Kitchener Rangers 2023-24 Season Thread (Part One)

[Krangers08]

I’d personal trade Mesar right away. Lam has done nothing at all to be bumped. If you watched Swick interview yesterday clearing this team has dressing room issues last year. Was Mesar part of that issue? Unknown. But this team has been rolling and Lam on 2nd line is only going to help when he turns 18/19. If someone is throwing out a 2nd plus then get it done asap. I was on board for bumping Lam a few days ago but he just keeps getting better. Trade Mesar, bring back some picks and a weaker import that will fill a spot when we trade Sop, Martin, Bruz and whoever else.

I’ve heard it stated multiple time. Brzustewicz, Martin mentioned it within the last couple games as well as rehkop who said it’s a brother hood where everyone want to work for one another and the closest team he’s been on.
Now we know there truth to the Montreal reporter comment from last year about the room

 

[Habsrule]

Ellinas and Campbell are on the NHL central scouting watch list. Ellinas is ranked 4-5 round while Campbell is 6-7.
I think will see Mesar and Rehkopf alternate centre similar to when he first got here playing with pinelli.

What’s really impressive is how cheaply both players were acquired.

 

[bobber]

They didn't get Hayes they got Hay

Lot of hay for Hay. What does this kid bring to the party? Doesn't put up a lot of points. Must be great on the dot or a the PK? See some PIMs on his stats. Sometimes it's more about finding the right pieces to the puzzle. This has to be the case to over pay like Saggy did. Just thinking how MM's eyes must of popped out when he heard what Flint got for Hay when you look at the caliber of Ranger vets.

 

[Krangers08]

Lot of hay for Hay. What does this kid bring to the party? Doesn't put up a lot of points. Must be great on the dot or a the PK? See some PIMs on his stats. Sometimes it's more about finding the right pieces to the puzzle. This has to be the case to over pay like Saggy did. Just thinking how MM's eyes must of popped out when he heard what Flint got for Hay when you look at the caliber of Ranger vets.

He’s seen as one best defensive C in the league and will have him for a 2 years.Potentially thinking ahead to the playoffs and use him a shutdown line against London’s top line

 

[EvenSteven]

He’s seen as one best defensive C in the league and will have him for a 2 years.Potentially thinking ahead to the playoffs and use him a shutdown line against London’s top line

Perhaps a poor man’s Owen Beck? A year younger and at a cheaper price?

 

[Krangers08]

Saginaw updated draft capital per Generalsupdates on Twitter

 

[GeoBlue]

I believe he is. Plays in Ayr JR. B I think. Call up player or once we start trading some of our vet D spots will open up. Runco and Scott are 2 that come to mind that will get a chance maybe if we don’t get D back in trades.

We also have MacNiel waiting to jump to the big club. Do we keep him down until next year?

 

[Krangers08]

We also have MacNiel waiting to jump to the big club. Do we keep him down until next year?

Scott will play when Reid is at u17 next week. They also have Runco in case of injury. I think they’ll just leave him down as he’s playing every game for Fort Erie

 

[Ward Cornell]

Scott will play when Reid is at u17 next week. They also have Runco in case of injury. I think they’ll just leave him down as he’s playing every game for Fort Erie

Wouldn't MacNiel also be the 5th 16 yr old draft pick of the Rangers, which would make in ineligible for this season?

 

[Krangers08]

Wouldn't MacNiel also be the 5th 16 yr old draft pick of the Rangers, which would make in ineligible for this season?

He can play up to 10 games

 

[EvenSteven]

Wouldn't MacNiel also be the 5th 16 yr old draft pick of the Rangers, which would make in ineligible for this season?

Does one of the 4 16 year olds have to be out of the lineup for MacNiel to play one of his 10 b card games?

 

[Ward Cornell]

He can play up to 10 games

Yes, forgot about that! Thank you

 

[Krangers08]

Wouldn't MacNiel also be the 5th 16 yr old draft pick of the Rangers, which would make in ineligible for this season?

I don’t think it’s wild to say that theres a chance they have 5 16 year old after the deadline if all goes to plan. Ie Aidan young (might be hard to get him to waive his Ntc tho)
* maybe they do a 2 part trade like mentioned above where someone young comes over in the summer

 

[GeoBlue]

He can play up to 10 games

Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing MacNiel up in Reid's absence. Minus one 16-year-old, add one 16-year-old. We are over achieving anyway so why not let him play a few A games and see how he looks?

 

[bobber]

OHL rule states a team can register four 16 year old players selected in the draft. Those 16 year old players that are signed are the first two 16 year olds and a maximum of two 16 year old wild carded players in any round of the draft. All other 16 year olds called up are affiliate players and can play a maximum of 10 games or any OHL regular season games or play off games when such a player's team is eliminated from competition for that season.

