The coronavirus pandemic’s impact on the Western Hockey League has extended to the trade market.
The Saskatoon Blades acquired defenceman Wyatt McLeod from the Edmonton Oil Kings this week to fill an overage roster spot that opened up after the Blades determined that forward Martin Fasko-Rudas would remain with professional club HC Banska Bystrica in his native Slovakia, rather than returning for the pandemic-shortened WHL season.
“We just felt talking to him and his agent that it was just best for him to stay playing in Europe ’cause he was in a good spot, and quarantining for weeks and weeks on each end, and to maybe not even get his passport, you know his visa, there was just no point to it for us,” Blades president and general manager Colin Priestner said.
By acquiring McLeod in exchange for a conditional draft pick in 2022, the Blades not only filled their need for a third overager, they also added valuable experience to their young blue line.
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The Dawson Creek, B.C., native has played a combined 220 WHL games between the regular season and playoffs, collecting 61 points, 152 penalty minutes and a +37 rating.
He also served as an alternate captain with the Oil Kings for the last two seasons and now brings that leadership ability to a defensive corps that features just three returning regulars after veterans Scott Walford and Nolan Kneen completed their junior hockey careers in 2019-20 and Czech import Radek Kucerik, like Fasko-Rudas, also decided to stay in Europe for the rest of the current campaign.
“We targeted (McLeod) specifically because of his experience with our associate coach Ryan Marsh. He worked with him for two years in Edmonton, spoke very highly of his leadership abilities and what he brings on and off the ice,” Priestner said.
McLeod is embracing the chance to fill something of a mentorship role on the team.
“I’m really excited to get there and work with some of the younger players, and there’s a lot of talented young players that are coming up through their organization. It reminds me a lot of my time in Edmonton when I was younger coming up,” he said.
“When I was 16, our captain Aaron Irving, he was awesome for me in that mentoring role…so in a sense it’s my turn to do that.”
That is, of course, if the season takes place. While the WHL has yet to announce a start date, the league has publicly stated that it is committed to playing a 24-game regular season.
McLeod, who recorded a career-high 21 points in 48 games last season, just wants a chance to play out his junior hockey career and if he gets that chance, he intends to make the most of it.
“I know it’s short, it’s gonna be really quick, so I want to play 24 really, really strong games and set myself up for an opportunity to sign a pro contract. That’s a big goal for me,” he said.
On an up-and-coming Blades team, he should get plenty of chances to prove himself.
“Playing against them last year, Saskatoon was really tough to play against. (They) play fast, you know real hard hockey, and I’m excited to be a part of that and help them win.”
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