What's The Condition?

I post this picture as I scratch my head. This trade that happened in the WHL is all sorts of bonkers due to the number of pieces involved. While I get that Olen Zellweger and Ryan Hofer are good players, are they really worth four players - three rostered players plus a prospect - four WHL first-round bantam draft selections, and six more picks over the next three years? Is Kamloops happy knowing that not only did they mortgage their future, but they likely won't have much to trade in coming years if they ever want to make a run at the WHL championship either?

The most curious part to me, though, was the conditional 2026 second-round draft pick. We usually see conditions on picks if a team or player does something in the coming year, but this is a condition on a pick that won't happen for another four summers. In this case, it's a 2026 conditional second-round pick, so what exactly is the condition that would affect a pick three years from now?

I would assume it may have something to do with Kamloops winning the Memorial Cup, but, when you deal four players and ten picks including all four first-round selections through to 2027, does it really matter if you keep the second-rounder from 2026? What does Kamloops know about that draft?

All jokes aside, I am still baffled by this deal. I know we see massive deals at the trade deadline in junior hockey every year with players who played at the World Junior Championship fetching high prices, but this is ludicrous. Best of luck to the Kamloops Blazers this season as they host the Memorial Cup because things might be a little lean in the coming years for that WHL franchise.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!