Kitchener Rangers 2022-23 Season Thread

[Tim Wallach]

And LA has expectations for Pinelli as well. So MM will have to contend with the wishes of both Montreal and the Kings.

For sure they will, but MTL had more leverage here. LA had not much choice but to send him here. MTL could have withheld Mesar if they didn't agree to some terms. But it is a consideration.

I suggested trying this earlier to load up a top line. I haven't been thrilled with Pinelli's overall progress from last season to this one. He was surprisingly effective as a rookie (albeit a very high scoring partial season league wide) on the LW slot. Part of me wonders if the responsibilities at center have been spreading his game/skill set a bit thin.

Admittedly I closed my eyes during the first intermission and when I opened them they were recapping the game. That said, it's nice to see Rehkopf back on his off-side mid-board slot he had a good deal of success with last season. His hand eye is very good and continues to make him a standing shooting thread, and especially a quick 1-timer threat.

That's my take too. I feel like Pinelli might be a winger at the next level. He has never really taken the C role and developed his all around game. My hunch is Mesar likely has the inside track on C if they load up a line.

 

[cobra9850]

I agree with your views on the Hage pick. At the draft, MM was likely faced with the scenario of selecting Hage and hope he comes this year. A player of that talent would help us this year as a 16 year old even though we are in a contending year. He would have strengthened the bottom six. The other option was to pass on Hage and take the next best centre available.

So for arguments sake, we’ll look at the next two C’s who were chosen.
Cole Beaudoin and Ben Cormier. MM likely weighed the possibility of one of these two guys contributing to this year‘s team versus the value of getting the comp pick for next year.

Having one of these guys sit in the press box or languish with minimal minutes as a 16-year-old probably wouldn’t have helped our team this year at all. So, worst case scenario, take Hage, and if he doesn’t sign, they declare him defected and get the second first round pick next year.

But I’m still not ruling out that they’ve cooked up a deal with Sudbury where he returns to Kitchener next October. It would be 100% within the rules. It would align with the Hage camp saying he wants to play in the OHL at 17 years old. It also makes sense to do such a deal from a Sudbury point of view because you would be gifting Sudbury assets next October for virtually not giving up anything except being a placeholder for Hage.

An example of an October 2023 deal could be Hage back to Kitchener for 2x2nds, 2x3rds, 2x4ths. Maybe throw in a body. In other words, Sudbury gains assets for merely hanging onto Hage’s rights. Better to gift assets to a team in the other conference instead of helping strengthen a team in the west. Also, they trade him to a team that would possibly be a team least likely he’d want to report to.

In my opinion, the absolute worst way this could turn out, is if Hage reports to the OHL next year. That means we would’ve received peanuts for him in comparison to other players of his talent who were deemed defected.

As far as Longacre goes, if he is that far down the depth chart in Sioux City, unless he has NCAA aspirations, it would make a whole lot more sense reporting to Kitchener and being low on our depth chart as he would be playing games and practising at this level - a decidedly better level of hockey than the USHL. With the likelihood of injuries over the course of the season, he’d still likely play 40+ games at this level as a 16-year-old.

Interesting that you are downplaying Hage reporting to Sudbury when recent signings including Musty,Chromiak ,Mania and Villeneuve show otherwise.The next major signing will be Dvorsky and he is rated within the top 5 picks for the 23 NHL draft.Hage might want to join a roster with a talented core for the next few seasons.Many scouts will be following the Wolves this season checking in on these players.

 

[OHL4Life]

Interesting that you are downplaying Hage reporting to Sudbury when recent signings including Musty,Chromiak ,Mania and Villeneuve show otherwise.The next major signing will be Dvorsky and he is rated within the top 5 picks for the 23 NHL draft.Hage might want to join a roster with a talented core for the next few seasons.Many scouts will be following the Wolves this season checking in on these players.

are you really sure dvorsky is signing? hes producing and getting ice in the mens league. why would he leave?

 

[EvenSteven]

Interesting that you are downplaying Hage reporting to Sudbury when recent signings including Musty,Chromiak ,Mania and Villeneuve show otherwise.The next major signing will be Dvorsky and he is rated within the top 5 picks for the 23 NHL draft.Hage might want to join a roster with a talented core for the next few seasons.Many scouts will be following the Wolves this season checking in on these players.

You never know, but Sudbury along with maybe Kingston and Peterborough are the teams in the Eastern conference widely considered to be “have not” teams, or, teams that have trouble getting players to report. They’re probably at or near the top of the list of teams OHL wide that receive emails every year from top shelf prospects telling them not to choose them as they won’t report.

