Kitchener Rangers 2024-25 Season Thread, Part III

[EvenSteven]

Sorry but that is a very unfair and inaccurate assessment of Jett.
20 points and 1.18 pts per game which is close to top 40 not 130th. Who on the Rangers is at 1.18 points per game and can play defense too?

And, if the Rangers want to have a decent chance at toppling London, we are going to need a bonafide #1 center. God bless them but on a deep contender, Ellinas is a pretty good 2C and Romano a decent 2C very good 3C.

But we do not have a top end center. Luchanko would fill that need.

 

[bobber]

He flip flopped on that goal more times than I remember! At one point he guaranteed that that would have been a goal in the NHL. He also asked what is goalie interference really. Good point. Straddling the leg of Schaubel who was down and moving him away from the play is.....well....it's....GOALIE INTERFERENCE!!!

Even Storm fans can't stand listening to that homer.

 

[GeoBlue]

He flip flopped on that goal more times than I remember! At one point he guaranteed that that would have been a goal in the NHL. He also asked what is goalie interference really. Good point. Straddling the leg of Schaubel who was down and moving him away from the play is.....well....it's....GOALIE INTERFERENCE!!!

Yeah, he also said it should have been a goal because Schaubel was outside the blue paint? When that happens, and the goalie does not have the puck, then it is called "interference"! Duh!

 

[MidwestStorm]

At least last year you had 3 players over 1.18 per game. This year none and MM going all in. Fortunately Pinelli is 1.42 so he will be your big fish to help offset London's 4.

 

[Ward Cornell]

Even Storm fans can't stand listening to that homer.

Another one from "Homer" Simpson was the Ando hit behind the net that it should've been a penalty maybe even a major.

 

[GeoBlue]

Another one from him was the Ando hit behind the net that it should've been a penalty maybe even a major.

Yeah, another ridiculous rant. Ando was not even touching him after the icing line. You can hardly call that "running him into the boards".

 

[SFC]

There have been some questionable takes over the last few pages, lol. Can we at least agree that there are compelling reasons to buy and compelling reasons to sell?

This is a good team. They're on pace for something like 105 points which would be their most since 2008, they have the league's best goaltender, and they have probably the league's second-best coach. However, they also completely lack star power beyond Parsons, frequently let bad teams hang around, have won a bunch of games in the skills competitions (8-3 in OT/SO), have few picks to trade, and are staring up at maybe the best team the OHL has seen since the Spitfires dynasty.

No one wants to just hand the championship to London. But we have to think about what brings the Rangers the greatest championship probability over multiple seasons. Some people think that's to buy today. Others think it's to sell. Folks who are advocating selling off for a third year in a row aren't enamored by pick hoarding, they just recognize that a sell-off has to happen at some point. Once it happens I'm good with trying to contend most years.

Also, for the record, since it came up, London sold off in 2008 (Mason, A Perry, etc.), 2011 (D'Orazio, De Sousa, etc.), 2015 (MacDonald, Mermis, etc.), and 2018 (Thomas, Jones, Pu, etc.). I don't think you can characterize 2022 as a sell-off; that would have meant moving Evangelista and Stranges. Maybe some Knights fans know whether Hunter explored that. It was a weird year post-COVID with a weak Western Conference, IIRC.

So London is not good EVERY year, and they aren't historically good like they are this year more than once a decade or so.

 

[bobber]

There have been some questionable takes over the last few pages, lol. Can we at least agree that there are compelling reasons to buy and compelling reasons to sell?

This is a good team. They're on pace for something like 105 points which would be their most since 2008, they have the league's best goaltender, and they have probably the league's second-best coach. However, they also completely lack star power beyond Parsons, frequently let bad teams hang around, have won a bunch of games in the skills competitions (8-3 in OT/SO), have few picks to trade, and are staring up at maybe the best team the OHL has seen since the Spitfires dynasty.

No one wants to just hand the championship to London. But we have to think about what brings the Rangers the greatest championship probability over multiple seasons. Some people think that's to buy today. Others think it's to sell. Folks who are advocating selling off for a third year in a row aren't enamored by pick hoarding, they just recognize that a sell-off has to happen at some point. Once it happens I'm good with trying to contend most years.

