Not getting a first round or even a second round pick for any of these guys is a bit mind boggling. Either way the Rebels did get some great young players. -The struggling Red Deer Rebels, mired in a nine-game losing streak heading into 2026, received a significant lineup shakeup on January 2 as owner, president, and general manager Brent Sutter completed three trades aimed at injecting youth and future assets into the roster. Following the recent departure of top scorer Jaxon Fuder, the Rebels sent 19-year-old defenceman Keith McInnis—a Red Deer native with 20 points (6 goals, 14 assists) in 34 games this season and committed to the University of Minnesota-Duluth—to the Kelowna Rockets in exchange for 17-year-old forward Kalder Varga, Kelowna’s third-round pick in the 2028 WHL Prospects Draft, and a sixth-round pick in 2026 (via Spokane). Varga, selected seventh overall by Kelowna in the 2023 WHL U.S. Priority Draft, has recorded 35 points (18 goals, 17 assists) in 98 career games, including 11 points in 34 games this season.In separate deals, the Rebels traded 18-year-old forward Matthew Gard—a 2025 Philadelphia Flyers draft pick with 11 points (6 goals, 5 assists) in 23 games this season—to the Seattle Thunderbirds for 17-year-old forward Cameron Kuzma, a 2028 third-round pick, a conditional 2028 fourth-round pick, and a conditional 2029 fourth-round pick; Kuzma, originally picked by Regina in the third round (61st overall) of the 2023 draft, has 29 points in 87 career games, including 10 this season. Red Deer also acquired 18-year-old forward Cole Temple and 17-year-old defenceman Cameron Dillard from the Everett Silvertips in return for 18-year-old defenceman Luke Vlooswyk (another 2025 Flyers pick with 6 assists in 32 games) and a 2027 fifth-round pick. Temple, a 2022 fifth-overall selection by Regina, has 70 points in 163 career games, with 9 this season; Dillard, taken 10th overall in the 2024 U.S. Priority Draft and a product of the Dallas Stars Elite AAA program, has 3 points (2 goals, 1 assist) in 17 games as a WHL rookie.Additionally, the Rebels reassigned 17-year-old forward Nolan Schmidt to the Whitecourt Wolverines (AJHL) immediately and 16-year-old defenceman Nikolas Ferry to the Grande Prairie Storm (AJHL), with Ferry remaining as an affiliated player for now.