Moose Jaw Warriors general manager Alan Millar announced Thursday that the standout defenceman was part of a blockbuster deal that saw Woo sent to the Calgary Hitmen for a package that included forward Ryder Korczak (2002), defenceman Vladislav Yeryomenko (1999), a first round pick in 2019 (11th overall), a conditional third round pick in 2020, and a second round pick 2021.
“It was a really difficult decision to make in terms of moving a quality kid and a very good player in Jett,” Miller explained. “From our point of view, we have to start the process of building the next team that can contend and compete and we’ve made a lot of decisions over the last couple years in trying to contend and win.
“We’ve made some big moves and given up some picks and young players, and the time comes around where you have to restock and add some young players into our program.”
Korczak, 5-foot-10 and 160 pounds, is from Yorkton and heading into his 17-year-old season. He had eight goals and 15 points in 50 regular season games in his rookie campaign with and added two goals and five points in 11 games in the playoffs
Korczak was selected by the Hitmen in the second round, 29th overall, at the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft. In 2017-18 he played Midget AAA with Yorkton and had 12 goals and 34 points in 42 games. In 2016-17 he had 27 goals and 83 points in 30 games playing Bantam ‘AA’ with Yorkton (SBAAL).
Vladislav Yeryomenko, 6-foot-0 and 187lbs, is from Vitebsk, Belarus and will fill one of the Tribe’s overage slots. Last season with the Hitmen he had seven goals 33 points in 63 games. In the playoffs, he had two goals and five points in 11 games.
Yeryomenko was selected by the Nashville Predators in the fifth round, 151st overall, at the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. In 2017-18 with the Hitmen, he had 13 goals and 41 points in 63 games.
“We’re really pleased with the return we got in terms of the players and picks who were involved, we think it’s the right thing for our franchise, but at the same time it’s a very difficult decision when you move a player like Jett Woo,” Millar said.
Had the Warriors not been able to gather as much as they liked in return for Woo, the trade might not have had much luster. But adding a dynamic future defenceman in Denton Mateychuk with their first-round pick (see related story) and a decent amount of immediate skill with the two players offered has things looking exceptionally positive.
“I know how excited we are with Denton Mateychuk coming in at 11, and then we add Ryder Korczak who is a very good young player who fits in with what we’re building, and an NHL-drafted defenceman who is a 40-point guy who can ease the pressure on the back end with the loss of Woo,” Millar said. “He’s a veteran puck-moving guy who’s a right shot and can anchor the power play.”
In the end, Millar wished Woo the best while looking forward to seeing what the new season will bring with the new-look Warriors.
“It was a tough decision, but it was the right thing for our franchise, the right thing for our club in terms of what we’re going to try and do over the next couple of years,” he said. “We’re going to be young but we’re going to have an exciting team next year."