Also, for the record, since it came up, London sold off in 2008 (Mason, A Perry, etc.), 2011 (D'Orazio, De Sousa, etc.), 2015 (MacDonald, Mermis, etc.), and 2018 (Thomas, Jones, Pu, etc.). I don't think you can characterize 2022 as a sell-off; that would have meant moving Evangelista and Stranges. Maybe some Knights fans know whether Hunter explored that. It was a weird year post-COVID with a weak Western Conference, IIRC.

So London is not good EVERY year, and they aren't historically good like they are this year more than once a decade or so.

What do posters think of the strength of the league this season? London has been on top most of the season and really seems to be the only legitimate contender. Also is the east really as weak as it looks in the standings compared to the top teams in the west or is there more parity having a bunch a teams not that far apart?

 

[Fastpace]

It would be so easy for the Rangers to ship out some young pieces to add and go for it this spring. This would mean risking to only elevate the Rangers to match a strong experience and older London's loaded team, who have big leagued playoffs experience, having reached the finals two consecutive years and the Memorial Cup finals last year. Is Kitchener going to gamble this year, or will they go with the sure-fire big team with older and more experienced players ready to take it all next year, when Carter George availability to get, and a fewer piece are needing to tweak? This team has the potential to surprise this season without adding or losing any next year players. Why breaking it up and spoil it for next season?

 

[Jives]

Bored at work. Parsons star of the game stats since mid Nov.

Nov
17 - 2nd
19 - 1st
22 - 1st
23 - 1st
29 - DNP (did not play)

Dec
1 - 3rd
3 - 23/26 no star
6 - 1st
7 - 2nd
13 - 26/28 no star
18 - DNP
20 - 25/28
29 - 1st
31 - 25/28

Jan
2 - 1st
3 - 2nd
5 - DNP

In the 14 games he has played since mid Nov he has earned a star of game in 10. In the 4 he has not earned a star he has stopped 99 of 110 for a save % of .900.

Hats off to debatable the best goalie in the OHL this year.

 

[Matttheleaf]

Flint is apparently looking to move Connor Clattenburg. Don't know how much he would cost but he is a 6'2" C that has 24 points in 28 games this year.

 

[Jives]

Flint is apparently looking to move Connor Clattenburg. Don't know how much he would cost but he is a 6'2" C that has 24 points in 28 games this year.

If he is half the price of Pinelli then I’d be fine with that. I’d still rather trade a couple vets away but that isn’t happening. MacNeil, 2nd and 4th I can get behind. Romano, Ellinas and Clattenberg down the middle seems pretty good.

 

[Matttheleaf]

Flint is apparently looking to move Connor Clattenburg. Don't know how much he would cost but he is a 6'2" C that has 24 points in 28 games this year.

The OHL4Life twitter account is claiming this is false just to throw another wrench into this crazy trade deadline.

 

[frontsfan67]

Sorry but that is a very unfair and inaccurate assessment of Jett.
20 points and 1.18 pts per game which is close to top 40 not 130th. Who on the Rangers is at 1.18 points per game and can play defense too?

We see all the time how players like Luchanko are “struggling” with their 1.18 on their bad team but then get traded to a new team and their ppg with that team is a completely different story.

Look at Jason Robertson in his final year with Kingston/niagara. Was still really good with Kingston but even better with Niagara. Same thing would happen with Jett, and you are right he plays defence.

I would be shocked if it didn’t reach atleast 1.6ppg with a new team. Everyone knows he’s a lot better than the 1.18 he has this year with Guelph. Any team that gets Luchanko is probably getting a top 5-10 player in the OHL and he has the chance to be back next year as a 19 year old where he would be even better

 

[Fischhaber]

The OHL4Life twitter account is claiming this is false just to throw another wrench into this crazy trade deadline.

They originally posted that rumour here yesterday and then deleted it. Those two have some kind of grudge and have both been posting a bunch of false info.

 

[Matttheleaf]

They originally posted that rumour here yesterday and then deleted it. Those two have some kind of grudge and have both been posting a bunch of false info.

