Alex Petrovic

[Red celtic]

Alex Petrovic looked good last night he sure has grown since training camp. Looked to be around the same height as Lewis I thought he played the body well and didn't look out of place. Our backend is going to be strong point for this team it's going to be big and mobile. Next year we should see Alex Petrovic 6'3" or more 190ish, Tory Wilfong 6'2" 195 lb. and Dominic Perreault 6'3' 210 lb. Along with Justin Weller 6'2" 190 lb. all playing for the Rebs. These players are 17 yrs old or younger. The future is looking good.

[Shinyshoes]

Alex Petrovic looked good last night he sure has grown since training camp. Looked to be around the same height as Lewis I thought he played the body well and didn't look out of place. Our backend is going to be strong point for this team it's going to be big and mobile. Next year we should see Alex Petrovic 6'3" or more 190ish, Tory Wilfong 6'2" 195 lb. and Dominic Perreault 6'3' 210 lb. Along with Justin Weller 6'2" 190 lb. all playing for the Rebs. These players are 17 yrs old or younger. The future is looking good.
I totally agree with you. After having suspect "d" over the last couple of years, it is now looking to grow quite strong.

Having said that, in true "SectionNDeserter" fashion, I'm going to stir the pot a bit.:p

This Season, we are only set to loose Lewis off the back end. With Reimer, Egener, Wray, and Smith all 19, we also have the possibility to lose Egener off the back end due to numbers (I dont know what the Rebs will do with 20yr olds next year). That is losing 2 "d" at the most(just looking at ages), while you just listed 3 (Petrovic, Wilfong, and Perreault) who "should" be playing with the Rebs next season.

What will we do to make room here?

[section q]

i can't see wray coming back as a 20 next season. reimer is a ??? mark also.

as for who we'll see on the back end next year. returning defenceman should include, MORIN, KOT, SCARBOROUGH, EGENER, ARCHER, WELLER. the youth movement looks like PETROVIC, WILFONG and PERRAULT. defensively that's a pretty good group. the concern is who will score the goals up front for this team? Sutter is a 50/50 to return, Ofukany is not back, Ferraro will put up better numbers next year, Smith may take a lead role on the offensive next year? it looks somewhat thin up front. :confused:

[3rebels]

Hopefully, Krogovich, Mappin, Penny, Smith, Kolhanek and our other new additions can put up some numbers !
It definitely looks like a good young group coming up and hopefully this years rookies can use the experience to have a better year in 2008/09 !!
clrkth 3 :D

[Shinyshoes]

And don't forget we had Coetzee, Draper, and Edwards who were all here for part of the season, and sent down to develop further for next year.

Also, Conner Redmond, Although will be just 16, will be widely expected to make this team.

It should be pretty competitive at camp next Summer.

[SectionNDeserter]

Was nice to see a bit of next year's team last night, hope to see more of it before the season is done. Petrovic made a few rookie mistakes, but also showed that he has the poise and physical attributes of a player well beyond his years, as well as a bit of a mean streak.

Having said that, in true "SectionNDeserter" fashion, I'm going to stir the pot a bit. Ha ha SS, don't mess with the Maestro. :thumb:

I think there is a possibility that we will lose Egener due to the numbers game--if any of the seemingly large pool of quality overage defensemen available next season are aquired, he is all but gone I would think. I think that the chances of Scarborough being in training camp next season is somewhat of a stretch. He is slow to react to the developing play, and has struggled immensely with puck transition--its either down the ice, or that weak backhand off the boards that gets kept in at the point about 99% of the time.

Wray has been spending some time back there and not looked totally bad, what do you guys think about Wray making a conversion to defense next year?

One has to think that any back injury that causes you to miss almost an entire season almost has to be spinal in nature, so I have to also ponder Kot's hockey future. I like what Valach has brought to the team, he skates the puck out of our zone, has a nice shot, has no problems with sneaking in from the point, and in the last few games he has even been been trying to take the body a little.

Archer has been slowly becoming one of my more favorite players out there. He has easily been the most physical defenseman we have of late, has great hockey sense, and you just never see the guy quit, reminds me of another one of my all-time favorite Rebel defensemen, Bryce Thoma.

