Kitchener Rangers 2022-23 Season Thread

[robertmac43]

Mesar out with flu . Sucks but I am looking forward to seeing Martin up with Pinelli.

 

[GeoBlue]

I believe Mesar is a healthy scratch tonight because of Visa issu

LOL! He has the flu.

 

[EvenSteven]

Rather go for a big physical presence at forward....someone who'll pop in about 20 goals 30 assists. Would be cheaper and may just be as valuable as Morrison. Depending on cost, it could mean a 3rd line player drops down to the 4th line.

That’s what I’d like to see too. The two forwards I would add would be second tier type forwards. A little less expensive, but would provide some offence and character. Not necessarily in that order.

 

[RangerNation]

Defense pleeeease

 

[Coaches Coroner]

LOL! He has the flu.

They said flu like symptoms...the way their playing I wouldn't be shocked if they had a team Oktoberfest/Halloween party last night that left them all with a bit of booze flu.

 

[Tyler8525]

Depression game

 

[Generalsupdates]

Which 19 year old is comparable to Morrison?
Johnston
Othmann
Wright(18)
...
Pastujov(IMP)
DelBelBelluz
Arcuri
Goyette(18)

Of those, you probably only get the imports at anywhere near the same price as Morrison. But you have 2 imports already.

Honestly, who are you hoping to get for a Morrison price?

Pastujov not an IMP. American and played for Detroit Compuware

 

[HockeyPops]

Pastujov not an IMP. American and played for Detroit Compuware

Fixed, thanks

 

[bobber]

Otters look sharp. Well coached road game. The Rangers gave up the neutral zone and the Otters came at them with speed. The shorthanded Rangers couldn't match the speed especially in the first period. Rangers are heading to Erie next. They always seem to struggle in that building. Rangers just won't use the body to disrupt the flow and slow opposing teams down. The Otters hit them more often.

 

[Tim Wallach]

Erie’s work ethic was much higher than Kitchener’s. Some of that may be attributable to the flu (I hope), but let’s be honest- Kitchener has not been one of the harder working teams in a long time.

When you couple that with the absolutely sloppy puck management and that’s the result. If they’re going to help high end kids like Pinelli and Rehkopf get to the next level, they have to improve their puck management. Way too many careless decisions with and handling of the puck. And it’s ongoing over two seasons now. They need to learn where the efficient and safe plays are or no pro coach will ever trust them.

 

[MatthewsMoustache]

Playing with 4 d-men in multiple games is ridiculous. I know Hamara comes back tomorrow in Erie, but somethings gotta give. Motew is still week to week.

My biggest gripe with MM over the years is asset management. How many times over the years have they had to roll with 11 or less forwards? Injuries and sicknesses happen, but there never seems to be a backup plan. There's never anyone in the system, per se.

That goes back to only drafting NCAA commits/Americans that are never going to show up and goalies that they're never going to sign. I like taking some shots at NCAA guys, but you're never going to get them all. You need to have some players that are willing to be here when called upon. Why not utilize some of the GOJHL teams in the area? London goes into almost every season with around 15-16 forwards and 9-10 D-men signed and the younger players spread out around the local GOJHL teams. That way when the flu bug comes around they aren't in scramble mode.

 

[Coaches Coroner]

Playing with 4 d-men in multiple games is ridiculous. I know Hamara comes back tomorrow in Erie, but somethings gotta give. Motew is still week to week.

My biggest gripe with MM over the years is asset management. How many times over the years have they had to roll with 11 or less forwards? Injuries and sicknesses happen, but there never seems to be a backup plan. There's never anyone in the system, per se.

That goes back to only drafting NCAA commits/Americans that are never going to show up and goalies that they're never going to sign. I like taking some shots at NCAA guys, but you're never going to get them all. You need to have some players that are willing to be here when called upon. Why not utilize some of the GOJHL teams in the area? London goes into almost every season with around 15-16 forwards and 9-10 D-men signed and the younger players spread out around the local GOJHL teams. That way when the flu bug comes around they aren't in scramble mode.

