Blades strike second deal of the day, acquire pair of picks from Wheat Kings
Saskatoon, SK – The Saskatoon Blades acquired a pair of Western Hockey League (WHL) Prospect Draft picks from the Brandon Wheat Kings on Wednesday in exchange for 2008-born goaltender Ryley Budd. The picks include a 2029 third-round pick and 2027 eighth-round selection.
The deal came two hours after Saskatoon acquired a conditional draft pick in 2027 from the Vancouver Giants for defenceman Derek Thurston.
“With the signing of Martin Psohlavec and a deep bench at the goaltending position, we felt this was a good move to get Ryley to a spot where he can be a regular,” said Blades president and general manager Colin Priestner. “We thank Ryley for everything he did for our club and the communities of Saskatoon and Calgary through his Be A Budd program and wish him nothing but the best!”
The Calgary, AB native appeared in 11 games with the Blue and Gold last season. Budd went 4-4-1-0 with a .888 save percentage (SV%) and 3.08 goals against average (GAA).
