Kitchener Rangers 2019 Offseason Thread

[MatthewsMoustache]

I was talking to someone in his circle today and what I heard was he's been very limited to what he can do. Has to spend 99% of his time in doors. Career might be done.

If that's the case I feel horrible for the kid. When I was working in the GOJHL all we heard was how much of a work horse this kid is. The time and effort he puts in to get better. Hope he gets better

that’s awful. don’t even remember the hit (?) honestly. it’s been almost 7 months which is probably why. wish Carter the best.

I have a hard time believing the Rangers only just now sent a contract for Pinelli to sign. I'm betting that there's been hard negotiations ongoing ever since the draft. Various 1st rounders around the league signed shortly after the draft. Motew signed not long after the rookie camp. Why not Pinelli?

Again, the fact he hasn't signed yet leads me to believe there are issues. Maybe not major issues, but issues nonetheless.

might be pushing to get the brother an education package and go play with the Dutchies or Siskins. from what I’ve heard from other OHL teams trying to get local junior teams to sign their guys, there’s usually some financial compensation that goes into it. the idea of being an “affiliate team” appears to go down the drain when these teams can get some extra money. the London Nationals refuse to take any first year junior eligibility guys from the Knights unless they are local. they then reach out to the other teams in the area (St. Thomas, Komoka, Strathroy, St. Mary’s). someone in that circle said it was upwards of 6 digits to have Sean McGurn, Chase Strychaluk and Dario Beljo play in the area this year.

regardless, I still think it should be done by now. Mason McTavish was gonna play in Switzerland and some point since the draft and has since signed

 

[Rangers True Blue]

I have a hard time believing the Rangers only just now sent a contract for Pinelli to sign. I'm betting that there's been hard negotiations ongoing ever since the draft. Various 1st rounders around the league signed shortly after the draft. Motew signed not long after the rookie camp. Why not Pinelli?

Again, the fact he hasn't signed yet leads me to believe there are issues. Maybe not major issues, but issues nonetheless.

I'm thinking the "contract" just sent to them is the result of those negotiations. With the Under 17 development camp July 19 to 26, we might have a longer wait if we don't hear about the signing in the next day or two.

 

[Rangers True Blue]

Good read on the goalie situation in the Western Conference this coming season...

OHL goalies of note include rookie from the Great North

 

[MatthewsMoustache]

seems pretty clear that Axel Bergkvist will be coming over if MM’s quote in Josh Brown’s article wasn’t clear enough. here’s the translation for those who don’t want to go through that hassle:

He was enrolled in both the NHL and CHL drafts. Now it is clear that Leksand's 19-year-old backtalang Axel Bergkvist continues his career across the Atlantic.

In the NHL drafts, Axel Bergkvist of Arizona was chosen as the 200th total player in the seventh round. This week, the junior team Kitchener chose to run him in the import duty to CHL.

PLAYED 36 MATCHES
Now it is clear that Bergkvist continues his career on the other side of the Atlantic.
- Leksands IF, together with Axel and his advisors, have agreed that the best thing for Axel's continued development is to play in North America next season, says the club's GM Thomas Johansson to Leksand's website.

Axel Bergkvist, who was born in 2000, played 36 games for Leksand in Hockeyallsvenskan this past season and stood for three goals and seven pass points.
"Of course I would have liked Axel to stay, but now he has the chance, we wish him good luck and hope for reunion in the Leksand jersey later in his hockey career," says Johansson.

 

[Ward Cornell]

seems pretty clear that Axel Bergkvist will be coming over if MM’s quote in Josh Brown’s article wasn’t clear enough. here’s the translation for those who don’t want to go through that hassle:

He was enrolled in both the NHL and CHL drafts. Now it is clear that Leksand's 19-year-old backtalang Axel Bergkvist continues his career across the Atlantic.

In the NHL drafts, Axel Bergkvist of Arizona was chosen as the 200th total player in the seventh round. This week, the junior team Kitchener chose to run him in the import duty to CHL.

PLAYED 36 MATCHES
Now it is clear that Bergkvist continues his career on the other side of the Atlantic.
- Leksands IF, together with Axel and his advisors, have agreed that the best thing for Axel's continued development is to play in North America next season, says the club's GM Thomas Johansson to Leksand's website.

Axel Bergkvist, who was born in 2000, played 36 games for Leksand in Hockeyallsvenskan this past season and stood for three goals and seven pass points.
"Of course I would have liked Axel to stay, but now he has the chance, we wish him good luck and hope for reunion in the Leksand jersey later in his hockey career," says Johansson.

Seems likely but we know there's nothing guaranteed until he's actually on the ice here.
If both comes then it looks like MM hit home runs on both.