Asset management is more about getting the most value out of what you have and what you have excess of. You're talking more about roster management and depth.

I don't think our problems this year have much to do with NCAA flyers; we've gotten a surprisingly high amount of guys to report who were NCAA inclined. Longacre is the lone fumble I see and he's not NCAA bound as of yet.
I've read the Knights boards over the years, including when I lived in London and followed them for those years, they've had their fair share of depth issues when illness and injury strike (especially goaltending last year) if you go by the fans who follow and cheer for them game in and game out. Some games, especially in the Mem Cup year, they may as well have only iced 6 forwards and 4 defense the way the ice time shook out.
We would have more depth if we kept A and J Leblanc, but instead we did something London tends to do re: asset management and that is cutting bait with guys and getting picks back instead of burying them in the lineup until their value goes down. I hope this is something we continue to do, that's how you get a consistently stocked draft cupboard and can both take flyers while having a good stock of more local/OHL committed prospects in the pipeline. The double edge sword of it is sometimes a lack of depth if injuries hit early in season.

 

[EvenSteven]

Playing with 4 d-men in multiple games is ridiculous. I know Hamara comes back tomorrow in Erie, but somethings gotta give. Motew is still week to week.

My biggest gripe with MM over the years is asset management. How many times over the years have they had to roll with 11 or less forwards? Injuries and sicknesses happen, but there never seems to be a backup plan. There's never anyone in the system, per se.

That goes back to only drafting NCAA commits/Americans that are never going to show up and goalies that they're never going to sign. I like taking some shots at NCAA guys, but you're never going to get them all. You need to have some players that are willing to be here when called upon. Why not utilize some of the GOJHL teams in the area? London goes into almost every season with around 15-16 forwards and 9-10 D-men signed and the younger players spread out around the local GOJHL teams. That way when the flu bug comes around they aren't in scramble mode.

We’re a Petizian or two away from being a serious threat in the west. Toss in the best version of Xhekaj that’s available and we’re looking good!

 

[bobber]

Playing with 4 d-men in multiple games is ridiculous. I know Hamara comes back tomorrow in Erie, but somethings gotta give. Motew is still week to week.

My biggest gripe with MM over the years is asset management. How many times over the years have they had to roll with 11 or less forwards? Injuries and sicknesses happen, but there never seems to be a backup plan. There's never anyone in the system, per se.

That goes back to only drafting NCAA commits/Americans that are never going to show up and goalies that they're never going to sign. I like taking some shots at NCAA guys, but you're never going to get them all. You need to have some players that are willing to be here when called upon. Why not utilize some of the GOJHL teams in the area? London goes into almost every season with around 15-16 forwards and 9-10 D-men signed and the younger players spread out around the local GOJHL teams. That way when the flu bug comes around they aren't in scramble mode.

Fairly certain the powers that be in the Ranger office will say they screwed the pooch on the first and second pick in the draft.

 

[EvenSteven]

Kitchener Rangers

kitchenerrangers.com

OK.

I don’t know.

Taken in the same round Kyle Morey was in the draft. I hope he contributes a little more than Morey has to date. Fills a hole, but it’s not an answer for contending team on the backend.

 

[Ward Cornell]

Kitchener Rangers

kitchenerrangers.com

Hopefully trading for local players isnt a priority.

 

[EvenSteven]

Hopefully trading for local players isnt a priority.

Taken in the same round of the same draft Morey was. Coincidental I suppose.

But I hope he contributes more than Morey has. To date, I see Morey out of the starting 12 once we make an addition or two to this roster. It’s getting to the time soon where we have to stop saying “but it’s early “ for some of the underachievers on this team.

 

[Coaches Coroner]

Kitchener Rangers

kitchenerrangers.com

OK.

I don’t know.

