I don’t expect MacKenzie to be conducting a selloff anytime soon. In the interview with Chris Pope that aired Tuesday night, he stated that going into the season, he planned on making a lot of noise this year.
Based on our predicted contention this year, he led to believe that he saw this year as an all in, contending season.
He said if we eliminate the bad start, 0–5, we’re 10-8. (12-8 after last night). He asks, “Are we an 0-5 team or are we a 10-8 team?” He seemed to lead on that he thinks the latter. That we are still in this thing. Especially since the west is wide open.
That being said, I expect him at least right now to be all in. But, likely based on our position in the standings, the direction he goes remains to be seen. We’ve won four of the last five games. Sure all the competition wasn’t all that strong. But I’m betting if we have an above average December, he’s a buyer at the deadline.
I have mixed feelings about that. Sure, I’d love nothing better for the Rangers to go on a run this year. But, in order for us to do so, I believe McKenzie will have to buy his way into contention the way he did in the 17–18 season. To do that, he will have to drain our cupboard dry of draft picks and likely a young player or two to put us anywhere close to being a favourite in the west.
The prospect of going without contending from 19–20 to probably two years from now is not appealing. But, if we were to sell off this year, and perhaps next, we could set ourselves up for two or three contending seasons starting a couple years from now.
Decisions decisions.
It’s going to be interesting to see how this goes down. The next 30+ days is going to be very interesting in Rangerland.
For the first time in I don't even know how long, the Rangers seem to actually have or be trying to have something of a goalie pipeline developed in house. Who knows how it shakes out but it feels like a step in the right direction on the goalie front going forward.
MacKenzie said that DiFelice was one of the best goalies taken in the draft. Perhaps. But he was the eighth goalie of the 20 selected in that draft. So for me, it’s wait and see. But there’s no reason not to be optimistic.
But Vandenberg has been a pleasant surprise. If nothing else, Parsons, Vandenberg, and DiFelice will give us options and, if all three should prove to be very good or better OHL goaltenders, those options become trade options.