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Red Deer Rebels make blockbuster deal with Saskatoon Blades in preparation for 2016 Memorial Cup
In a blockbuster trade on Sunday, the Red Deer Rebels took a step forward in building its 2016 Memorial Cup-hosting team while the Saskatoon Blades moved forward in piecing back together its club after selling the farm to host the 2013 tournament. The Rebels acquired Winnipeg Jets pick Nelson Nogier and 18-year-old wing Austin Adamson from the Blades for 17-year-old wing Mason McCarthy, a 2016 first-round bantam pick and a 2015 second-round bantam pick.
This is the second significant trade that Red Deer GM-head coach Brent Sutter has made this year for an established 18-year-old. He brought in Tyler Sandhu from the Everett Silvertips in October for a pair of fourth-round bantam picks.
Nogier, who has one goal, eight points and a -27 rating in 32 games, has struggled this year, but he will still add skill, composure and Memorial Cup experience to the Rebels’ back end. Moreover, the 6-foot-2, 193-pounder’s stats, especially plus minus, should take a turn back in the right direction now that he’ll be surrounded by high-end talent like Carolina Hurricanes prized pick Haydn Fleury and Colorado Avalanche first-rounder Conner Bleackley. He will also have a lot less pressure on his shoulders in Red Deer now that he’s simply a piece to the puzzle rather than the star defenceman.
It seems Sutter may have learned from Saskatoon’s mistake of waiting until the last minute to piece together a team for the CHL’s prestigious tournament. Former Blades GM-head coach Lorne Molleken made multiple big moves at the 2013 trade deadline in an effort to get his roster up to snuff. But since the Blades’ talent level was a major step behind a team capable of winning the tourney, Molleken’s moves were like buying really nice rims for an average car right before a competitive race. He did improve the appearance of his squad, but it would have took a new engine to compete with the 2013 champions, the Halifax Mooseheads.
Red Deer is now poised to have at least three NHL draft picks – Nogier, Fleury and Bleackley – on its roster next year as long as none of them jets to the NHL in their 19-year-old seasons. In addition, all indications point to power-forward Adam Musil donning a sweater early on in the 2015 draft.
The trade comes just a day after Blades GM-head coach Bob Woods said there would be change after his club lost its 10th straight game at the hands of the Regina Pats. But the former Anaheim Ducks assistant coach insists this deal has nothing to do with his previous comments because it was a smart long-term trade.
The deal to send away two 18-year-olds was made just before the WHL holiday trade freeze kicks in on Monday.
“This move has nothing to do with that situation,” Woods said. “This was an opportunity for us as an organization to really improve our future.
“When you get picks like that you can really find some pretty good players.” (StarPhoenix)
The trade puts the Bridge City Boys’ rebuild father ahead. They now has two first-round picks in the next two bantam drafts even though the Spokane Chiefs hold their 2015 first-rounder from one of those 2013 Memorial Cup deadline deals. The Blades hold the Everett Silvertips and Kootenay Ice’s first-rounders in 2015 from trades involving Montreal Canadiens first-rounder Nikita Scherbak and 18-year-old centre Matt Revel (Saskatoon acquired Kootenay’s pick from the Kamloops Blazers). They hold the Rebels and their own top pick in 2016. In addition to that, the Blades drafted a pair of highly regarded prospects – Edmonton, Alta., native Josh Paterson and Yorkton, Sk., native Jake Kustra – in the second round of the 2014 draft.
It is tough to get a clear look into the Blades’ crystal ball, though. Since they don’t have a Sam Steel-like talent in their cupboard, it’s too early to say they will be a very competitive team this year or that year. They, however, are bringing in enough draft picks and prospects to give the perception that they will start to blossom into a good young hockey team in 2016-17. It is still a ways away, but it was inevitable that this would be a long process considering Molleken traded five consecutive first-round bantam picks (2011-2015) away in Saskatoon’s two botched runs at a championship.
Kelly Friesen is a Buzzing the Net columnist for Yahoo! Sports. Follow him on Twitter @KellyFriesen
