Kitchener Rangers 2024-25 Season Thread, Part III

[M21]

It's all going to depend on who Kitchener dresses for the bottom 6 forwards. Windsor is a huge team. If Kitchener goes with a young, small bottom 6 it's going to be extremely tough especially in a longer series.

I'm ok that we didn't go out of our way to get the grit this season but it's something that will still need to be addressed the next couple of years.

London let the bigger Spitfires play their game tonight until they ran out of gas in the third period. The Rangers could do the same thing. In the playoffs it’s a marathon not a sprint and you have a talented team.

 

[EvenSteven]

MM needs to find minimum Hlacar and Labrash homes to play. We will have 4 healthy F scratches once Stark returns - that’s too many.

London just sent Hawery down to JrB today. Should we consider doing the same with Headrick? Outside of the second PP unit, what were his minutes tonight?

Maybe LaBrash as well.

I’d get LaBrash and Headrick spots on local JrB teams where they get regular play and get into the odd game with the Rangers. Practice with the big team etc etc. Both being on A cards. They come up as often as you want - especially if we run into injury problems. Unless we lure a couple of late signings before Feb 15, sign Xu to an A card as well so he’s not limited to 10 games, but have him play games at the lower level as well to get minutes.

That leaves us 14 F and 7 D.
When healthy:

Ellinas. Humphreys. Pridham.
Swick. Romano. Miseljevic.
Stark. Ellis. Lam.
Grisolia. Mercer. Vermeulen.
Hlacar. Arquette.

Andonovski. Chromiak.
Reid. Campbell.
Dirracolo. Bilecki.
MacNiel.

Rotate Hlacar and Arquette through the bottom six. Get them minutes. Spot Headrick in when you can. Ditto MacNiel on D. That kid needs to play games. He’s too good to be a regular scratch.

 

[bobber]

Last night after the first ten minutes the Ranger showed they can compete with teams like the Steelheads. They did put a few pucks past the opposing goalie with the bars getting in the way. Rangers do have a lot of extra players to contend with at the moment. I would be shocked if they sent Headrick down to Jr. B. Unless they see him struggle with his game at this level. I am not sure what the process is regarding players moving down to B. The B team has to be able to accommodate these players and have room on rosters. There has to be some sort of procedure. London at this point in time is a totally different animal than the Rangers. They are riddled with NHL drafted older players. Their focus is on a long play off run and a Championship. Rangers on the other hand are still developing a bunch of young players, Some of which are in their second year and need to start putting up more numbers. MM has to deal with finding ice for all these players going forward. I believe there is a date where rosters have to be finalized.

 

[RB76]

True enough, the Rangers are in a different situation. The organization decided that this team deserves the chance to see it through. Last night, even though the boys picked it up and played it decent game, the physicality difference was noticeable and probably only going to get worse as we face playoff contenders.

At this point, I think you have to set the team and get them ready and playing playoff hockey. IMO that probably means sending some of the younger, smaller guys down to get some minutes leaving our bottom six consisting of Labrash, Hlacar, Arquette, Grisolia, Mercer and Vermeulen.

 

[bobber]

True enough, the Rangers are in a different situation. The organization decided that this team deserves the chance to see it through. Last night, even though the boys picked it up and played it decent game, the physicality difference was noticeable and probably only going to get worse as we face playoff contenders.

At this point, I think you have to set the team and get them ready and playing playoff hockey. IMO that probably means sending some of the younger, smaller guys down to get some minutes leaving our bottom six consisting of Labrash, Hlacar, Arquette, Grisolia, Mercer and Vermeulen.

The stats of that bottom 6 are as follows. Labrash 26 GP - 5 Points. Hlacar 26 GP- 2 points. Arquette 24 GP - 4 points. Mercer 36 GP - 11 points. Vermeulen 32 GP -19 points. Grisolia 39 GP- 12 points.

 

[EvenSteven]

I would be shocked if they sent Headrick down to Jr. B. Unless they see him struggle with his game at this level. I am not sure what the process is regarding players moving down to B. The B team has to be able to accommodate these players and have room on rosters. There has to be some sort of procedure. London at this point in time is a totally different animal than the Rangers. They are riddled with NHL drafted older players. Their focus is on a long play off run and a Championship. Rangers on the other hand are still developing a bunch of young players, Some of which are in their second year and need to start putting up more numbers. MM has to deal with finding ice for all these players going forward. I believe there is a date where rosters have to be finalized.