Nothing against these cities or teams, but there may be many other destinations in the league a player like Hage would rather report to. By trading him to Sudbury, as opposed to say London, makes it seem a whole lot more likely he could be traded back to Kitchener.

I’m just looking at anything to fit my argument. Everything that I have pointed out leads me to the conclusion that Hage could be dealt back to Kitchener.

 

[cobra9850]

You never know, but Sudbury along with maybe Kingston and Peterborough are the teams in the Eastern conference widely considered to be “have not” teams, or, teams that have trouble getting players to report. They’re probably at or near the top of the list of teams OHL wide that receive emails every year from top shelf prospects telling them not to choose them as they won’t report.

Nothing against these cities or teams, but there may be many other destinations in the league a player like Hage would rather report to. By trading him to Sudbury, as opposed to say London, makes it seem a whole lot more likely they could be traded back to Kitchener.

I’m just looking at anything to fit my argument. Everything that I have pointed out leads me to the conclusion that Hage could be dealt back to Kitchener.

I understand now.Start with a conclusion and create variables that fit your narrative.So if Kitchener was such a highly sought out location why would Hage not want to play there from the beginning.Mesar if he had his choice would want to play with Laval , or back home or even Sweden. It is quite possible that the view of Sudbury as a playing destination may be changing.

 

[bobber]

I understand now.Start with a conclusion and create variables that fit your narrative.So if Kitchener was such a highly sought out location why would Hage not want to play there from the beginning.Mesar if he had his choice would want to play with Laval , or back home or even Sweden. It is quite possible that the view of Sudbury as a playing destination may be changing.

Mesar wanted to play in Canada get use to the smaller ice surface. If Sudbury does convince Hage to play there more power to them. Great city. Hage is a talented kid for sure.

 

[Noofgoof]

You gotta wonder.. The Rangers made a big trade and got big news this weekend followed by a pretty huge win over a strong western division opponent and London made a decent trade of their own followed by knocking off the defending champs . Is it me or does It The Midwest feels like it just got tougher and some teams are maybe waking up. This could be the start of some teams turning a crappy start around. I realize its only each teams first wins, but they just feel like it could start something because neither team can ever be counted out especially early on.

 

[EvenSteven]

I understand now.Start with a conclusion and create variables that fit your narrative.So if Kitchener was such a highly sought out location why would Hage not want to play there from the beginning.Mesar if he had his choice would want to play with Laval , or back home or even Sweden. It is quite possible that the view of Sudbury as a playing destination may be changing.

The variables are already there. They stick out to me like a sore thumb.

 

[Coaches Coroner]

Interesting that you are downplaying Hage reporting to Sudbury when recent signings including Musty,Chromiak ,Mania and Villeneuve show otherwise.The next major signing will be Dvorsky and he is rated within the top 5 picks for the 23 NHL draft.Hage might want to join a roster with a talented core for the next few seasons.Many scouts will be following the Wolves this season checking in on these players.

They will be following the Wolves, but most scouts will be watching them in other teams buildings. To this day they still plan around taking drives out to Sudbury in the winter, even the Soo, if they can.

If Hage reports we get more so that would be nice. Maybe getting injured will make him choose far northern Ontario over Chicago (one of the top 1 or 2 USHL programs), if I were a betting man I wouldn't put my own money down on it.

 

[dirty12]

Hague is likely a long shot to play in the OHL until NHL signed at least. MM has proven patient with the tougher players to recruit thus far.

 

[Gondrex]

Interesting that you are downplaying Hage reporting to Sudbury when recent signings including Musty,Chromiak ,Mania and Villeneuve show otherwise.The next major signing will be Dvorsky and he is rated within the top 5 picks for the 23 NHL draft.Hage might want to join a roster with a talented core for the next few seasons.Many scouts will be following the Wolves this season checking in on these players.

I for one hope Dvorsky signs. Would be great for Sudbury, and also good for the league. As stated above, it can be tough for some of the teams mentioned to get some top-end players to report. I'm always a fan of a level playing field....or at least as level as possible. IMO, it's good seeing the smaller centers and the northern teams do well in the standings (coming from a small town myself, I admit to being a bit of an OS Attack-backer although it's hard when they're in the same division as my Rangers). Having said this, I don't want to see those 2 points go to the Wolves this Friday .

 

[bobber]

Rangers had Florian Xhekaj in the rookie camp for a look. Played well. Had a couple of fights and was quite noticeable. I notice he has 3 goals playing for Hamilton. Good pick up. Big tough kid.

 

[cobra9850]

They will be following the Wolves, but most scouts will be watching them in other teams buildings. To this day they still plan around taking drives out to Sudbury in the winter, even the Soo, if they can.

