SectionNDeserter
10-13-2012, 09:23 PM
Devan Fafard (B+) - He has been an absolute beast this season. Hitting, clearing the front of his net, shooting the puck a lot, and could quite possibly have a fight every shift, if more players took him up on his offer. Really didn't expect him to step his game up this much over last season, but he has been given more responsibility and he has run with it.
Jan Bittner (D+) - Looks great with the puck in the offensive zone, pinches well and generates offense. Unfortunately, there are long periods of time where he just doesn't skate in his own end of the ice, and just stands in one spot waving his stick around. He also doesn't play guys one-on-one very well at all on the rush. He gets beat on the boards almost every time, and makes absolutely horrible cross-ice breakout passes, or passes the puck right into the forechecker's skates just about every time. As a 19 year old import defenseman, there isn't really a great deal of time to "wait for him to get better"
Haydn Fleury (B+) - Huge, smooth skating defenseman. He is exactly the sort of defenseman that any team needs when the other team starts trapping. Possesses a decent point shot, and has a mean streak. He has let a few guys get in behind him on odd-man rushes on more than a few occasions, but that comes with a 16 year old playing top minutes.
Cody Thiel (C-) - Has played primarily as a forward this season in limited action. Played back on defense when Dumba was suspended. He has all the tools to be a stay-at-home defenseman in this league, but he has a bad habit of making these dumb, open-ice hit attempts that cause odd-man rushes. He did it in the Edmonton game to set up their first goal, and hasn't really seen any action since that game. I am not really sure how a 19 year old defenseman can be scratched for 7 games with all the moves that Sutter has been making, but I don't see him as being part of their plans moving forward.
Brandon Underwood (C+) - Pros: Is an animal in front of the net, moves the puck up the ice well, punishes guys on the boards, blocks shots, clogs up the passing lanes well, seems to have really settled the Rebel blueline down. Cons: Gets beat to the outside a lot more than an overage defenseman should, takes a pile of dumb penalties.
Kayle Doetzel (C+) - Had a terrible start to the season, the pairing of him and Bittner was quite possibly the worst defensive pairing I have seen, ever (And I watched a season of the Berube-Egener pairing!). He started to come on in his last couple of games, and then sustained a broken jaw, and will be out for up to 6 weeks. Seems like a carbon copy of last season. 1-Starts bad, 2-starts to improve, 3-long-term injury.
Mathew Dumba (A-) - Rebels' best offensive weapon from the point. Still a little soft at times in his own end for a player of his pedigree, however he can play the 'Petrovic' card this season, as he is almost never off the ice, and fatigue must be playing a bit of a factor.
Riley Boomgaarden (C+) - Only two games under his belt so far due to injury, but through exhibition and those two games, he looks like a player that could potentially eat up a lot of minutes in the future. He is however another 18 year old rookie, and he is going to have to see a lot of improvement throughout the season to stick on this roster.
Kevin Pochuk (B-) - I really never understood why he was sent home to begin with, but he was recalled in the absense of the injured Kayle Doetzel. He has decent mobility, moves the puck up ice well, and above all else, seems to be very adept at anticipating passes and picking them off. He has a good shot and looks at home on the power-play. He is making it very difficult for them to send him back when Doetzel returns, and I think he is going to push one of the other defensemen out when that happens.
The Goalies:
Boulton Pouliot (B+) - I seem to recall the Rebels having a Pouliot in goal in the last two seasons, is this guy related to him somehow? All kidding aside, his play this season has been like night and day compared to last season. He looks extremely composed. He is still weak at moving from one side of the net to the other, however his game hasn't been any worse for it this season so far.
Patrik Bartosak (B+) - Pretty much picked up where he left off last season. He is very quick in goal, and was called on to stop a pile of breakaways and 2-on-1s/3-on-1s in the first four games.
Jan Bittner (D+) - Looks great with the puck in the offensive zone, pinches well and generates offense. Unfortunately, there are long periods of time where he just doesn't skate in his own end of the ice, and just stands in one spot waving his stick around. He also doesn't play guys one-on-one very well at all on the rush. He gets beat on the boards almost every time, and makes absolutely horrible cross-ice breakout passes, or passes the puck right into the forechecker's skates just about every time. As a 19 year old import defenseman, there isn't really a great deal of time to "wait for him to get better"
Haydn Fleury (B+) - Huge, smooth skating defenseman. He is exactly the sort of defenseman that any team needs when the other team starts trapping. Possesses a decent point shot, and has a mean streak. He has let a few guys get in behind him on odd-man rushes on more than a few occasions, but that comes with a 16 year old playing top minutes.
Cody Thiel (C-) - Has played primarily as a forward this season in limited action. Played back on defense when Dumba was suspended. He has all the tools to be a stay-at-home defenseman in this league, but he has a bad habit of making these dumb, open-ice hit attempts that cause odd-man rushes. He did it in the Edmonton game to set up their first goal, and hasn't really seen any action since that game. I am not really sure how a 19 year old defenseman can be scratched for 7 games with all the moves that Sutter has been making, but I don't see him as being part of their plans moving forward.
Brandon Underwood (C+) - Pros: Is an animal in front of the net, moves the puck up the ice well, punishes guys on the boards, blocks shots, clogs up the passing lanes well, seems to have really settled the Rebel blueline down. Cons: Gets beat to the outside a lot more than an overage defenseman should, takes a pile of dumb penalties.
Kayle Doetzel (C+) - Had a terrible start to the season, the pairing of him and Bittner was quite possibly the worst defensive pairing I have seen, ever (And I watched a season of the Berube-Egener pairing!). He started to come on in his last couple of games, and then sustained a broken jaw, and will be out for up to 6 weeks. Seems like a carbon copy of last season. 1-Starts bad, 2-starts to improve, 3-long-term injury.
Mathew Dumba (A-) - Rebels' best offensive weapon from the point. Still a little soft at times in his own end for a player of his pedigree, however he can play the 'Petrovic' card this season, as he is almost never off the ice, and fatigue must be playing a bit of a factor.
Riley Boomgaarden (C+) - Only two games under his belt so far due to injury, but through exhibition and those two games, he looks like a player that could potentially eat up a lot of minutes in the future. He is however another 18 year old rookie, and he is going to have to see a lot of improvement throughout the season to stick on this roster.
Kevin Pochuk (B-) - I really never understood why he was sent home to begin with, but he was recalled in the absense of the injured Kayle Doetzel. He has decent mobility, moves the puck up ice well, and above all else, seems to be very adept at anticipating passes and picking them off. He has a good shot and looks at home on the power-play. He is making it very difficult for them to send him back when Doetzel returns, and I think he is going to push one of the other defensemen out when that happens.
The Goalies:
Boulton Pouliot (B+) - I seem to recall the Rebels having a Pouliot in goal in the last two seasons, is this guy related to him somehow? All kidding aside, his play this season has been like night and day compared to last season. He looks extremely composed. He is still weak at moving from one side of the net to the other, however his game hasn't been any worse for it this season so far.
Patrik Bartosak (B+) - Pretty much picked up where he left off last season. He is very quick in goal, and was called on to stop a pile of breakaways and 2-on-1s/3-on-1s in the first four games.