Saskatoon Blades acquire Josh Fluker in five-piece trade with Wenatchee Wild

The Saskatoon Blades are set to receive a boost of speed, experience, and leadership to their blue line following a five-piece deal with the Wenatchee Wild.

On Wednesday, the Blades acquired overage defenceman Josh Fluker and two conditional fourth-round picks — one in 2027 and one in 2030 — from Wenatchee in exchange for 19-year-old defenceman Isaac Poll and a conditional fourth-round pick in 2030.

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Fluker, who is in his second season as Wild’s captain, was taken with the seventh overall pick in the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft and is a veteran of 181 career WHL regular-season and playoff games.

The 20-year-old blueliner has dealt with hip injuries over the past two seasons however, limiting him to just 27 games between 2024 and 2026.

In a release, Blades president and general manager Colin Priestner said Fluker is back to full health and is expected to be an immediate difference-maker in his final WHL season.

“Josh is one of the best skating defenders in the league,” said Priestner.

“He’s battled some really difficult injuries throughout his career, but he is healthy and expressed a strong desire to be a Blade. We also felt adding the current captain of a WHL team would help our leadership and experience, and solidify our defensive core as one of the deepest in the league.”

Fluker began his WHL career with the Swift Current Broncos before being acquired by Wenatchee in January 2024 as part of a package for star forward Conor Geekie.

After recording nine points in 19 games last year before his hip injury, Fluker is still searching for his first of the 2026-27 season with zero points and 11 penalty minutes in 10 games.

According to the Wild, Fluker requested a move to a team in Western Canada to be closer to his family in Boissevain, Man.

“Josh came to us and said he needed to be closer to his parents, and requested a trade closer to home,” said Wenatchee general manager Bliss Littler in a release. “We thank Josh for his efforts in Wenatchee and wish him well moving forward.”

Fluker will join a Blades defence led by Montreal Canadiens prospect Brayden Klimpke, as well as veterans Jordan Martin, Jack Kachkowski and Tyrone Sobry.

He also fills Saskatoon’s third and final overage slot on the 2026-27 roster, alongside Sobry and forward Hunter Laing.

Headed back to the Wild in Wednesday’s trade is another defenceman who has dealt with injury issues in Poll.

Taken 21st overall by the Blades in the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft, Poll dressed in only 34 games last season for Saskatoon due to lower-body injuries.

Defenceman Isaac Poll spent three seasons with the Saskatoon Blades after being selected 21st overall in the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft. (Steve Hiscock/Saskatoon Blades)

Eventually, Poll went under the knife in the off-season for medial patellofemoral ligament surgery to stabilize his knee.

In eight games with the Blades this season, the White City, Sask., product has netted one goal and two points.

“Isaac has battled through a lot of adversity in his time with the Blades, and done it with nothing but determination and a great attitude,” Priestner said.

“We felt this move would give him a fresh start on a younger team in Wenatchee, where he can play a bigger role and help lead their great core of young players.”

It’s Priestner’s second trade of the week after he sent a ninth-round selection in 2029 to the Lethbridge Hurricanes in exchange for goaltender Koen Cleaver.

Saskatoon is coming off an underwhelming 0-2-1 road trip through Alberta this week, which included a 6-4 loss on Tuesday night against the Red Deer Rebels.

The Blades (6-5-2) return to SaskTel Centre on Saturday to host the Seattle Thunderbirds at 2 p.m.