Royals, Wheat Kings complete trade involving net minders Ethan Eskit and Jayden Kraus

The Victoria Royals announced today that they have acquired 2006-born goaltender Ethan Eskit and a seventh-round pick in the 2029 draft from the Brandon Wheat Kings in exchange for Jayden Kraus.

Eskit, who hails from Calgary, Alberta, has appeared in 50 games for the Wheat Kings over the course of past two seasons, where he had a 3.18 goals against average, a 0.890 save percentage, and 21-17-2-3 record over that time. During the 2024-25 season, Eskit finished eighth in the WHL among goaltenders with a 2.85 goals against average and 0.906 save percentage.

“Ethan is a guy we’ve had our eye on for a while and feel he has the potential to be a top goalie in the league this season” said Royals General Manager Jake Heisinger. “He is an athletic goalie with great compete and work ethic. We welcome him and his family to Victoria”.

Kraus, who has appeared in 72 games for the Royals over the past two seasons, has a 3.21 goals against average and 0.894 save percentage in that time, with a record of 33-21-4-6. During the 2024-25 season, Kraus finished ninth in the WHL among goaltenders with a 2.86 goals against average and 0.908 save percentage.

“We thank Jayden for his contributions to our team and community. We wish him well” said Heisinger.