The stats of that bottom 6 are as follows. Labrash 26 GP - 5 Points. Hlacar 26 GP- 2 points. Arquette 24 GP - 4 points. Mercer 36 GP - 11 points. Vermeulen 32 GP -19 points. Grisolia 39 GP- 12 points.

Problem is, that’s not our bottom six. It’s more likely our 10th to 16th forwards. My third line above would likely put up more points than any three of those players. Also, most of those aren’t on the team primarily for their offence.

They are a little less shocked in London that Hawery was sent down to get prime development minutes. But they know how to develop their young prospects.

No, the Rangers don’t have the NHL drafted players that London does. But, they do have three lines of older players who I see slot ahead of Headrick this year.

I would be surprised to see Headrick get true top 9 minutes regularly here, in a year we are now trying to win. So there’s no harm in getting him prime development minutes in, say, Cambridge on a line with Weston Cameron, while getting spot duty with the big team. You kill two birds with one stone playing him with Cameron. He gets heavy minutes while developing alongside a possible future linemate.

 

[Jives]

I don’t see the rush to get Headrick to Jr. B. We will need depth scoring and he can provide that. He had a couple good chances last night. He has been out so long and will only get better. He admitted that his injured wrist isn’t 100% of strength and will get that back in the coming weeks. I think he provides much needed depth scoring which this team badly needs…we will be relying on that top 2 lines heavily if they decide to keep our best 6 on 2 lines. I was a little surprised they didn’t try to spread out the talent over 3 lines and have Ellinas, Romano and Hump as the 3 Cs.

We clearly have a top 6 F and then 3 vets in Mercer, Verm and Gris. Lam also seems like a lock in the line up unless his “give a shit” effort on the D side of the puck drops which imo he stuggles with. Everyone else is fighting for a spot in the bottom 6 after that. I think Headrick provides some much needed depth scoring over the other players fighting for a spot.

From my view Stark once heathly will not come out of the line up either. He added offence and plays a strong 200ft game for a winger. So that leaves 1 spot between Headrick, Ellis, Arquette, Labrash and Hlacar when the team is healthy. Tough decision for sure and some of these guys need to get games in JrB.

 

[bobber]

I don’t see the rush to get Headrick to Jr. B. We will need depth scoring and he can provide that. He had a couple good chances last night. He has been out so long and will only get better. He admitted that his injured wrist isn’t 100% of strength and will get that back in the coming weeks. I think he provides much needed depth scoring which this team badly needs…we will be relying on that top 2 lines heavily if they decide to keep our best 6 on 2 lines. I was a little surprised they didn’t try to spread out the talent over 3 lines and have Ellinas, Romano and Hump as the 3 Cs.

We clearly have a top 6 F and then 3 vets in Mercer, Verm and Gris. Lam also seems like a lock in the line up unless his “give a shit” effort on the D side of the puck drops which imo he stuggles with. Everyone else is fighting for a spot in the bottom 6 after that. I think Headrick provides some much needed depth scoring over the other players fighting for a spot.

From my view Stark once heathly will not come out of the line up either. He added offence and plays a strimg 200ft game for a winger. So that leaves 1 spot between Headrick, Ellis, Arquette, Labrash and Hlacar when the team is healthy. Tough decision for sure and some of these guys need to get games in JrB.

Rangers top players are decent skilled guys. There will be games where they struggle with the opposing checking lines or trying to compete with top lines of opponents. The bottom six has to come through in these games. Hopefully Humphrey's game gets better and we truly have a line that impacts every game. I understand the need for grinders and checkers plus physicality. Hlachar is really the only honest scrapper. Rangers for some reason are not putting up the offense they were earlier in the year. The power play is stagnant. I agree with Jives here on Headrick. The Ranger brass loved the kids game and made him their number one pick. He hasn't played a handful of games and some wanted him traded and now sent down to a B team. Can't see the Rangers doing this unless they lose faith in his game. If they do make that decision maybe they made the wrong choice at the draft. The Rangers must have some sort of plan to sort out who will be on the final roster going forward into the second half. Maybe they are waiting to see who steps up. A stint in JR. B is great for developing prospects as long as the coaching is solid and the players aren't advised to change what got them drafted into the OHL.