Saskatoon Blades trade veteran forward Lisowsky to Victoria Royals

The Saskatoon Blades started the new year off with a bang.

The team traded fifth-year veteran forward Brandon Lisowsky and a 2028 fifth-round draft pick to the Victoria Royals Thursday in exchange for overage forward Tanner Scott, a 2025 second-round draft pick and a 2026 second-round draft pick.

“It’s obviously not fun to trade a guy like Lisowsky,” Blades general manager Colin Priestner said. “It's the first time I think I've ever traded a five-year guy that we drafted. He’s been a part of five great teams with us and a big part of those, and obviously he's etched his place in history as one of the top goal scorers ever here.”

Priestner says he remembers FaceTiming Lisowsky when he was in junior high telling the then teenager the Blades were going to draft him. Now, nearly six years later, the 20-year-old forward is heading to Victoria in hopes of winning a championship after a remarkable career with the Blades.

Lisowsky set career highs last season with 42 goals and 80 points, and leaves Saskatoon fifth on the all-time goal scoring list with 143 goals.

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Priestner says discussions dating back to last summer with Lisowsky, who looks to earn a contract with a professional team in the off-season, led him to Thursday’s trade.

Even though the Blades are in first place in the East Division, Priestner says he needs to think of the future after Saskatoon was left without a draft pick in the upcoming WHL Draft until the fourth round and no draft picks in the 2026 draft until the 8th round prior to Thursday’s trade.

“I didn't think we'd be in first place either. This is obviously a bizarre situation to be trading off an all-time great Blade while you're in first -- I get it, it's weird. It's not fun,” Priestner said.

“You can't max the credit card of picks going for it every. You have to pay off the credit cards. This doesn't pay it off near completely, but it's a good step.”

The Priestner family bought the Blades in 2013 with the team in rough shape. After trading many draft picks in multiple seasons, on top of trading multiple draft picks to be competitive when hosting the 2013 Memorial Cup, the Blades struggled to ice a competitive team.

Saskatoon ultimately went on a six-year playoff drought before making the playoffs in 2019. Priestner vows to never leave the team in that position again.

“It's not fun to be a part of, and it's something we'll never go through again,” Priestner said. “So, whatever we have to do to make sure that doesn't happen, we will, because it's almost like it gives you PTSD thinking of all those years.”

Priestner said this team isn’t offering up a fire sale. Scott arrives in Saskatoon after setting career highs in goals, assists and points last season with 19 goals, 37 assists and 56 points. Priestner is looking to get value in any potential trade with young players, draft picks or a combination of both.

One player drawing interest across junior hockey is Tanner Molendyk, who is currently in Ottawa representing Team Canada in the world juniors.

Priestner said he’s had to fight rumours over the last week that there is no deal on the table, but discussions are ongoing.

“Obviously we're listening to offers. We would be foolish not to in the situation we're in. He's the kind of guy that can yield you multiple good assets,” Priestner said.

The WHL trade deadline is on Jan. 9.