The Kamloops Blazers have made a significant trade to start the week that may leave some fans a little surprised.

The club has dealt 18-year-old defenceman Mats Lindgren to the Red Deer Rebels in exchange for 19-year-old defenceman Kyle Masters and a first-round pick in the 2025 WHL draft.
 

General manager and head coach Shaun Clouston said that the Blazers are excited to add a player like Masters to the roster.

“Kyle plays a well-rounded, 200-foot game and we believe he will be a great fit with our group to our defence.”

While it’s surprising to see the Memorial Cup hosts deal a player of Lindgren’s calibre, former Kamloops sports writer Gregg Drinnan speculates that the recent NHL draft pick had requested a trade.
 

With this deal, the Blazers replace Lindgren, a fourth-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres in July, with Masters, a fourth-round pick of the Minnesota Wild in 2021. 

Masters has a little more WHL experience and a year of age on Lindgren, which will make him a valuable piece of Kamloops’ blue line as they gun for a WHL championship and Memorial Cup title.

The first-round pick will either help the Blazers with the post-Memorial Cup rebuild or be a helpful trade piece as they stock up for their post-season run at the WHL trade deadline.