Rebels draft Swedish defenceman Zeb Lindgren in CHL Import Draft

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Rebels owner and president Brent Sutter said that with a young defensive core, they were looking for someone who could play on their top line.

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Sutter said the six-foot-one, 198-pound blue liner skates very well, passes well, and is an overall smart player. Lindgren is also a player, Sutter said, who can play in important situations and log big minutes.

“He’s got some size, too. We are excited about acquiring him,” Sutter said. “Talking with Zeb, he really wanted to come to North America and adjust to the game here before he turns pro. It was a good fit for us and a good fit for him.”

In 2025, Lindgren represented Sweden at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and the World Junior A Challenge, winning medals at both events and was selected by the New York Rangers in round five of the 2025 NHL Draft.

Sutter said it always takes time for players to adjust to the North American game after coming from overseas, but he believes he has all the attributes to succeed.

The Rebels passed on their remaining selections in the CHL Import Draft. The team reported that Slovakian defenceman Matus Lisy and Czech defenceman Jiri Kamas will both be back next season.

“On defence, we only had Lisy as our only 19-year-old on the backend, so we just felt we needed to add an older player to solidify our backend,” Sutter added. “You can’t trade for players like that, especially a player like this. He’s a pretty great player.”

When asked if they considered drafting a forward, Sutter said they have plenty of depth up front and felt it was more important to focus on the back end this time around.

“We’ve got to make room for some of these young kids that are ready to play… We have a lot of returning forwards, but we have to make room for these kids too; they are good players, and it’s the way the league is now. Your 19-year-olds have to be pretty good for you because you don’t have the elite 20-year-olds anymore.”