Taken in the same round Kyle Morey was in the draft. I hope he contributes a little more than Morey has to date. Fills a hole, but it’s not an answer for contending team on the backend.

Morey's been buried but he's been solid by my eye test for his age. For an 8th rounder I have no problem with adding him to take A Leblanc's role. This is his 2nd year of OHL eligibilty and his first season, I think it's definitely pre mature to label him an "underachiever", but that's just my opinion. A guy like Mislajevic has more points, but he'd be more an underachiever for his age and experience at this point for my money.
As much as I like his motor and skating, and despite coming off injury, Fishman hasn't been producing at all and get's pushed around too much for a guy his age.

One underachiever we won't be moving on from who has to get it together is Schmidt. He's playing like a offense-first D and not producing. He's been pretty bad defensively on top of it, constantly cheating by jumping up in the play on the breakout, putting himself way out of position in the event of a turnover. Constantly behind the net when he's supposed to be guarding the slot. Not using his size to his advantage often enough.

New kid was cheap, has decent size and decent production in the OJHL this year. I like this as a fill-in move more than when we added Harper last year when our D corps got thin, at first glance. See how it shakes down.

The one thing about the 4D I haven't minded is it's given Andonovsky his first real taste of heavy minutes. I've liked a lot of what I've seen from him, still a work in progress but he's coming along.

 

[MatthewsMoustache]

Asset management is more about getting the most value out of what you have and what you have excess of. You're talking more about roster management and depth.

I don't think our problems this year have much to do with NCAA flyers; we've gotten a surprisingly high amount of guys to report who were NCAA inclined. Longacre is the lone fumble I see and he's not NCAA bound as of yet.
I've read the Knights boards over the years, including when I lived in London and followed them for those years, they've had their fair share of depth issues when illness and injury strike (especially goaltending last year) if you go by the fans who follow and cheer for them game in and game out. Some games, especially in the Mem Cup year, they may as well have only iced 6 forwards and 4 defense the way the ice time shook out.
We would have more depth if we kept A and J Leblanc, but instead we did something London tends to do re: asset management and that is cutting bait with guys and getting picks back instead of burying them in the lineup until their value goes down. I hope this is something we continue to do, that's how you get a consistently stocked draft cupboard and can both take flyers while having a good stock of more local/OHL committed prospects in the pipeline. The double edge sword of it is sometimes a lack of depth if injuries hit early in season.

I did like the LeBlancs move for all parties involved. Hopefully they can continue to be in a position where they are able to do that. There have been times where I think they should have done this in past years, like Isaac Langdon in 19-20, but just didn't have the bodies to replace him.

Re the Hage/Longacre picks. I don't mind taking a shot in the early rounds because that means they have some confidence it will work out. And up until this year, it usually has. For me, it's the rounds ~4-7 round picks like Nathan Lewis, Ryan Fine, Kamil Bednarik that we will almost certainly never hear about in Kitchener. Those rounds are spots where you are still looking at players with a very realistic chance of playing on the team within a year or 2. Getting those players stops you from having to give away picks like they just did for Blair Scott (I know it was only a 9th, but you still prefer not to do that every time its flu season).

 

[EvenSteven]

Morey's been buried but he's been solid by my eye test for his age. For an 8th rounder I have no problem with adding him to take A Leblanc's role. This is his 2nd year of OHL eligibilty and his first season, I think it's definitely pre mature to label him an "underachiever", but that's just my opinion. A guy like Mislajevic has more points, but he'd be more an underachiever for his age and experience at this point for my money.

New kid was cheap, has decent size and decent production in the OJHL this year. I like this as a fill-in move more than when we added Harper last year when our D corps got thin, at first glance. See how it shakes down.

The one thing about the 4D I haven't minded is it's given Andonovsky his first real taste of heavy minutes. I've liked a lot of what I've seen from him, still a work in progress but he's coming along.

