Kitchener Rangers 2023-24 Season Thread (Part 2)

[GeoBlue]

Seriously, right? It had Swick in for two goals at the 5-2. Even later, it went back to 4-2 when it was 5-2 but miraculously changed back. Gotta love this "new" website....

And we remain in 1st place thanks to Sudbury walking into the Soo and taking it to them. And an extra thanks to our good friend, Marcus Vandenberg!

 

[EvenSteven]

Really wish MM tried harder to give Hamara the ice he deserved. Since his departure and Martin's absence the team seemed to struggle to play a full 60 minutes. Last night I thought they put together a decent game and dominated the Attack through 60 minutes. This without two high scoring forwards away at the World Juniors.

I’d hope that Hamara’s utilization would have been up to the coach.

But yeah, he is severely missed.

 

[rangersblues]

Yeah, couldn't watch the game and thought Swick set a record for the fastest two goals in 3 seconds.


I suspect MM took a call from the Ottawa Sens GM, who applied pressure to trade Hamara to the Senators owners OHL team.

If Staios did call MM and demanded a trade for Hamara I hope there were a few more teams on the list other than Brantford. Otherwise that would be one whopper of a conflict of interest.

I’d hope that Hamara’s utilization would have been up to the coach.

But yeah, he is severely missed.

I think you could have put Hamara right up there with Rehkopf, Brzustewicz, Sop.... as our most improved players year to year.

 

[Krangers08]

Really wish MM tried harder to give Hamara the ice he deserved. Since his departure and Martin's absence the team seemed to struggle to play a full 60 minutes. Last night I thought they put together a decent game and dominated the Attack through 60 minutes. This without two high scoring forwards away at the World Juniors.

He was always going to be stuck behind Brzustewicz. Has been since he got here.

This is the second post I’ve seen this week where they’ve said Kitchener main priority is a goalie lol.

 

[Ranger77]

Really wish MM tried harder to give Hamara the ice he deserved. Since his departure and Martin's absence the team seemed to struggle to play a full 60 minutes. Last night I thought they put together a decent game and dominated the Attack through 60 minutes. This without two high scoring forwards away at the World Juniors.

And knowing they were likely trading Schmidt, wouldn't that have been enough to satisfy Hamara that he would get more ice time? He's certainly playing very well for the Bulldogs. We went to arguably the best D corps in the league to all of a sudden, lacking depth.

 

[EvenSteven]

If Staios did call MM and demanded a trade for Hamara I hope there were a few more teams on the list other than Brantford. Otherwise that would be one whopper of a conflict of interest.


I think you could have put Hamara right up there with Rehkopf, Brzustewicz, Sop.... as our most improved players year to year.

When owners of an NHL team, also own an OHL team, there likely will be, at times, conflicts of interest.

Years ago, Kitchener’s Mark McMahon started his OA season in minor pro with the Hartford Whalers ECHL team. Hartford ownership also owned the Plymouth Whalers. Plymouth was going on a run that year and wanted McMahon. They told the Rangers that the only way they’d return him to the O for his overage season was if he was dealt to Plymouth.

Kitchener dealt his rights to Plymouth and he was returned to the O.

Regarding Hamara. Is this a chicken and egg situation? Did Hamara ask for a trade because he wasn’t happy with his utilization in Kitchener (as was reported), and Ottawa ownership force a deal, leaning on the Rangers to deal him to Brantford only?

Or, did Hamara actually ask for a trade? Or did the Ottawa organization want Hamara in Brantford and initiate proceedings and lean on the Rangers to make it happen?

Which was it? We’ll probably never know.

 

[EvenSteven]

He was always going to be stuck behind Brzustewicz. Has been since he got here.

View attachment 793302
This is the second post I’ve seen this week where they’ve said Kitchener main priority is a goalie lol.

As far as I’m concerned, I think the last area we need improvement on is in net. If we were flush with assets, I could see an upgrade on the backup position, maybe. But no way we spend assets on goaltending until all our other needs are addressed. And we may not have the assets to even accomplish that let alone look to goaltending as an issue.

I’m thinking the originator of the first post doesn’t have that big a handle on the league or at least the west. They maybe looked at the fact Parsons missed all of last there and surmised a need for experience. The second post maybe piggybacking off the first?

 

[EvenSteven]

And why would the Rangers entertain Thornton? They just resolved their OA situation. It’s obvious MM is all in on Martin. Otherwise, he’d have moved on from him leaving our D in better shape than it is now.

Sop isn’t going anywhere. Neither is Martin based on the Schmidt trade. So to bring in Thornton means Motew goes which thins out our D ever further. Today we need two additions on D to replace the void that moving Hamara and Schmidt created. To suggest moving out Motew as well is just foolish.