By Jeff Nagle
Earlier this morning the Riverview Royals dumped forward Mathew Tkachuk off to the South-Esk Scotsmen for the 13th overall (Albert County Renegade 2nd) pick in next weekend's draft and a season 18 third rounder. A tale of two teams headed in different directions, the Royals moved out a key minute muncher for lackluster prospects and the Scotsmen gain themselves a physical specimen for their top six.
Is this the end of the exodus of Royal talent? Could things get any worse?
Yes, and no.
If you're in the "yes" camp, of course things can get worse. With the team holding only four players signed to contracts beyond next season, things could get a lot worse. However, there is a strong feeling that the Royals will look to re-up their five restricted free agents in hopes that they will form the veteran core moving forward. Ultimately though, there will be a lot of roster turnover after next season as most, if not all, unrestricted free agents are ultimately going to be looking for new deals elsewhere leaving the Royals to scramble for new players to ice a roster in season 14.
If you're in the "no" camp, there is reason to believe that next season will be the worst Royals season in league history. With a new league alignment, the Gretzky conference is expected to be a dog fight of the league's elite battling it out for playoff positions while feeding off of the Royals' shortcomings. However, with a fully stocked farm system, a long list of future draft picks, and a huge chunk of empty cap space burning a hold in management's pockets, things could turn around pretty quickly for the Royals in season 14.
"Without getting in to detail, this won't be a long rebuild. We expect to be a very competitive team sooner than later. Our fans are patient, but they aren't stupid. They want a winner here, and I fully intend on delivering a winner very, very soon." said GM Nagle
5/16/2025 - 333 words
