Kneen and forward Riley McKay.
Priestner said it was a difficult decision to trade Hughes.
“Moving any one of our four 20-year-olds was going to be hard and leave a great player on the outside looking in,” Priestner said.
“Ultimately, we felt the return we could get for Ryan was more than fair and now we can go out and look to use those pieces to try and replace some of the offence we will lose with his departure.”
The Blades acquired Hughes in January from the Portland Winterhawks at the WHL 2019 trading deadline.
In 27 regular-season games with the Blades, Hughes had 14 goals and 18 assists. He had two goals and four assists in 10 playoff games.
The Blades are back in action on Sept. 27 when the Winnipeg Ice travel to Saskatoon.
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