 

[MatthewsMoustache]

Seems likely but we know there's nothing guaranteed until he's actually on the ice here.
If both comes then it looks like MM hit home runs on both.

the defence is deep if they do. they have backup plans if they don’t in Rupoli/Xhekaj/Motew.

but if they do come, what happens with Motew? can’t send him to Jr. B or trade him. Rupoli was just settling in and looking a bit more comfortable. Xhekaj wasn’t even been able to play many stretches of games without being moved to forward or being healthy scratched.

if you move one of Rupoli or Xhekaj and rotate the other in and out with Motew, whoever the partner is has to go through a major adjustment from small and fast to big and not as fast every game. maybe it looks something like (randomly deciding that Rupoli was traded):

Vukojevic-Bergkvist
MacPherson-Ottavainen
Xhekaj-Sebrango
Motew

Vukojevic-Bergkvist
Sebrango-Ottavainen
MacPherson-Motew
Xhekaj

 

[Jives]

I don’t see Motew signing to sit as a healthy scratch. His upside is way too big. Xhekaj better get used to being a healthy scratch or injury sub when either a D or F get injured.

 

[Rangers True Blue]

I don’t see Motew signing to sit as a healthy scratch. His upside is way too big. Xhekaj better get used to being a healthy scratch or injury sub when either a D or F get injured.

Agreed. Motew is way too talented to be a backup plan. Looking forward to seeing how he does at the 5 nations tournament in August.

 

[MatthewsMoustache]

I don’t see Motew signing to sit as a healthy scratch. His upside is way too big. Xhekaj better get used to being a healthy scratch or injury sub when either a D or F get injured.

Agreed. Motew is way too talented to be a backup plan. Looking forward to seeing how he does at the 5 nations tournament in August.

that’s kind of what i was leading towards when typing that out. kind of reminds me of Gerard Keane last season. he only played 29 games. I see Motew playing in the 40-50 range should both imports report

 

[EvenSteven]

I don’t see Motew signing to sit as a healthy scratch. His upside is way too big. Xhekaj better get used to being a healthy scratch or injury sub when either a D or F get injured.

I have Vukojevic, MacPherson, Sebrango, and Bergkvist as our top four D. That should be easy.

I see Xhekaj, Motew and Ottavainen rounding out the bottom three. Those three themselves will sort out who'll get the most playing time. There will be 136 man games on the bottom pairing available to go around to these three guys. They each start out with around 45 games allotted. They will dictate who gets more or less than the 45.

I don't see room for Rupoli here unless they go with 8. I don't see 8D happening though but it has happened before. If it comes down to Rupoli or Xhekaj, as has been suggested above, I take Xhekaj over Rupoli every time. Xhekaj was moved to the wing to give Rupoli every opportunity to show he can be a player. I don't think he was able to. In the games that counted late in the season, he barely played when dressed.

He'll be at camp but he'll have a lot of work to do to solidify a spot here.

 

[MatthewsMoustache]

I have Vukojevic, MacPherson, Sebrango, and Bergkvist as our top four D. That should be easy.

I see Xhekaj, Motew and Ottavainen rounding out the bottom three. Those three themselves will sort out who'll get the most playing time. There will be 136 man games on the bottom pairing available to go around to these three guys. They each start out with around 45 games allotted. They will dictate who gets more or less than the 45.

I don't see room for Rupoli here unless they go with 8. I don't see 8D happening though but it has happened before. If it comes down to Rupoli or Xhekaj, as has been suggested above, I take Xhekaj over Rupoli every time. Xhekaj was moved to the wing to give Rupoli every opportunity to show he can be a player. I don't think he was able to. In the games that counted late in the season, he barely played when dressed.

He'll be at camp but he'll have a lot of work to do to solidify a spot here.

well that makes it sound a lot better than I thought (the 45 man games). never put that together in my head. don't know what the Sweden WJC team is gonna look like this year but there is also that possibility to open up games if Bergkvist is gone. Vuks may miss a few depending on the NJ Devils training camp/exhibition schedule as well.

I could see Rupoli being waived. solely based on the old eliteprospects check, it seems he was prematurely signed. was on the same pace production wise as he was the season before in the OJHL. doesn't provide anything Xhekaj doesn't. Xhekaj is way meaner and a year younger.

 

[Rangers True Blue]

well that makes it sound a lot better than I thought (the 45 man games). never put that together in my head. don't know what the Sweden WJC team is gonna look like this year but there is also that possibility to open up games if Bergkvist is gone. Vuks may miss a few depending on the NJ Devils training camp/exhibition schedule as well.

I could see Rupoli being waived. solely based on the old eliteprospects check, it seems he was prematurely signed. was on the same pace production wise as he was the season before in the OJHL. doesn't provide anything Xhekaj doesn't. Xhekaj is way meaner and a year younger.

And X likes to get under the opposition's skin and has no issue stepping in when there's trouble.

 

[EvenSteven]

well that makes it sound a lot better than I thought (the 45 man games). never put that together in my head. don't know what the Sweden WJC team is gonna look like this year but there is also that possibility to open up games if Bergkvist is gone. Vuks may miss a few depending on the NJ Devils training camp/exhibition schedule as well.

I could see Rupoli being waived. solely based on the old eliteprospects check, it seems he was prematurely signed. was on the same pace production wise as he was the season before in the OJHL. doesn't provide anything Xhekaj doesn't. Xhekaj is way meaner and a year younger.

And you never know. If Vukojovic ramps his game up to the point where it was, going into last year (expectation), he could put himself on the radar of the WJC team. Not expecting him to make that team but an invite to camp wouldn't totally surprise me.