Kitchener Rangers 2023-24 Season Thread (Part 2)

[Billyjack]

I apologize if this has been mentioned already but i was unaware as of yesterday so i figured i would share.



Pugs is out with a Groin. ( not sure the severity, but hopeful he's back after the break)
Stark is out with a Concussion- Was hit/ran into Scott at practice a little while back- Team is unsure of his return- which makes sense as concussion vary in recovery time.
I spoke to a player and the team believes they will be seeing Tomas Pobezal's in a Rangers uniform this year. ( whether that happens or not is another thing)

For the record as i have been in the soft sell camp all year, after reading JB's article it's pretty clear we will be buyers at the deadline. I would caution MM with dealing either Romano or Reid. I firmly don't believe even if we put all the chips on the table and I mean all of the chips, we can win an arms race with Saginaw. To go all in, in a year where the best teams in this league are in the West ( Saginaw/Soo and I’m not counting the Knights out with their D-Core and fall short would be catastrophic IMO. If we were in the EAST it's a no brainer throw it all in and go for it but i can't be the only person that thinks a 2nd round exit isn't a possibility given the competition.


I personally would like some small tweaks. Soft buy. Hopefully get Pobezal and add 1 more FWD and a Def D man.

Lineup could look like



1-Mesar/Rehkoprf/Swick

2nd-Missle/Sop/Martin

3rd Trade /Pobezal/Lam/

4th Ellinas /Mercer/Pug

Extra’s-Morey Bottineau/Stark/Romano- Romano being the first man up. With this lineup maybe it makes sense to deal Romano but I’m not sold.

Another factor with Pobezal is, would he come over here to play anything outside of Top 6 ? (Opportunities/ linemates/ minutes)



Def-

Bru/Ando

Motew/ Trade

Campbell/Reid

Ex: Dirracolo/Scott


The core of Reid/Romano/Lam/Stark/Macneil/Arquette would set this team up for 4-5 years of exciting hockey. Not to mention the additions of Ellinas/Campbell and now Dirracolo to support them.

Anyways this season has been a lot of fun to watch and an exciting brand of hockey. I love thinking of all these scenario’s and now we sit and wait to see what MM does.

Go Rangers!

I think trading Romana would be a disaster, big part of future. We saw how we measure up to SSM, I know we were missing Rehcroft and Messar but they were missing more plus their not done adding

 

[RangerNation]

I think trading Romana would be a disaster, big part of future. We saw how we measure up to SSM, I know we were missing Rehcroft and Messar but they were missing more plus their not done adding

and Pug and Schmidt (yes he was traded) That's 4 big pieces gone, replaced with rookies. Until trades are made and the deadline is passed, I'm not looking too much into the next 5 games.

 

[bobber]

The Knights are going to sign him for a playoff run

The Knights are going to make the play offs?

 

[sbpointer]

The Knights are going to make the play offs?

You guys should know better then any you only have to best two teams to get in and once you are there anyone can make some noise!

 

[GeoBlue]

Pugs is out with a Groin. ( not sure the severity, but hopeful he's back after the break)


I firmly don't believe even if we put all the chips on the table and I mean all of the chips, we can win an arms race with Saginaw. To go all in, in a year where the best teams in this league are in the West ( Saginaw/Soo and I’m not counting the Knights out with their D-Core and fall short would be catastrophic IMO. I

Pugs and the groin? Oh no, was this not the reason he lost most of last year? Surgery?

If we can at least compete with the so called elite teams during the regular season games, then anything can happen in the playoffs. Personally, I think coaching might be the big factor. And yes, I would be more concerned about going against Hunter than, um, the guy in Saginaw. LOL!

 

[bobber]

You guys should know better then any you only have to best two teams to get in and once you are there anyone can make some noise!

No one pulls a rabbit out of a hat like Dale does. Wouldn't doubt he finds a way to pick up Beck. Or at the very least get opposing teams to over bid and use up all their assets. He is the Devil after all!

