Saskatoon Blades Quiet Deadline Might Have a Big Payoff

“I never really thought I would get traded,” Cootes said after the deal. “I’ve never been traded before. So it’s new, but I’m super excited. They have a really good team there in PA. I know a few guys on the team. And I mean, they’re running through the league pretty well this year, so I couldn’t be happier to have a chance to win this year.”

Earlier in December, the Raiders added Brayden Gorzynski from the Calgary Hitmen, who has 11 points in six games with the Raiders, as well as Maddix McCagherty from the Wenatchee Wild, who is also over a point-per-game in his first 12 games in Prince Albert.

However, neither the Raiders nor the Oil Kings are in first place as of Jan. 8, as the Medicine Hat Tigers currently sit one point ahead of the two burgeoning superpowers. They had a relatively quiet deadline, making just two deals, but one of those was for Luke Cozens, who was powering the Lethbridge Hurricanes’ offence with 17 goals and 44 points in 39 games. He’ll likely see some playing time with recent returnee Andrew Basha, who spent the last three months with the Calgary Wranglers in the American Hockey League (AHL). The rich just keep getting richer.

Blades Don’t Need to Shake Things Up Again

With 45 points at the deadline, first place was becoming increasingly out of reach for the Blades, who have had an up-and-down season throughout 2025-26. That prompted general manager Colin Priestner to shakeup the roster in early December with two moves, sending 2005-born goalie Ethan McCallum to the Penticton Vees for two picks and 20-year-old Czech Dominik Petr to the Spokane Chiefs for 19-year-old German Elias Pul and draft-eligible defenceman Kaden Allan.

Earlier, the Blades acquired Derek Thurston from the Rebels, and although he hasn’t played since Nov. 22 due to injury, he was brought in to add more defensive consistency, which Saskatoon was lacking at the time, thanks to an injury to Isaac Poll. Now that he’s back, the Blades have been on a bit of a hot streak, winning three of their last four games.

“We like our group, and we have confidence in this group,” said head coach Dan DaSilva. “They’re extremely tight-knit, and I feel like that bond can really pull teams together, and you can really get the most out of them that way. We’re confident in what we have in that room right now and what they bring to the table. We’ve been playing some good hockey as of late, and our goal is to continue to do that.”

It’s also worth mentioning that Pul has yet to play with the Blades after he was acquired from the Chiefs, as he was already on his way to join Team Germany at the 2026 World Juniors in Minnesota. He brings a big, two-way game that will make the Blades’ top nine that much more difficult to handle. He will make his debut on Friday night against the visiting Oil Kings.

Saskatoon is Biding its Time

Yes, the Oil Kings, Raiders, and Tigers look to be in control of the first-place race, but don’t write off the Badles quite yet. With a core that’s clicking and a return of their German talent, they are ready to big second-half push. “Yes, teams are adding around us,” said DaSilva, “but that doesn’t mean we can’t make some noise here, too.”

Looking around the division, DaSilva has a point. The Swift Current Broncos decided to sell off Noah Kosick, their top scorer, to Seattle for bigger, younger pieces, which is great for the future, but doesn’t give a lot of hope for breaking out of last place in the league. The Regina Pats have been selling most of the season already, so it’s also unlikely they make a surprising push out of the bottom three. The Moose Jaw Warriors and Brandon Wheat Kings didn’t make any moves, and although they’ve been more competitive this season, they are focused on the future, meaning that this season’s results aren’t as important.

Out of the Blades’ 29 games remaining, 12 of them are against opponents who have all but accepted their fate in 2025-26: Saskatoon will see Regina three more times before the playoffs, the Broncos five more times, and the Warriors and Wheat Kings a combined four times. They also face the Hurricanes twice, who have also been selling off assets and will continue to sink lower in the standings.

While no game is a guaranteed win, the Blades have a great opportunity to pick up a potential 24 points, which will close the gap to the Eastern powerhouses. If they can steal a few games away from the Raiders, which will face the Blades four more times, then this group will be in an excellent position to claim home ice in the playoffs, which should lead to a second-round berth. After that, who knows how far the Blades will go? Sometimes, a strong first step makes all the difference, and that’s just what Saskatoon did this deadline.