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Kitchener Rangers 2023-24 Off-Season Thread (Part 1)

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EvenSteven said:
Just a thought. As an 06, if he was a serious possibility, wouldn’t he have been signed by someone this year? The same way we signed Dirracolo?
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Your right. Just found it curious they brouht him back. Usually draft picks take priority over any free agents with Rangers. I'm the last person to try and figure out what the Ranger brass are thinking. Just hope they see the missing element.
 
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bobber said:
Your right. Just found it curious they brouht him back. Usually draft picks take priority over any free agents with Rangers. I'm the last person to try and figure out what the Ranger brass are thinking. Just hope they see the missing element.
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You have to have FA’s to fill out a roster.
Though it looks like they have more bodies than they need.
 
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EvenSteven said:
You have to have FA’s to fill out a roster.
Though it looks like they have more bodies than they need.
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I remember many moons ago they had about 60 players at the main camp at Lions Arena. They even brought some out in groups in the lobby that they had cut and talked to them. If they get too many it must be harder to get a proper read on their abilities. I think they made the decision to pare those numbers down.
 
Probably only dreaming, but would be nice if there was a physical FA in that group that had enough talent to play wing. Arguably, it may perhaps not be as important to have this type of player for next year as it will be for the year after, but would still be nice to get a guy so he could get a year under his belt. (Remember, Kitchener will be selling this season......yeah, we mean it this time). Pretty apparent from the last couple weeks - at least to me - that it won't matter how much talent you have down the road if you don't have enough physicality to back it. In my opinion, two seasons from now a team that actually appears to be built for the playoffs will need to be assembled.
 
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You guys think Rehkopf will be back next year? Or will he be this years poitras?

Really want the fronts trading for one of or both of andonovski and swick.

Definitely see them making a play for swick if he is available.

How do you guys think the season will go for you next year? Is the only big losses sop and brzustewicz?
 
frontsfan67 said:
You guys think Rehkopf will be back next year? Or will he be this years poitras?

Really want the fronts trading for one of or both of andonovski and swick.

Definitely see them making a play for swick if he is available.

How do you guys think the season will go for you next year? Is the only big losses sop and brzustewicz?
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Motew on the back end as well. That's 2 of the 3 top D and a lot of minutes. Reid will eat up a bunch, and hopefully a healthy Campbell will help, but the blueline is really thin and inexperienced outside of Ando (who should be moved). I don't see how Rehkopf isn't back next year, and also moved out. Swick as well should be a very desirable OA for someone if back, and hopefully Parsons as well.

There will be many minutes available at all positions next year.

To answer your other question, they should squeak into the playoffs but as a 6-8 seed. Erie, London, Guelph, Flint should all be ahead, likely the Soo and Windsor as well.
 
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frontsfan67 said:
You guys think Rehkopf will be back next year? Or will he be this years poitras?

Really want the fronts trading for one of or both of andonovski and swick.

Definitely see them making a play for swick if he is available.

How do you guys think the season will go for you next year? Is the only big losses sop and brzustewicz?
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I really don’t see Rehkopf, or Sale for that matter, with Seattle being as deep as they are prospect wise, not being returned here next year.

Sale can go AHL but to be honest, if I’m Seattle, I look at the all around improvement of Filip Mesar being returned for a 2nd year in Kitchener as a good reason not to rush him into the pros.

As far as next year goes, the Rangers could be a middle of the pack team if they stood pat and didn’t sell off vets, but that would cripple the future as our draft pick cupboard is empty. No draft picks from rounds 2 through 5 in any of the next three drafts.

As was said, I’d look for a serious sell off where all of Rehkopf, Andonovski, Sale, Swick, and maybe Parsons are all on the table. All would be quality additions.

Being a veteran team next year, the Fronts could do some of their shopping in Kitchener if they look to go on a run.
 
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Ok great thanks guys wasn’t sure how you’d be.

We have 2 OA’s coming back next year but if we plan on going for it I don’t think they’ll be back so we potentially have 3 OA spots open and I’d assume they want a big guy like Schmidt, and an impact left winger and we’ll swick fills both of those spots lol.

Andonovski is prob the most underrated d man in the league imo the only reason he wasn’t talked about more is because Brzustewicz was on the same team as him. I see he is a LD and they need an impact RD but I’m sure if the offer was right for him they’d definitely want to scoop him up.
 
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Gondrex said:
Probably only dreaming, but would be nice if there was a physical FA in that group that had enough talent to play wing. Arguably, it may perhaps not be as important to have this type of player for next year as it will be for the year after, but would still be nice to get a guy so he could get a year under his belt. (Remember, Kitchener will be selling this season......yeah, we mean it this time). Pretty apparent from the last couple weeks - at least to me - that it won't matter how much talent you have down the road if you don't have enough physicality to back it. In my opinion, two seasons from now a team that actually appears to be built for the playoffs will need to be assembled.
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Perhaps they're bringing in Hlacar to be a measuring stick to see how the rookies respond to him? But I don't see the Rangers Brass being that evil.
 
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Rangers should take advantage of the opportunity to rebuild going into next season. After the last two seasons trying to guess what they do is impossible. MM has the opportunity now to finally take advantage of the vets on the roster and garner some assets. Hopefully he doesn't get sucked in to another mediocre dream of hanging a banner at the Aud.
 
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bobber said:
Rangers should take advantage of the opportunity to rebuild going into next season. After the last two seasons trying to guess what they do is impossible. MM has the opportunity now to finally take advantage of the vets on the roster and garner some assets. Hopefully he doesn't get sucked in to another mediocre dream of hanging a banner at the Aud.
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It is arguably his last chance to do so as well. Don't want to be selling off when last years rookies are in year 3 (the year after next).
 
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Interesting that 5 "Rangers" are there including Stark, Lam, Romano, Arquette, and Edwards. I don't recall ever seeing 4 Ranger forwards play at dev camp. Seems to me that this will provide a good look at their top drafted players as well as perhaps, some free agents, to see how they fit in with the future of the Rangers.

Undrafted Dirracolo was brought in during this past season as a nice add. Surely XU sees a prime opportunity to get some solid minutes as a rookie on a team that's building towards the Memorial Cup. For the D at camp, there's definitely some opportunity.

As for Hlacar 6'3", he's a tough customer with size, grit, and an offensive upside. With Martin gone, he and Lebrash 6'5" should get a good look.
 
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Coaches Coroner said:
It is arguably his last chance to do so as well. Don't want to be selling off when last years rookies are in year 3 (the year after next).
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True. Especially when we wouldn't have near the quality of graduating players then as we do this upcoming year.

No doubt about it, for the good of the future, anything short of an all out sell off this year would be ill advised.
 
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