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| Shaun Sutter |
“The Red Deer Rebels
are selling the farm to load up for the Memorial Cup!”
This has been a common refrain from pundits near and far in
wake of the blockbuster trades the Rebels have made over the past couple of
weeks.
There’s a concern out there that the Rebels are doomed to
follow the lead of the Saskatoon Blades in going all out now by giving away
their future. (We all know how that
worked out for them )
Team brass, however, is confident in their belief that the
Rebels cupboard for next year and beyond is not as empty as many believe.
Assistant GM Shaun Sutter spoke with Cam Moon during
Wednesday night’s broadcast on 106.7 The Drive of the Rebels’ 5-0 win in
Saskatoon. Sutter presented the team’s case that they are indeed not
talent-strapped for the post-Memorial Cup era.
“A lot of people see what’s going out the door, the
abundance of draft picks and players going out,” Sutter noted. “But, we’ve
accumulated an abundance of draft picks for this reason, to hopefully keep our
younger players in the fold, those on our roster and those who aren’t on our
team, so we can have success down the line.”
“We’re not an old team. If you compare our 1997 and 1998 age
groups to any other team’s, we’re actually further ahead than a lot of teams
that are rebuilding.”
Sutter singles out Grayson Pawlenchuk, Adam Musil and
Michael Spacek up front and Austin Schmoorkoff, Austin Strand and Braden
Purtill along the blue line as current 97-born Rebels who will be counted on as
team leaders next season.
Among the 98’s, Sutter says Josh Mahura is as good as any
WHL defenceman his age. Up front, Jeff de Wit, Brandon Hagel, Taden Rattie,
Reece Johnson are all key pieces for the club moving forward.
“That’s a very good group of players to return as the core
of your team. We think those two groups of players are as good as any in the
league,” Sutter proclaimed. “A lot of those guys are going to be elite players.”
As things sit now, three days ahead of the WHL trade
deadline, the Rebels could return as many as 10 forwards from five defencemen their
current roster for the 2016-17 season. Both
goalies, Rylan Toth and Trevor Martin, are also eligible to return (though at
least one won’t, obviously).
Along with the projected list of returnees, Sutter is
excited for the crop of projected newcomers to the Rebels roster for next
season.
Carson Sass, Ethan Sakowich, Jacob Herauf and Texas-born Jase
Foskey (yet to sign with the club) highlight Sutter’s list of top defence
prospects.
Akash Bains, who nearly made the club this year as a
16-year-old but was the team’s final cut, and D-Jay Jerome are 99-born players
Sutter feels will help lead the way up front. There is also 2000-born Brendan
Budy, who the Rebels also feel is an elite Midget player who eventually come in
and make a difference for the Rebels. Sutter compares him to recently-acquired
veteran Luke Philp.
In net, the Rebels have a hometown Red Deer kid who appears ready
to take the next step to play major junior hockey in Dawson Weatherill.
“He’s as good as any goalie out there in midget hockey,” Sutter
feels.
Other dark horses in the Rebels system Sutter thinks could
step up and contribute include Cale Chalifouz and Zac Gladue. Draft picks Chase
Lowry and Brandon Cutler are also having solid seasons as 15-year-olds.
“Our organizational depth is good despite fans seeing pieces
going out the door.”
Shaun also reminds everyone that the Rebels still own an
all-important first round selection in this year’s WHL Bantam Draft, courtesy
of the Regina Pats. Based on current standings, Sutter thinks that pick could
end up being somewhere between 7th and 12th overall.
“That gives us a lot of options to either keep that pick or
look at what we can do to maybe accumulate more picks.”
All of this may or may not help ease the concerns of those
who feel the Rebels are selling their future in order to win now. If nothing
else, it should show the Rebels do indeed have one eye on the future.
Some background reading for your enjoyment…
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