 

[rangersblues]

and Pug and Schmidt (yes he was traded) That's 4 big pieces gone, replaced with rookies. Until trades are made and the deadline is passed, I'm not looking too much into the next 5 games.

I'm not putting much into the results of the next 5 games but I'm definitely looking at the effort and compete level.

Not that I take rankings too seriously but I find it interesting that earlier in the season there were only 2 OHL teams in the CHL Top 10. This week there's 3 OHL teams in the top 5.

 

[Krangers08]

I wonder what the price for Cristoforo is. Had a really good rookie season and has completely fallen off this year on that disastrous Windsor team. Feels like He has turned into this year Cam Allen and wouldn’t surprise me if he asks out to try and find his game and draft stock which was ranked in the top 40 pre season.

 

[hockeylegend11]

I wonder what the price for Cristoforo is. Had a really good rookie season and has completely fallen off this year on that disastrous Windsor team. Feels like He has turned into this year Cam Allen and wouldn’t surprise me if he asks out to try and find his game and draft stock which was ranked in the top 40 pre season.

Christoforo like most of his teammates have rebounded from their terrible start,he has 7 points in his last 8 games,is a 0 in his last 9 games + - wise was a minus 22 in his 1st 21 games played,coaching thing occurred after 2nd Ranger loss at home in Windsor.
I doubt very much Windsor moves Christoforo this season if at all moving forward.

 

[RB76]

Just Wondering: Do Campbell and Ellinas hold any trade value? Both have been good this year. Would they get us some of our wish list without having to give up any of our 1st round picks; and if we do, is there any chance we can replenish this 2006 age group next year?

 

[Jives]

Just Wondering: Do Campbell and Ellinas hold any trade value? Both have been good this year. Would they get us some of our wish list without having to give up any of our 1st round picks; and if we do, is there any chance we can replenish this 2006 age group next year?

100% they are worth more then they were when we acquired them. Campbell for a 5th and a 8th. Ellinas for a 4th. Both those trades are wins for the Rangers. I can see Ellinas being traded (but I really hope not). He is a great 4th liner right now but we have a lot of good 4th liners. He has value where other 4th liners don’t have his value because he is only 17 years old. With this team we need to improve our 3rd line that is no secret and lots of fans think we have 1/3 of that 3rd line in Lam. I don’t see MM trading away Romano or Reid. Trading one of them means we are in on a huge piece. I don’t see MM getting a big name. He gets a vet 3rd line center. He gets an import F or D. Whatever they import is he needs to get the opposite (if import F then he needs a depth D and if import D he needs a depth VET forward). Some say we need another depth D…..I can be convinced of that. We have lot of depth forwards but not quality depth (it’s too young for a contending team - Ellinas, Romano and Stark). In no trade are we giving up Reid or Romano for depth F and depth D (maybe 2) and an import. I think Bottineau, Morey and drafts picks are traded to fill these holes / depth.

 

[EvenSteven]

Just Wondering: Do Campbell and Ellinas hold any trade value? Both have been good this year. Would they get us some of our wish list without having to give up any of our 1st round picks; and if we do, is there any chance we can replenish this 2006 age group next year?

Since we traded for them, they’ve gone to be on Central Scouting’s radar.

Players on their radar have trade value.

 

[EvenSteven]

…. and if we do, is there any chance we can replenish this 2006 age group next year?

We have enough veteran returnees of varying quality where if we were move a 16 year old, an Ellinas and / or Campbell, or distant picks, that they can be replenished next year.

What would be tough to replace is ‘24 draft picks. They can be traded for during the week of the draft but not if we don’t have picks to send the other way.

 

[bobber]

If the Rangers were to trade Ellinas hopefully they get a player back to replace his grit. In the Barrie game he was the only player on the Rangers to respond to their aggressive play.

 

[EvenSteven]

If the Rangers were to trade Ellinas hopefully they get a player back to replace his grit. In the Barrie game he was the only player on the Rangers to respond to their aggressive play.

