End of season thoughts - Forwards
#5 Cody Thiel (C+) - Bit of a rollercoaster ride of a season for him. He lacks any sort of real offensive skill, and is average defensively, but he is quite possibly the hardest working player every night. Very strong on the boards in the offensive end of the ice. Being that he is an overage player next season, his lack of offense could make him the odd man out, however his contagious work ethic could see him retain his spot in the roster.
#9 Conner Bleackley (B-) - His offensive numbers trailed off a bit towards the end of the season, however he was still getting plenty of scoring chances, and his physical game picked up significantly after Christmas. Will be interesting to see where he fits in next season, as I think he is ready for second line action, but at the moment there is a bit of a logjam there.
#10 Turner Elson (A-) - Probably the most consistent forward in the last half of the season, he really made things happen out there this season, sometimes all by himself. Going to be some big shoes to fill for someone next season with his graduation to the pro ranks.
#11 Cory Millette (D-) - He ran into some injury troubles in the second half, and when he returned he was pretty much invisible. I am not sure if it is related to his injuries or not, but I am not sure if he even registered a point in the second half of the season. He then turned in a less than inspired effort in the playoffs, where he was a healthy scratch for the last handful of games. I am not really sure what the future holds for him? If he was playing with a nagging injury, I see him back next season, if not, I think we could see him move in the off season.
#14 Rhyse Dieno (A+) - The handful of games that he played prior to my last update were no fluke, this kid is the real deal. Looks dangerous on every shift that he plays in and moves well in traffic with the puck. Will be interesting to see who his linemates are next season. I predict that he will be the best overage player in the WHL next season.
#15 Hunter Smith (??) - Played a few games and got injured. If I am to understand the circumstances leading up to him being listed and signed by the Rebels, he was playing Rec hockey or something similar in Carlyle. Didn't look really good or bad in the few shifts I saw him play, and he didn't play for months after that. Not really sure what the future holds for him, but I think he better have a good training camp.
#16 Joel Hamilton (B+) - Very versatile and well-liked player. Makes a lot of nifty plays and has great speed. Quite possibly the best penalty killer on the team. With the departure of Elson, I believe that he will be wearing the C next season.
#17 Jordan DePape (B-) - I thought he looked dangerous on a lot of shifts, even when he didn't score, especially with all the elements that he has working against him. Was a bit surprised that he wasn't used at center, as I was under the impression that he was good at faceoffs, and the team won about 10% of their faceoffs in the Calgary series. Wish him the best of luck as he graduates from the WHL.
#18 Scott Feser (C+) - He was used sparingly in the second half of the season. He is like a smaller, younger version of Cody Thiel. Not a lot of raw offensive skill, but always seems motivated when he is out there. The competition he had in camp last season is nothing compared to what he is up against this season, hope he is better prepared this season.
#19 Brooks Maxwell (B-) - He was a big part of the Rebels' dreadful faceoff winning percentage this season. However he is still a fantastic penalty killer, and has very dangerous speed. Faceoffs aside, I think that him and Bartosak were the only two players that elevated their games in the Calgary series. I believe that next season, he (or Hamilton) is either going to get moved, or bumped down to the second line, as he isn't a center, and doesn't generate enough consistent offense to play as many minutes as he does.
#20 Christian Stockl (D+) - Used very sparingly in the last half, and doesn't really appear to be improving at all. Not a great skater, but will take a hit to make a play, and will get in front of shots, but he is another forward that is going to have some stiff competition in training camp.
#21 Wyatt Johnson (B+) - One of the best two-way players down the stretch. He has a fantastic first few strides, and has some nice moves at times. I think he could find himself centering either of the top two lines next season.
#22 Tyson Ness (C-) - After a brilliant first half of the season, he shot the puck directly into the opposition goaltender's chest so many times, that I thought the Rebels had brought back Landon Ferraro. He was invisible down the stretch, and absolutely horrible in the playoffs. I had initially thought that he was going to be a very strong overage player next season, but his game seems to have regressed a bit for some reason.
#25 Adam Musil - Got a bit of a sneak peak at the future of the Rebels in the last few games of the season/playoffs. He is going to be a big power forward, as he looks to be at least 6'2-6'3ish already. Knows where to go, and positions himself very well defensively on the wall. Looking forward to a full season of him next season.
#27 Matt Bellerive (C+) - Another player that saw a significant drop off in production in the second half of the season. Love this guy when he takes the body--doesn't always do it, but love the games where he does. He has the talent, could be just a matter of finding the right linemates for him.
