WHL: Rebels without a Cause

The Red Deer Rebels' 2008 draft class will likely have a difficult time hearing their names called at the draft, as goaltender Morgan Clark is their only realistic hopeful. All eyes will be focused in Red Deer in 2009 however, when highly touted Landon Ferarro (son of former NHLer, turned broadcaster Ray Ferarro) will be eligible. McKeen's correspondent Randy Gorman looks at this years eligible prospects.

Morgan Clark (2008), G, Red Deer Rebels

Started the majority of games for the rebuilding Rebels .. had a rough year in front of a young defense but still managed to keep his goals-against average under 4.00 (3.70) with a .884 save percentage .. had 10 wins, 30 losses and three shootout losses in 47 starts .. the 5-foot-11, 150-pound goaltender has a very quick lateral move side-to-side but has a hard time picking up the puck through heavy traffic in his own zone .. he must be better at cutting down the angles, as he tends to stay too deep in the net .. his glove hand is okay and he is working on handling the puck better. .. with his quickness, he is very adept at getting set for that second shot that comes off scrambles and most of the time this season, he has stopped the first two but his teammates had a rougher time clearing the puck and the third one unfortunately usually went in on most nights .. plays with savvy, has a willingness to compete and communicates well with his teammates .. many scouts have remarked that he has work to do to have a better overall game, but many scouts like his potential and he has a good chance to be a mid-to-late-round selection

Tomas Polak (2008), C, Red Deer Rebels

It has been and injury-plagued year for Polak, as he only appeared in 45 games and produced just 5 goals and 10 points with a minus-7 rating .. the 6-foot-1, 180-pivot is just beginning to adapt to the North American-style-of game with the tight checking and physical aspects of the WHL .. however, he is a very good skater and can crank it up a notch on occasions .. he has a decent shot that should be used more often .. displays great vision and poise that leads to confidence .. defensively, he needs to learn to play with a more aggressive edge in his own end, as opposing players were taking liberties against him along the wall .. getting stronger in the upper body will negate a lot of this from happening in the future, as he will be better prepared for the battles along the boards and in front of his own net .. his injury this season will hurt his draft chances, as many scouts would like to see him for a full season and improve some aspects of his game that can make him a better complete overall player.

Mike Krgovich(2008), RW, Red Deer Rebels

Did fairly well as a 17-year old this season as primarily a checker and shutdown winger .. he appeared in 63 games, had four goals, three assists, 54 penalty minutes, and had a minus-14 rating .. the 5-foot-11, 160-pound winger is a good skater with a long, wide stride and deceptive speed .. he was given a role, did remarkably well as a checker, and was assigned on most nights to shut down the oppositions top lines .. he needs to get stronger and gain a little more experience at this level of competition to be an effective two-way player .. defensively, he was overmatched, as he was knocked off the puck and out-battled for the puck .. he was aggressive but needs better body strength to handle bigger players in the league .. likes to carry the puck and can surprise opponents with the odd good move, but sometimes holds onto the puck too long leading to turnover ... plays with grit, as he works hard and shows up every night .. should get better with more experience at this level, but he will likely not be selected this season.

Mike Scarborough (2008), D, Red Deer Rebels

Scarborough has the ability to dominate a game if he chooses to .. he appeared in 59 games this season scoring just one goal and finishing with five points and a minus-23 rating on a very young Red Deer team .. has the size (6-1, 200) to physically match most opponents, but he needs to improve on his skating and pivot quickness, as opposing forwards were just a tad quicker and were beating him wide along the perimeter .. plays physical and is competitive, as he delivers good bodychecks and clears people out in front of the net with a nasty edge .. he needs improvement on his outlet passes, as they are not always on the mark and he tends to hurry when it is not necessary .. has a big shot from the point but needs better control .. he needs to take a better look in his own zone when looking to clear the puck with better decision-making .. it is unlikely that he will be taken in the draft this season, but once he puts his game all together, he can be a dominating d-man.

Colin Archer (2008), D, Red Deer Rebels

Appeared in just 48 games this season producing just one goal, three assists and had a minus-21 rating .. he looked a little out of place for most of the season, but was finally beginning to adapt to the speed and tempo at this level .. he is a decent skater with a good even stride .. likes to make the first pass to his wingers on the tape and joins the rush on occasions .. defensively, he needs to work at tying up his man better and gaining better body position .. he has a good work ethic, but he needs to be better at reading plays and picking up the oppositions trailing forward .. at 6-foot-1 and 177 pounds, he does not shy away from the rough stuff but has to be meaner .. does not have a great shot and needs to work on this with better velocity and control .. has some potential, but will likely not be drafted this season.

Joel Kot (2008), D, Red Deer Rebels

Of all the young d-men in the Rebels lineup, Kot seems the most enigmatic .. the 5-foot-11, 175-pound rearguard appeared in just 20 games for the Rebels but had 3 goals and 10 points .. he also had an even rating over those 20 games and was impressive with his steady play .. he is a stark contrast to his other d-men teammates, as he likes to rush the puck and be that offensive-role defenseman on the team with the skating ability to do so .. has the ability to find the open holes where the forwards are patrolling and hitting them with that tape-to-tape pass .. however, he needs more work defensively despite his even rating, as he can be a defensive liability and must learn when to take that extra pinch in the offensive zone and when to retreat .. he could be more physical, but he does the little things like blocking shots and moving the puck out of his zone when he anticipates trouble .. has a good shot but has to work on getting it low and on the target more often .. he has worked hard on his transition game and has good hockey sense .. tough to say if he will be drafted this season by only playing 20 games due to healthy scratch situations and injuries, but he is a gifted player that deserves some future attention.

David Aime (2008), G, Red Deer Rebels

Only appeared in two games for the Rebels after coming over from the Prince Albert Raiders .. the 6-foot-4, 185-pound goalie has to be more consistent and needs work on various aspects of his game .. he needs to better in his lateral movement and he tends to be beaten on low shots .. must also work on facing and cutting down angles .. is not ready to be drafted this season.