Weller is very physically mature for his age, and has tons of potential, but he needs to develop a 'hockey identity'. He doesn't play particularly tough, nor does he make a lot of 'safe' plays that would qualify him as a stay at home defenseman, and he hasn't really shown much of an offensive upside that could make him a powerplay quarterback.

I honestly have seen a big improvement in the overall play of our blueline since Morin was injured. If he isn't moved in the offseason, I hope that they can find a defensive partner that compliments him a little better, and that he can find a way to put his pathetic defensive play this season behind him and start playing some hockey again.


the concern is who will score the goals up front for this team? Sutter is a 50/50 to return, Ofukany is not back, Ferraro will put up better numbers next year, Smith may take a lead role on the offensive next year? it looks somewhat thin up front.The Rebels, given they maintain their current record, will have a pretty badass Import draft pick this summer, and though that is often a crapshoot, I think whoever we pick there will put some pucks in the net for us. I think a few other players are going to improve in the goal-scoring department as well, guys like Ferraro, Smith, Kulhanek, Gross, Miller and Mappin (if he survives the summer). I think that Sutter's chances of returning are far higher than 50/50, so that should also help us immensely.

[Red celtic]

Here is the team as I see it next year.
Forwards
1. Import Sutter (19) Ferroro (16)
2. Kulhanek (19) Gross (19) Mappin (18)
3. Wray (20) Miller (17) Smith (20)
4. Kragovich (18) Redmond (16) Penny (18)
Cowan (17) Edwards (18)
Defence
1. Valach (19) 2. Morin (19)
3. Kot (18) 4. Archer (18)
5. Weller (17) 6. Perrault (17)
7. Wilfong (17) 8. Petrovic (16)
Goalies
1. Reimer (20) 2. Clark (18)

Trade Scarbourgh, Egner and Esposito

[Shinyshoes]

The Rebels, given they maintain their current record, will have a pretty badass Import draft pick this summer, and though that is often a crapshoot, I think whoever we pick there will put some pucks in the net for us. I find it surprising that you have given up on Polak so soon. He is only 17, and although he has been often injured this year, I was fully expecting him back next season. When you compare him to our other 1990 forwards (Mappin, Krgovich), I dont think he looks out of place. Do you know something I don't know?

[Red celtic]

I find it surprising that you have given up on Polak so soon. He is only 17, and although he has been often injured this year, I was fully expecting him back next season. When you compare him to our other 1990 forwards (Mappin, Krgovich), I dont think he looks out of place. Do you know something I don't know?
When you compare him to those 17 yr. olds he is not that bad even though I do think that Mappin will become a good power forward in this league. The reason I left him off my list is due to our top 10 draft euro draft pick. We will be getting a quality pick. Personally I would keep Valach over Polak.

[SectionNDeserter]

I find it surprising that you have given up on Polak so soon. He is only 17, and although he has been often injured this year, I was fully expecting him back next season. When you compare him to our other 1990 forwards (Mappin, Krgovich), I dont think he looks out of place. Do you know something I don't know?Valach has shown to be more valuable to our blueline than Polak has shown to be to our forward lines, and whatever we pick in the first round of the Import draft is likely to be more skilled than both of them--at least offensively. Polak's injuries are a direct result of him skating around with his head down, or admiring his passes. He has shown that he has the size, skill and resilience to play at a higher level, but I am not 100% sure that his head is in the game enough to make it there. Keeping Polak next season will either waste what could be our highest Import draft pick for a long time, or leave us with a huge question mark on the blueline (barring landing a Rebels first top defensive euro prospect in the first round).

[RebelsFan]

If you were Wray, would you come back here for another year? I wouldn't. I wouldn't be surprised to see Wray get on with life and head to University. Don't forget, he won the leagues Scholastic Award for 2005/6. I can't imagine he has been happy with the ice time given to him this year. Next year you have him slated in behind a number of younger players and that will be a hard pill for him to swallow.

In goal, do we really need an 18 year old backup who has two years experience in the league? I would imagine either Reimer or Clark will be gone by Oct 1st 2008.