Good to know.

 

[Matttheleaf]

Parsons has won OHL goalie of the week for the 4th time this season.

 

[Matttheleaf]

Parsons has won OHL goalie of the week for the 4th time this season.

And speaking of Parsons, I wonder how they use him this weekend. 3 in 3 so he will sit out one of the games but I would have to imagine that he would get the start on Saturday against the Colts in Barrie and then I guess it could be a tossup between the Friday game an the Sunday game. I would personally start him on the Sunday game against Saginaw as it will be the teams 3rd game and the boys in front of him would probably be extra tired.

 

[MidwestStorm]

We see all the time how players like Luchanko are “struggling” with their 1.18 on their bad team but then get traded to a new team and their ppg with that team is a completely different story.

Look at Jason Robertson in his final year with Kingston/niagara. Was still really good with Kingston but even better with Niagara. Same thing would happen with Jett, and you are right he plays defence.

I would be shocked if it didn’t reach atleast 1.6ppg with a new team. Everyone knows he’s a lot better than the 1.18 he has this year with Guelph. Any team that gets Luchanko is probably getting a top 5-10 player in the OHL and he has the chance to be back next year as a 19 year old where he would be even better

Allen has gone from .93 to 1.5 ppg in London with their best players not even in the lineup.

Perhaps Kitchener wouldn't elevate
Jett's game?

 

[Krangers08]

Nice article on Headrick and his road to recovery with quotes from Evan and Jussi.
-put on 10 pounds during his rehab
-waiting for his growth spurt (both brothers are 6 ft)
-getting close to 100%
-He skates well and he goes to the hard areas,” he said. “At that point the size doesn’t matter. And we know he’s 16 and he’s still growing a lot. This is his first year and we hope to have him for four (years). We wish to have him for four but he might go even faster to the big leagues.” “I would say I’ve coached a lot of players and he is special,” he said of Headrick

First Nations player returns from injury to help offence of Kitchener’s OHL squad

Evan Headrick could not have written a better script. Well, maybe except for the fact the Garden River First Nation member was hoping his first regular season game at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium had happened a few months earlier. Headrick, a 16-year-old rookie forward with the Kitchener...

www.windspeaker.com

 

[EvenSteven]

Allen has gone from .93 to 1.5 ppg in London with their best players not even in the lineup.

Perhaps Kitchener wouldn't elevate
Jett's game?

But, will Allen get the same minutes when Bonk and Dickinson are back in the lineup?

 

[rangersblues]

And speaking of Parsons, I wonder how they use him this weekend. 3 in 3 so he will sit out one of the games but I would have to imagine that he would get the start on Saturday against the Colts in Barrie and then I guess it could be a tossup between the Friday game an the Sunday game. I would personally start him on the Sunday game against Saginaw as it will be the teams 3rd game and the boys in front of him would probably be extra tired.

Schaubel's next game will also be his 10th.

 

[OnlyUpFromHere]

And speaking of Parsons, I wonder how they use him this weekend. 3 in 3 so he will sit out one of the games but I would have to imagine that he would get the start on Saturday against the Colts in Barrie and then I guess it could be a tossup between the Friday game an the Sunday game. I would personally start him on the Sunday game against Saginaw as it will be the teams 3rd game and the boys in front of him would probably be extra tired.

My guess is Schaubel gets the "hometown" game in Barrie where he played for the Barrie Jr. Colts from 2022-24... makes it pretty easy that way too then just giving Parsons the Friday and Sunday

 

[Matttheleaf]

My guess is Schaubel gets the "hometown" game in Barrie where he played for the Barrie Jr. Colts from 2022-24... makes it pretty easy that way too then just giving Parsons the Friday and Sunday

That was my original thought too but the Colts are very good and I would love to see Parsons go up against another top team. He singlehandedly gives us a chance to win that game too.

 

[MidwestStorm]

But, will Allen get the same minutes when Bonk and Dickinson are back in the lineup?

Don't think they paid that price for a third pair D. Also I think they will score more with Cowan Haltinun, Nurmi Dickinson, and Bonk in the lineup than not.