Ditto Campbell actually. Both have shown that they have a gritty side to their game.

I didn’t have Campbell going the other way in any trade scenario I cooked up (both on here and in my head). Mainly because of our depth on D. You can’t have too much. But does the addition of Dirracolo make it easier to move Campbell if a team wants him included to close a deal?

 

[EvenSteven]

I think trading Romana would be a disaster, big part of future. We saw how we measure up to SSM, I know we were missing Rehcroft and Messar but they were missing more plus their not done adding

Contrary to my views on addressing our depth while leaving our top six untouched, for discussion, there is an argument to add another way.

I’m usually a hard “no” on dealing a 1st rounder. But, when you’re going all in and have a chance to go very deep in the post season, I can see it it, especially when the draft pick base is thin.

Also, MM has dealt his 16 year old 1st rounder in the past in an “all in” season (Grayson Ladd), so it’s not like he would never entertain the idea.

So I think the possibility is on the table depending on the return.

To compare to the 17-18 season, MM traded Ladd, 2x2nds, 3rd, 5th to Windsor for Logan Brown and Austin McEneny. That’s a front line player and a top four D. Then he moved Cole Carter to Missy for 2x3rds and a 6th to recoup picks.

Could the comparable happen this year? Could we move a Romano plus the same picks, for a high end F (not necessarily Beck) and a solid stay at home D in the same deal. Then move a decent excess player for a couple picks to recoup? The excess player could be Ellinas or Campbell, whose values have gone up this year. Does the Dirracolo addition make it easier to move Campbell?

This thinking goes against my recent views on disrupting our top six. But anything is possible.

Once you take into account that Romano would hold a bit more value than Ladd being an earlier 1st rounder (I think you have to), what would a comparable package look like?

And as I’ve said before, the loss of Romano could be alleviated by the selling of our returning higher end players next year. Sell off next year in preparation for a couple big years in 25-26 and 26-27.

 

[GeoBlue]

Ah, if only we would have traded Valade and Pinelli last year! :-( But then again, we probably would not have had that magical 1st round last year against the Spits. Any regrets?

 

[EvenSteven]

Ah, if only we would have traded Valade and Pinelli last year! :-( But then again, we probably would not have had that magical 1st round last year against the Spits. Any regrets?

I regret our play in the second round.

 

[Ranger77]

Ah, if only we would have traded Valade and Pinelli last year! :-( But then again, we probably would not have had that magical 1st round last year against the Spits. Any regrets?

That whole season was a regret!

 

[RB76]

What about targeting some of the non-playoff teams?

Teams near the bottom (Windsor, Sarnia, Niagara, Barrie) who might be looking to rebuild and willing to depart with quality vets / imports for picks, players and prospects. Maybe not the best available players league wide but serviceable, quality veterans who understand what playoff hockey is all about.

 

[HockeyPops]

Niagara

<snip>

serviceable, quality veterans who understand what playoff hockey is all about.

?

 

[Offside by a mile]

Ah, if only we would have traded Valade and Pinelli last year! :-( But then again, we probably would not have had that magical 1st round last year against the Spits. Any regrets?

It's not only what they would have returned. For me its what Arcuri, Zhilkin and Moore cost us that really stings. Like we were in 8/9 place when we traded for those players.

 

[ohloutsider]

<snip>

?

Remember many of those players went to the 7th game in the league final against Hamilton. There is playoff experience amongst the vets.

 

[HockeyPops]

Remember many of those players went to the 7th game in the league final against Hamilton. There is playoff experience amongst the vets.

What's your definition of "many"?

Who other than Sobolev? Ride played one playoff game in the first round.

 

[ohloutsider]

What's your definition of "many"?

Who other than Sobolev? Ride played one playoff game in the first round.

Abraham, Maillet, Peer, Christopolous

Edit - forget DeAngelis as well.