I don't think either Kot or Scarborough will be around next year. Scarborough hasn't improved since he got here midway through his 16 year old year. He should be moved. Joel Kot on the other hand has been dealt a tough blow. He is just too small and was to out of shape to play defence with the new rules. I think his back injury could be serious enough that he will be done. By the new rules I mean the rule that disallows a defenceman's partner from running any sort of obstruction and allowing the other teams forwards a 50 foot run at the d-men.

[SectionNDeserter]

If you were Wray, would you come back here for another year? I wouldn't. I wouldn't be surprised to see Wray get on with life and head to University. Don't forget, he won the leagues Scholastic Award for 2005/6. I can't imagine he has been happy with the ice time given to him this year. Next year you have him slated in behind a number of younger players and that will be a hard pill for him to swallow.I'm with you on this one, which is why I suggested that maybe he make a move to defense (ala Derek Endicott) to move up the depth chart. He has the size, speed and seems to still have the desire, but I agree that he will probably be down too far on the depth chart to be an overage forward on this team next season.


In goal, do we really need an 18 year old backup who has two years experience in the league? I would imagine either Reimer or Clark will be gone by Oct 1st 2008.If Reimer returns, the job of backing him up will be a fierce one in training camp, with a number of somewhat seasoned players, as well as some decent rookies coming in. I think who we have as 2008 draws to a close will determine which one of them goes.


I don't think either Kot or Scarborough will be around next year. Scarborough hasn't improved since he got here midway through his 16 year old year. He should be moved.He improved a bit from the midpoint of last season, but not really at all since the start of the year, and he hasn't become as physical as I thought he would.

Joel Kot on the other hand has been dealt a tough blow. He is just too small and was to out of shape to play defence with the new rules. I think his back injury could be serious enough that he will be done. By the new rules I mean the rule that disallows a defenceman's partner from running any sort of obstruction and allowing the other teams forwards a 50 foot run at the d-men.It seems a pretty long-term injury for a young, smallish defenseman to overcome for sure, anyone have any word on a return date, or is he still indefinate?

[RebelsFan]

Kot is at home for the balance of the season. I am told his return to the Rebels depends on how his rehab goes.

[Billy's Got A Gun!]

There's a lot of discussion surrounding who will make up the defensive unit next year! A lot of bloggers are pencilling Petrovic, Perrault and Wilfong in next season. If this is the case, my concern will be that nearly half our defense will be first year players again next season. That sounds very reminiscent of what we are going through this year with a lot of youth on the blueline. I think everyone who takes the time to read and blog on this website agrees with me that we don't need to go through another season next year like this season! I cannot honestly comment on how good Perrault and Wilfong will be. As for Petrovic, there is potential from what I saw in the two games he has played, but like most 16 year olds, he won't be setting the league on fire his first season and there will be lot's of mistakes being made. This was evident in the Moose Jaw game. I don't see how it will be any different with the other two. I'm confident Joel Kot will have a spot providing he is able to play. It's too bad he has lost pretty much an entire year of development with his injury. Scarborough will also be here next year. The Rebels have invested two years in him and if he wasn't in their plans for next season, I think he would have been gone by now! I also can't see Morin going anywhere. As for Weller, I think he is going to be an excellent defenseman and I see huge upside in him.

As for imports, the Rebels will be trying to get a forward in the import draft who can make an immediate impact. There was an article in the paper a couple of weeks ago talking about Brent Sutter putting the pieces in place to do just that. If so, Valach stays and Polack goes as Valach is a more valuable player to the team than Polack is. I have actually been impressed with what I have seen from Valach so far.

As for goaltending, if Reimer is back, then Clark likely will be gone. Why keep a third year player as a backup when you could deal him and get something decent in return. Clark started out the season looking great, and there was talk he could go later in the entry draft. His play has dropped off big time, even though he has not had much support in front of him. With Reimers injury, he has a chance the remainder of the season to prove he can play here, but right now there are some serious doubts! I'm beginning to think that if Reimer does not return, we could have some goaltending issues next season.

Rebels need both Brandon Sutter and Reimer to return next season to make the playoffs.