Morey's been buried but he's been solid by my eye test for his age. For an 8th rounder I have no problem with adding him to take A Leblanc's role. This is his 2nd year of OHL eligibilty and his first season, I think it's definitely pre mature to label him an "underachiever", but that's just my opinion. A guy like Mislajevic has more points, but he'd be more an underachiever for his age and experience at this point for my money.
As much as I like his motor and skating, and despite coming off injury, Fishman hasn't been producing at all and get's pushed around too much for a guy his age.

I don't think our top 6 is a big issue when healthy. I think you need to add a really good veteran 3C, move Sop to wing, an

New kid was cheap, has decent size and decent production in the OJHL this year. I like this as a fill-in move more than when we added Harper last year when our D corps got thin, at first glance. See how it shakes down.

The one thing about the 4D I haven't minded is it's given Andonovsky his first real taste of heavy minutes. I've liked a lot of what I've seen from him, still a work in progress but he's coming along.

Not complaining about the price for either Morey or Scott. I guess I was just expecting a bigger splash addition on defense. Perhaps a little early for that. But, by all means, I have no issue taking chances on guys like this on the cheap.

I was more referring to players like Pugliese and Fishman as being underachievers. I thought both would’ve taken a step this year. I think Miseljevic has passed Pugliese on that 04 depth chart.

 

[Coaches Coroner]

Not complaining about the price for either Morey or Scott. I guess I was just expecting a bigger splash addition on defense. Perhaps a little early for that. But, by all means, I have no issue taking chances on guys like this on the cheap.

I was more referring to players like Pugliese and Fishman as being underachievers. I thought both would’ve taken a step this year. I think Miseljevic has passed Pugliese on that 04 depth chart.

I'd rather make a move in early December when there's a bigger sample size to judge potential D targets, rather than take a shot now based on the early part of the season, only for the player to have had a hot start and taper off.

 

[Rangers True Blue]

They must have seen something in Scott to sign him because they ignored D that they had drafted and attended camp. Only time will tell I suppose. But agreed, if Rangers ever rise to be a contender this year, I'd rather they signed a big, gritty D then than now. Right now, I'd just like to see this team get it together and start winning again.

 

[Gondrex]

From Josh Brown's article we were already given the impression that acquiring a "desired D" was outrageously expensive at this point in the season. I was pretty sure we wouldn't overpay for a fill-in this early after reading that. So likely after considering all other options, Scott turned out to be the best current solution. Not suggesting he becomes the next Xhekaj, but as for Scott, it now gives him a chance to play in / stay in this league.

 

[EvenSteven]

From Josh Brown's article we were already given the impression that acquiring a "desired D" was outrageously expensive at this point in the season. I was pretty sure we wouldn't overpay for a fill-in this early after reading that. So likely after considering all other options, Scott turned out to be the best current solution. Not suggesting he becomes the next Xhekaj, but as for Scott, it now gives him a chance to play in / stay in this league.

I don’t think prices on stud D are going to go down any the closer we get to the deadline.

Don’t be surprised if MM explores an OA D. He’s shown in the past that he isn’t above moving out a quality OA to address needs. Garreffa would have been a quality OA here but he saw a need and addressed it bringing in Hawel and moving out Garreffa.

For example, moving out the currently underachieving Serpa, in favour of a top OA D, wouldn’t be totally surprising.

 

[Coaches Coroner]

I don’t think prices on stud D are going to go down any the closer we get to the deadline.

Don’t be surprised if MM explores an OA D. He’s shown in the past that he isn’t above moving out a quality OA to address needs. Garreffa would have been a quality OA here but he saw a need and addressed it bringing in Hawel and moving out Garreffa.

For example, moving out the currently underachieving Serpa, in favour of a top OA D, wouldn’t be totally surprising.

He brought in Hawel because Gareffa made it clear he was doing everything he could to make pro, even considering ECHL iirc. He was only moved out because he wasn't expected back, and when he returned to the OHL we had too many OAs.