What today’s blockbuster trade means for the Victoria Royals

Change is upon us in the provincial capital—and not politically.

Today, the Victoria Royals executed a blockbuster trade, sending their top centerman Brayden Schuurman and puck-moving defender Kalem Parker to the Moose Jaw Warriors.

In return, the Royals will receive a plethora of draft picks, with the highlight being two 1st-round picks, one in 2024 and one in 2026.

It’s a bold move for the Royals, who have made their first significant transaction since reshuffling the front office over the summer.

“This trade signals the direction we are committed to moving forward, with an emphasis on youth and player development,” said Royals Vice President of Hockey Operations, Joey Poljanowski, in a press release. “These draft picks set us up to build toward the future while embracing our youth this season and adding a competitive forward in Riche.”

For the team, this trade offers numerous opportunities to bolster their existing stable of prospects in the coming years.

But what does it mean for Royals fans?

New management comes to town with a plan

Timing is critical in a league like the WHL, where your best players have only a short three or four-year window to make an impact with the organization.

It’s equally important with management.

Following a solid run of success throughout the 2010s, the Royals understandably experienced a decline as players like Kaid Oliver and Tarun Fizer gradually saw their supporting cast diminish. During the pandemic, the team turned to Dan Price, who served as both head coach and general manager, guiding the team through challenging times.

However, the Royals have now had the opportunity to accumulate some top-tier draft picks, prompting the need for a fresh perspective to guide the club through its ongoing rebuilding phase.

These fresh perspectives determined that the current team wasn’t up to the task of competing, wouldn’t be able to take the necessary step forward to contend for a playoff spot, and that the time had come to maximize the current talent for future draft picks.

Management has a plan, and Royals fans will have to wait and see how it all unfolds.

Royals start carving out new timeline for success

Dan Price, who served as both the general manager and head coach last year before returning solely to coaching for this season, frequently discussed the goal of building towards the group of players born in 2004 and 2005.

Kalem Parker, Brayden Schuurman, Tanner Scott, and Robin Sapousek comprised the core of the 2004-born group, while Teydon Trembecky, Reggie Newman, Nate Misskey, Austin Zemlak, and Justin Kipkie represented the 2005-born core.

Now, with Parker and Schuurman being traded, it’s evident that the current management doesn’t envision the original timeline panning out and it is wise that they were decisive in that assessment.  The Royals have a long journey ahead before they can compete for the division title again, and acquiring multiple high-end players is essential to propel the program forward in a meaningful way.

This outcome was never realistically attainable this year or the next, and acknowledging this and planning accordingly was the best course of action.

Of particular importance in this trade is the 2024 1st-round pick acquired from Moose Jaw. With Cole Reschny (born in ’07) and Keaton Verhoeff (’08) in the mix, it becomes crucial to build the team around players of a similar age. Selecting two players born in 2009 in the upcoming 2024 draft will facilitate this objective.

By making this deal, the Royals will now have a second 1st-round pick to complement their 2024 1st-rounder, which is likely to be at the top of the draft. Adding these draft picks to the core of Reschny and Verhoeff is a smart move.

Both Schuurman and Parker were born in 2004, meaning they were never going to align with the incoming elite talent in Victoria’s pipeline.

The Royals will now look further into the future before attempting to climb the standings.

Patience will become a virtue for Royals fans

Victoria Royals’ fans have understandably grown impatient, yearning for the meaningful hockey they were treated to for almost the entire first decade of the Royals’ existence.

After finishing below .500 in their inaugural year in Victoria, the Royals achieved above .500 records for eight consecutive years from 2012 through 2019. This stretch culminated in a remarkable 50-win season in 2015-16, which unfortunately concluded with a heartbreaking game seven overtime loss in the second round to the Kelowna Rockets.

It goes without saying that the past three years, during which the Royals have struggled to maintain a point percentage above .400, have been both challenging and new for this fan base.

While it is never an easy position to be in, management has wisely recognized that the current roster lacks the necessary elements to embark on an upward trajectory. Although this realization may result in another difficult season or two, there’s no point in hitting rock bottom just to assemble a roster that can secure a sixth-place finish.

The ultimate goal remains a championship, and this trade potentially brings Victoria one step closer to that aspiration, despite the considerable distance still to cover.

Whether fans like it or not, this means patience will be an invaluable virtue for Victoria supporters.

2018 trade has massive impact on today’s Royals

We’ve been discussing timing extensively in this piece, and it’s intriguing to reflect on a trade that occurred in 2018, which has significantly affected the length of the Royals’ rebuilding process.

At the trade deadline in 2018, former general manager Cam Hope traded away two first-round picks (2019 and 2021) for then-Brandon Wheat Kings captain Tanner Kaspick. The Royals were performing well that year and sought a boost for the final stretch of the season and the playoffs.

Kaspick delivered, scoring 13 goals and tallying 27 points in 25 games for Victoria, but unfortunately, he missed part of the playoffs due to injury, and the Royals were eliminated in the 2nd round.

Fast forward two years to the 2020-21 season, and the pandemic struck. The Royals won only 3 out of 22 games and ended up finishing last in the league. Unfortunately, the Royals would have secured the 3rd overall pick in the 2021 draft, but they were unable to utilize it due to the previously mentioned Kaspick trade.

This trade created a gap in the Royals’ prospect system and is a significant factor in why the team has had to postpone its return to contention further into the future.

With the Royals now acquiring Moose Jaw’s 1st-round pick in 2026, along with their 2024 selection, Royals fans can hope for a similar situation with Moose Jaw. If Moose Jaw’s fortunes decline in the coming years after investing heavily in their impressive group of players this season, which features Pittsburgh first-rounder Brayden Yager and Columbus first-rounder Denton Mateychuk, the Victoria Royals could stand to benefit.

So while the team is in for a big change, make sure to show up and cheer the boys on as they develop into our next core group.