Could Blades be sleeper team in 2022-23 WHL campaign?

The Blades celebrate a goal from Jayden Wiens (#9).

Are the Saskatoon Blades destined to be the bracket buster in 2022-23?

In what has been arguably the quietest development in the current hockey season, the Blades have floated into the top four of the WHL’s overall standings. “The Bridge City Bunch” has put together a stellar 14-4 record to this point in the season. On Tuesday, they cracked into the CHL’s Top 10 rankings in ninth spot.

During their last outing on Sunday, the Blades downed Connor Bedard and the Regina Pats 5-2, and the host Saskatoon side drew a season high 7,868 spectators to the SaskTel Centre. While Bedard was the big draw that attracted the crowd, the fans arrived at the rink to cheer on the Blades.

Sophomore Blades 17-year-old centre Lukas Hansen provided an unexpected highlight reel goal scoring play. He got the puck at the right side boards in the Regina zone, cut across the front of the Pats net and tucked home his third tally of the season to give the Blades a 3-0 lead with 2:58 remaining in the second period. Hansen’s tally held up as the winner.

Egor Sidorov has 17 points in seven games this season for the Blades.

The Blades are building up belief that they can make some noise this season. They return to action on Friday when they host the Medicine Hat Tigers (6-9-3-1) at 7 p.m. at the SaskTel Centre. Before the campaign got underway, they were never really talked about as a team that could be one of the WHL’s better clubs.

Those talks focused around the Winnipeg Ice, Red Deer Rebels, Kamloops Blazers, Portland Winterhawks and Seattle Thunderbirds. In the WHL’s Easter Conference, a decent amount of pre-season talk occurred around the Pats due to the presence of Bedard and the Moose Jaw Warriors, who were returning a strong core from last season. The Warriors roster got stronger on Monday, when the NHL’s New York Rangers reassigned 20-year-old centre Ryder Korczak to Moose Jaw.

It was easy to count out the Blades after they graduated star netminder Nolan Maier at the end of last season. Maier holds the WHL record for most career regular season goaltending victories at 122. For the five seasons Maier suited up for the Blades, they never had to worry about their situation in goal.

Austin Elliott (#31) holds the fort in goal for the Blades.

The 18-year-old duo of Ethan Chadwick and Austin Elliott have filled in admirably as Maier’s successors. Chadwick, who is in his second WHL season, has started nine games posting a 6-3 record, a 1.90 goals against average, a .926 save percentage and one shutout.

Elliott, who is in his rookie campaign, has started nine games posting an 8-1 record, a 1.55 goals against average, a .941 save percentage and one shutout. Elliott, who played last season in the SJHL with the Notre Dame Hounds, looked stellar making 32 saves in the Blades victory over the Pats on Sunday.

If the Blades continue to get goaltending like this or even goaltending where there is a drop to a team 2.50 goals against average and a team .920 save percentage, they have the potential to make some noise. Saskatoon had put together a good enough defence and forward groups to make the playoffs, but goaltending was the obvious question mark. The Blades have shown they are secure in net.

Trevor Wong leads the Blades in scoring with 22 points.

Defensively, the Blades are anchored by 20-year-old captain Aidan De La Gorgendiere. He missed the tail end of the 2021-22 regular season and the entire 2022 post-season due to shoulder surgery, but he has come back and leads the Blades in defenceman scoring with 20 points coming on five goals and 15 assists to go with a plus-10 rating in the plus-minus department.

Their sound starting six is rounded out by Tanner Molendyk, Blake Gustafson, Charlie Wright, Prince Albert product Marek Schneider and Ben Saunderson. Molendyk is De La Gorgendiere’s defensive partner and a 17-year-old who is expected to be selected in the next NHL Entry Draft. In 17 games with the Blades this season, Molendyk has seven assists and a plus-13 rating.

The forward group is a good one with the likes of Brandon Lisowsky, Trevor Wong, Egor Sidorov, Josh Pillar, Conner Roulette, Jayden Wiens, Vaughn Watterodt, Tyler Parr, Rowan Calvert, Hansen, Jordan Keller and Justin Lies. Lisowsky, who is an 18-year-old left-winger, was selected in last July’s NHL Entry Draft and has eight goals, 12 assists and a plus-10 rating for the Blades so far this season.

Aidan De La Gorgendiere anchors the defence for the Blades.

Wong is a 19-year-old centre who has always had a sound offensive upside. He leads the Blades in scoring with 22 points coming off eight goals and 14 assists to go with a plus-eight rating.

Sidorov is an import right-winger who is a fan favourite. He recently returned from injury and has eight goals, nine assists and a plus-10 rating in seven games.

Spencer Shugrue continues to be the energetic utility player that goes out and does whatever the Blades coaches ask of him.

Brennan Sonne, who is the Blades 35-year-old second year head coach, is showing he is really adept at managing a team, and his players improve as the season goes on. The Blades hit a home run by bringing former team hero and captain Wacey Rabbit back to the fold as an assistant coach. Blades general manager Colin Priestner has done a tremendous job of building the Blades current roster and has grown a tonne in his current role since taking it on during the off-season in 2016.

Of course, Prince Albert Raiders fans love to hate the Blades. The Raiders faithful is likely the one group already perched to take on a Rachel Phelps persona and gloat if the wheels fall of the Blades express or they don’t have a long playoff run.

The Blades mark a win at game’s end.

With that said, nothing is expected of the Blades from people outside the team this season, and their roster is positioned for the team to be good next year too. The Blades are playing with house money, so any success they have this season is a win.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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