If Hage reports we get more so that would be nice. Maybe getting injured will make him choose far northern Ontario over Chicago (one of the top 1 or 2 USHL programs), if I were a betting man I wouldn't put my own money down on it.

At the end of the day players choose teams that will further their careers the most.If the Wolves assemble a team that will draw attention then that can be an attractive destination.With four laning Sudbury is just over 3.5 hours from GTA

 

[Rangers True Blue]

Rangers had Florian Xhekaj in the rookie camp for a look. Played well. Had a couple of fights and was quite noticeable. I notice he has 3 goals playing for Hamilton. Good pick up. Big tough kid.

Liked him at Ranger camp and was hoping there would be a place for him but as we all know, the Rangers lineup was pretty much already decided.

 

[Coaches Coroner]

At the end of the day players choose teams that will further their careers the most.If the Wolves assemble a team that will draw attention then that can be an attractive destination.With four laning Sudbury is just over 3.5 hours from GTA

7 hour round trip at the best of times, not in winter. Hey you don't have to convince me, it's the scouts that say they avoid Sudbury and go see them on the road playing teams without hellish winter drives.

 

[rangersblues]

7 hour round trip at the best of times, not in winter. Hey you don't have to convince me, it's the scouts that say they avoid Sudbury and go see them on the road playing teams without hellish winter drives.

Actually you're half right - he doesn't really have to convince the scouts either

 

[bobber]

Actually you're half right - he doesn't really have to convince the scouts either

I think I have read where scouts like to come to the Aud simply because it's central and it does save a lot of dangerous hairy travel in winter. Bad enough driving around on dark rainy nights up and down the always dangerous 401 after games. Drivers get their license these days and they are off to the races. If a player is talented and considered a future NHL prospect, they will find a way to view his play.

 

[RangerNation]

I think I have read where scouts like to come to the Aud simply because it's central and it does save a lot of dangerous hairy travel in winter. Bad enough driving around on dark rainy nights up and down the always dangerous 401 after games. Drivers get their license these days and they are off to the races. If a player is talented and considered a future NHL prospect, they will find a way to view his play.

Mark Edwards is known to travel, but this time he will see Sudbury in Kitchener

"This week I’ll see Kitch, Sudbury, Windsor and Sag to name a few. First trip to Kitch this season.I think I’m there next Tuesday as well. #NHLDraft"

 

[rangersblues]

I think I have read where scouts like to come to the Aud simply because it's central and it does save a lot of dangerous hairy travel in winter. Bad enough driving around on dark rainy nights up and down the always dangerous 401 after games. Drivers get their license these days and they are off to the races. If a player is talented and considered a future NHL prospect, they will find a way to view his play.

You're absolutely right bobber. Coach was also correct about the 5 hour total travel time, plus game time etc to Sudbury. The teams that are closer to the hub do get scouted more frequently.

The point I was trying to make was the original poster himself didn't have to do anything. Sometimes people, including myself, think we're actually accomplishing things on these boards, when all we're really doing is venting.

 

[bobber]

You're absolutely right bobber. Coach was also correct about the 5 hour total travel time, plus game time etc to Sudbury. The teams that are closer to the hub do get scouted more frequently.

The point I was trying to make was the original poster himself didn't have to do anything. Sometimes people, including myself, think we're actually accomplishing things on these boards, when all we're really doing is venting.

We are legends in our own minds.

 

[K2]

With four laning Sudbury is just over 3.5 hours from GTA

All too often these days, the GTA is 3.5 hrs from the GTA

 

[bobber]

Mark Edwards is known to travel, but this time he will see Sudbury in Kitchener

"This week I’ll see Kitch, Sudbury, Windsor and Sag to name a few. First trip to Kitch this season.I think I’m there next Tuesday as well. #NHLDraft"

Being central in southern Ontario and along the 401 corridor makes it easier for scouts to view prospects. Most scouts and out of towners like visiting the old Aud.

 

[nelli27]

Being central in southern Ontario and along the 401 corridor makes it easier for scouts to view prospects. Most scouts and out of towners like visiting the old Aud.

Everyone loves the AUD!

 

[ohloutsider]

Everyone loves the AUD!

Sorry, not everyone. I'm not that impressed with viewing a game there or the facility itself. Personal preference but I would rather go to see a game in Owen Sound or Sarnia. Love the close to the action feel.

 

[Ward Cornell]

Being central in southern Ontario and along the 401 corridor makes it easier for scouts to view prospects. Most scouts and out of towners like visiting the old Aud.

The real bonus is a lot of times its 2 games in one day when scouts are in this area. More games they see the better evaluations of the players.