 

[I Mac 80]

Hey everyone. First time poster. Just a few thoughts on Mesar and our head coach. If the rumours are true and there was a disconnect in the dressing room between players last year perhaps this affected Mesar’s play a bit last year and maybe why it seems he was a bit underwhelming. Missing training camp last year and being new to the country he may have not wanted to overstep things and just kind of went with the flow. That and having no direction from the terrible coaching staff last year in my opinion stunted his development. I think we’ll see a vast improvement in his play this year at both ends of the ice as last year he was found wanting at times away from the puck. As for our coach I think any pro teams looking at him will want to see consistent results over a few seasons since he’s new to the North American game. That’s not to say that he can’t deliver results every single season as his record in Finland speaks for itself. Hopefully he’s here for three or four seasons as a previous poster mentioned hopefully through the Memorial Cup if we are fortunate enough to host. He’s a tremendous coach on the small sample size that I’ve seen so far this season and has complete buy in from all players and staff which this organization has sorely been missing.

 

[Jives]

Based on the Hay trade it really makes you curious what Rehkopf would go for this year. I think he is a must sell this year.

 

[Rangers True Blue]

We also have MacNiel waiting to jump to the big club. Do we keep him down until next year?

Rangers should get MacNiel up whenever it's legal to do so and he will get minutes to play.

 

[Rangers True Blue]

Conundrum......here's the lineup from Tuesday:

Swick - Rehkopf - Misaljevic
Martin - Sop - Lam
Ellinas - Morey - Romano
Bottineau - Mercer - Pugliese

Both the first and second lines feature the big bodies.....Swick and Martin. I do like that. It creates havoc at the front of the net. They are both L shots so they stay.

First line....Rehkopf and Missile have made a deadly duo. Second line...Lam (never mind his age) has been an absolute catalyst on that line.

Do you put Mesar on R wing and alternate C with Rehkopf and Mesar? That moves Missile to the 2nd line and bumps Lam to the 3rd line which bumps Romano to the 4th?

OR do you put Mesar on C in the 2nd line and bump Sop to center the 3rd line which in turn bumps Morey to the 4th line?

Add in Stark when he returns and the playing time for the 4th line becomes even more competitive.

 

[RB76]

I can’t help but think If they can find a way to assemble three strong and competitive lines with an affective 4th checking line, that we would be very competitive based on early results.

 

[EvenSteven]

I can’t help but think If they can find a way to assemble three strong and competitive lines with an affective 4th checking line, that we would be very competitive based on early results.

If they are able to do that, then I can’t help but think that if we traded away two or three veteran forwards, we’d still have a couple decent lines to finish up season.

 

[EvenSteven]

Conundrum......here's the lineup from Tuesday:

Swick - Rehkopf - Misaljevic
Martin - Sop - Lam
Ellinas - Morey - Romano
Bottineau - Mercer - Pugliese

Both the first and second lines feature the big bodies.....Swick and Martin. I do like that. It creates havoc at the front of the net. They are both L shots so they stay.

First line....Rehkopf and Missile have made a deadly duo. Second line...Lam (never mind his age) has been an absolute catalyst on that line.

Do you put Mesar on R wing and alternate C with Rehkopf and Mesar? That moves Missile to the 2nd line and bumps Lam to the 3rd line which bumps Romano to the 4th?

OR do you put Mesar on C in the 2nd line and bump Sop to center the 3rd line which in turn bumps Morey to the 4th line?

Add in Stark when he returns and the playing time for the 4th line becomes even more competitive.

If Mesar is in on Friday, I go:

Swick. Rehkropf. Miseljevic.
Martin. Sop. Mesar.
Ellinas. Romano. Lam.
Morey. Mercer. Pugliese.

For now I’m not touching Line 1. They are clicking.

Bottineau has been unproductive offensively thus far. At first glance, he comes out for now. But, going into Tuesday nights game, the bottom six had to know that with Mesar likely in the lineup Friday night, one of those players would be sitting in the press box. The coaching staff would have been watching the bottom six closely on Tuesday night. Every player in that bottom six would have been tooth and nail to do everything they could to not be that player sitting on Friday night. Who comes out? Watching the game on TV, I had a hard time determining who that player would be. But I’m sure the coaching staff has a good idea.

As far as Line 2 goes. We don’t know for sure, but we have to assume that the Habs may have dictated how they want Mesar utilized. It’ll be either at RW or C. Depending on where it is, he and Sop switch spots. I don’t think either play outside the top 6.

 

[RB76]

No doubt we are in a great situation with the start the team has had. The value of all our players is being driven higher because of the organizational success.

Coach said talk to me after 20 games. If the boys keep it up, MM’s phone will be ringing off the hook.

 

[Krangers08]

If Mesar is in on Friday, I go:

Swick. Rehkropf. Miseljevic.
Martin. Sop. Mesar.
Ellinas. Romano. Lam.
Morey. Mercer. Pugliese.

Idk how I feel about these lines but here is a option I think we will see
Rehkop-Mesar-Misaljevic
Martin-Sop-Lam
Swick-Stark-Romano
Ellinas-Mercer-Pug
Mercer and stark could swap

 

[Habsrule]

Swick - Rehkopf - Miseljevic
Martin - Mesar - Sop
Ellinas - Romano - Lam

Have Mercer, Morey, Bottineau, Stark, Pugliese cycle in and out of the lineup.

Yes that would be some good players who go in an out of the lineup but keep in mind that Romano will be missing two weeks, Stark has been out with a lower body injury and that injuries are bound to happen. Their will be playing time for all.