One week before departing for Buffalo, Red Deer forward Brandon Hagel (2016, sixth round) hobbled to the bench after taking a knee-on-knee blow in a Rebels' training camp scrimmage.
It is unclear if it impacted Hagel, a scrappy sparkplug who can fill the net, in his two appearances at the Prospects Challenge, where he finished with two shots on goal and tripping minor before sitting out the final contest versus Pittsburgh.
Hagel is expected to head back to Red Deer, where he returns as the club's top returning scorer following a 31-goal, 71-point cruise in 2016-17.
Hagel closed strong last season, cashing 16 goals in his final 13 games (including the playoffs) as he rode shotgun to Czech standout Michael Spacek (WPG) all season-long on the Rebels' top line.
With Spacek off the pro ranks and the bar set high, Hagel is looking to reproduce the rhythm in camp with a new Czech centerman as Kristian Reichel, son former NHLer and IIHF Hall of Famer Robert, arrives on the scene for his inaugural North American season. He notched a pair of assists in his only preseason appearance with the Rebels in a game that saw Reichel record a hat trick.
This season will tell a clear story about Hagel's future projection in his contract year.
We know he battles hard every shift with a greasy net-front mentality, so scouts will want to see him build on his core skills, smooth out his passing game, and continue to not only attack the zone with speed, but continue to finish plays at a high rate from close range.