A pair of Red Deer Rebels CHL Import Draft picks should have their names called at the NHL Entry Draft in Dallas this weekend.
Defenceman Alex Alexeyev is being projected as a late first or early second round pick and forward Kristian Reichel is expected to be a late-round selection.
Alexeyev, 18, was picked up by the Rebels back in 2016, 49th overall in the import draft and has slowly blossomed into a workhorse on defence when he’s in the lineup.
In his first WHL season, he played 41 games and last year battled through a few injuries and time missed. An upper-body injury, a broken finger and the passing of his mother limited the six-foot-three, 190-pound defender to a 45-game season last year.
In those games he did play though, it was clear to Rebels GM/head coach Brent Sutter that Alexeyev projects to be an impact player at the next level.
“There’s no question he’s an exceptional player. We have to find a balance with him to keep him healthy,” said Sutter of Alexeyev, who had 37 points in 45 games and another five points in three playoff games last year.
“When he came back in our lineup in the playoffs, he played pretty solid for us, basically playing with one hand. I thought he did a really good job.”
According to Sutter, Alexeyev’s appeal to NHL teams is his mobility and the ease in which he can eat up big minutes.
“He can play against the other team’s top lines but I don’t think every shift he should be,” Sutter said. “He’s still a big horse and he’s an important part of our backend.”
TSN’s Bob McKenzie has the gifted defender going in the first round at number 30.
Reichel, 20, scored 34 times in 63 WHL games last season, 12 of which came on the power play with a lethal one-timer. He showed his ability to kill penalties and play in all situations with the Rebels, including winning faceoffs at a 53 per cent clip. It was his first season in North America after playing pro in the Czech Republic.
“He plays a good 200-foot game but he has to be a hard-working guy on both sides of the puck,” noted Sutter about the Rebels’ 27th overall import draft pick in 2017.
“His foundation is to be a highly competitive player that is going to be responsible on both sides of the puck and do a good job in your own zone and be good on faceoffs. When he gets the puck, use his speed and the skill can go from there.”
The six-foot-one, 168-pound centre is in his second-year of draft eligibility. In his first draft go-around, after a sub-par year playing pro in the Czech Republic, Reichel wasn’t selected. His family knew they had to do something to change his circumstances. So, he made the jump to the WHL and has impressed since day one.
“This year I hope someone will pick me and I have good rankings so are thinking that you can get drafted. Now you are nervous because you don’t know. The waiting time is bad,” Reichel said in a phone interview from the Czech Republic.
At the NHL Draft midterm prospect rankings, Reichel sat at number 80 among North American skaters. By the end of the WHL season, he was in the 53rd spot, meaning a likely third-round selection. However, most experts have the centre outside the top 100 in their final rankings. TSN’s Craig Button in his final ranking from June 5, has Reichel slotted at number 90.
“There was no question he was one of our best forwards and some nights our top guy. He had a really good year, he’s going to get drafted from what I’m hearing and deservedly so,” Sutter said.
Reichel might have enhanced his chances at being selected in late May at the NHL Draft Combine, too.
He scored some top test results in a few measurements and said he interviewed with 11 NHL teams, down from the 20 or so he talked to throughout the season. Another measure there’s still some buzz around the 20-year-old heading into the draft that starts on Friday.
“It wasn’t too bad, it was like a vacation for me,” he said with a chuckle.
I’m pretty excited, a little bit nervous but just the waiting is weird and you don’t know if someone will pick you or what round you will go.”
Email sports tips to Byron Hackett
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter