It was announced today that the Saskatoon Blades have traded for Edmonton Oil Kings defenseman Wyatt McLeod in exchange for a 2022 conditional ninth-round draft pick. The pick does not get exchanged if the teams do not play this season.
McLeod is a 2000-born player, therefore in his final season in the Western Hockey League. McLeod has 204 games of WHL experience over the last four seasons, registering nine goals and 45 assists. The Dawson Creek, BC native was a seventh-round pick in the 2015 WHL Draft by the Oil Kings.
Edmonton Oil Kings President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kirt Hill had this to say about McLeod, “We would like to thank Wyatt for his contributions both on & off the ice. He represented the team with class and was a major part of our defence over the course of his career. We wish him nothing but success in Saskatoon & his future.”
“Wyatt brings a great deal of leadership and playoff experience to our program,” said Blades General Manager Colin Priestner. “In what will surely be an unprecedented season for us, we felt having Wyatt on our back end would be very beneficial to help manage the ups and downs this season may bring, and to help mentor our group of young defenceman.
Those young defensemen include 2003-born Charlie Wright, Marek Schneider, and Spencer Shugrue. The Blades also took five defensemen at the 2019 WHL Draft (2004-born) that could make their WHL debut this season.
Additionally, the team announced that neither of their import players would be recalled in the event the 2020-21 WHL season gets underway.
“Given the circumstances related to COVID-19 and the international border situation, we have made the mutual decision to keep both Radek Kucerik and Martin Fasko-Rudas in Europe to continue their seasons playing professionally there,” added Priestner. “They are both in good situations and we want to sincerely wish them the best as they finish their seasons in Europe.”
Fasko-Rudas is considered an overage player this season and has played 170 WHL games. In that time he has 35 goals and 37 assists. He is currently playing for HC Banska Bystrica of Slovakia.
Radek Kucerik is 19-year-old and currently playing for HC Kometa Brno (4GP, 0G, 0A) and HC Prerov (14GP, 0G, 3A). He also represented the Czech Republic at this year’s IIHF World Junior Championships. He is eligible to return to the Blades for the 2021-22 season as an overage.
