With very few — if any — exceptions, the Red Deer Rebels coaching staff has already decided on the starting lineup for the club’s Western Hockey League regular-season opener one week from today.
But with two preseason games remaining, perhaps, just perhaps, one or two players on the slippery side of the bubble will have the coaches second-guessing themselves.
“There are guys who deserve another opportunity and we’ll get another look at them this weekend,” Rebels general manager/head coach Jesse Wallin said Thursday, looking ahead to tonight’s 7:30 p.m. match with the Edmonton Oil Kings at Lacombe and a meeting with the Medicine Hat Tigers 24 hours later in Stettler.
“We’ll see what they have through the weekend, but for the most part we have a pretty good idea of who will be staying at this point. We want to give everybody that last look and we’ll see if anything changes over the last two (preseason) games. But unless something major happens . . . we have a pretty good idea of which way we’re going.”
While Wallin will bid adieu to a handful of players — most likely rookie prospects who will join midget teams — early next week, the Rebels bench boss has been impressed with them all through training camp and the preseason.
Virtually every player who is reassigned following the weekend will still be in the Rebels’ plans.
“That’s part of it as well — you want to give guys the opportunity to make your team, but another big factor is just that experience and that development,” said Wallin.
“Just like junior players going to NHL camps, you get up with the veteran players, guys who have been there 10 to 15 years, and you get to rub shoulders with them and get adjusted to the pace at that level, the work ethic that is needed to play at that level . . . it’s no different here. You keep some guys around to get them acquainted with the organization and with the league. It’s experience they can take back with them when they go and use to their advantage coming into next season. It’s part of the development process.”
l Veteran Adam Kambeitz returned to the Rebels Wednesday after attending the Phoenix Coyotes rookie camp, while fellow forward John Persson is expected back Saturday from the rookie camp of the New York Islanders.
Forward Turner Elson and defencemen Alex Petrovic and Justin Weller will attend the main camps of the Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers and Coyotes, respectively, starting this weekend. All three are expected to be back with the Rebels before the team’s regular-season opener Sept. 23 versus the defending league champion Kootenay Ice.
Byron Froese, a Chicago Blackhawks prospect, will at least start the season in the AHL and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will be given every chance to earn regular employment with the Edmonton Oilers as the first overall pick in June’s NHL entry draft.
• Neither Kambeitz nor Persson are likely to appear in either of the Rebels’ final two preseason outings, nor will injured hopefuls Mason Burr (groin) or Trace Elson (shoulder).
“At this time of the year it’s tough to throw guys in when they’re not at 100 per cent. Then can still have nagging injuries at Christmas,” said Wallin. “We want to be careful with them.”
gmeachem@www.reddeeradvocate.com