Kitchener Rangers 2024-25 Season Thread, Part III

[Buttsy]

Also just being a true Ranger fan and London hater here but it's wild to me that Henry Brzustewicz is ranked at 19 ahead of Reid. The London bias is real.

The bias as you say for all things London is very real. Now when you have placed consistently the players into the NHL that the Hunters have perhaps the bias is justified. BUT when it comes to ranking players I have really noticed it the past 3-4 year's especially. Perhaps another reason players, parents and agents seem desperate to get to London? But like I say perhaps the bias is to be expected based on the way players are prepared once drafted. Cheers ....

 

[Buttsy]

I also wonder why MM didn't pull the trigger and trade for Henry Brzustewicz. it was mentioned Kit or Ldn. would have been a great pairing with Reid for years to come!

At the time Henry was available I feel like you didn't even have dust in the old draft cupboard? The Hunters do step up and pay when these defected players become available. It's one way London can actually get a bonafide 1st round pick rather then an early 2nd rounder where we normally pick. Dickinson comes to mind as another one.

 

[EvenSteven]

At the time Henry was available I feel like you didn't even have dust in the old draft cupboard? The Hunters do step up and pay when these defected players become available. It's one way London can actually get a bonafide 1st round pick rather then an early 2nd rounder where we normally pick. Dickinson comes to mind as another one.

The Rangers were never trading for Henry B unless they moved skaters for value to acquire the picks to get him. The ill advised 22-23 deadline “all in” spending frenzy emptied our draft pick cupboard.

We had to do an “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch my back” two part deal with Saginaw in the week before the ‘23 draft to get the 2nd round pick we used to draft Lam.

London traded 2x2nds and a 3rd for Henry B. We had only one 2nd that came in the off season Vandenberg trade to Niagara. We couldn’t match or beat that. London got a gift knowing it was London or Kitchener as we didn’t have the assets.

Many on here advocated trading for him by starting early the “expected” sell off to acquire the picks needed to make the trade. But the sell off never happened.

Geez the sell off still hasn’t happened!! Lol!!

 

[Ward Cornell]

The Rangers were never trading for Henry B unless they moved skaters for value to acquire the picks to get him. The ill advised 22-23 deadline “all in” spending frenzy emptied our draft pick cupboard.

We had to do an “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch my back” two part deal with Saginaw in the week before the ‘23 draft to get the 2nd round pick we used to draft Lam.

London traded 2x2nds and a 3rd for Henry B. We had only one 2nd that came in the off season Vandenberg trade to Niagara. We couldn’t match or beat that. London got a gift knowing it was London or Kitchener as we didn’t have the assets.

Many on here advocated trading for him by starting early the “expected” sell off to acquire the picks needed to make the trade. But the sell off never happened.

Geez the sell off still hasn’t happened!! Lol!!

All a by-product of a terrible coach hire for the 22-33 season. Speaking of which, I see now he's a pro scout of an AHL team.

 

[Ref Hannah]

He probably had that handshake deal to get him to do the about face and sign here. That likely led to posters like Ref Hannah insisting he’d get into 30 games. But a funny thing happened in this year’s rebuild.

Faced with riding the pines for most of the rest of the season vs playing heavy minutes for a couple months at JrB Komoka, he, his camp, and the Rangers may all come to agree that he’d be better served getting the heavy minutes, A card or not.

MM promised alot of things to alot of people. He is very quickly losing trust with players and families. Schaubel maybe the best door opener in the OHL. So much for the 30 games he was told.
Not much of a development season for the vast majority of the team. Practicing for 1.5 hours 3 days a week and then sitting most weekends isn't ideal. Mikey needs to get way better at development real fast. JrB isn't the complete answer. Why aren't all the boys on the ice 2x per day like London or Erie and others. Mikey trying to acquire talent and his college buddy's kids isn't going to cut it. He needs a development model for long term.

 

[Ref Hannah]

He probably had that handshake deal to get him to do the about face and sign here. That likely led to posters like Ref Hannah insisting he’d get into 30 games. But a funny thing happened in this year’s rebuild.

Faced with riding the pines for most of the rest of the season vs playing heavy minutes for a couple months at JrB Komoka, he, his camp, and the Rangers may all come to agree that he’d be better served getting the heavy minutes, A card or not.

MM promised alot of things to alot of people. He is very quickly losing trust with players and families. Schaubel maybe the best door opener in the OHL. So much for the 30 games he was told.
Not much of a development season for the vast majority of the team. Practicing for 1.5 hours 3 days a week and then sitting most weekends isn't ideal. Mikey needs to get way better at development real fast. JrB isn't the complete answer. Why aren't all the boys on the ice 2x per day like London or Erie and others. Mikey trying to acquire talent and his college buddy's kids isn't going to cut it. He needs a development model for long term.

 

[EvenSteven]

MM promised alot of things to alot of people. He is very quickly losing trust with players and families. Schaubel maybe the best door opener in the OHL. So much for the 30 games he was told.
Not much of a development season for the vast majority of the team. Practicing for 1.5 hours 3 days a week and then sitting most weekends isn't ideal. Mikey needs to get way better at development real fast. JrB isn't the complete answer. Why aren't all the boys on the ice 2x per day like London or Erie and others. Mikey trying to acquire talent and his college buddy's kids isn't going to cut it. He needs a development model for long term.

No doubt Schaubel will get the 30 games here next year. Likely he and Edwards split the duties. That’ll be a good situation for both to develop in.

They’ll push each other with the carrot being the starters job in the 2026 post season.

As far as promises made, and this didn’t affect the goaltender position directly, but the Agreement affected the league this year in a big way and no other OHL team more than the Rangers. I presume promises were made before the Agreement came to be so there is that.

But it’s tough to be critical of MM when the rules are changed mid stream.

 

[RB76]

At this point is there a Jr. B team that wants him as a workhorse no. 1 for the rest of the season? If not, I really doubt an extra 8-10 games more (than he would playing here) in a lower league will be better than continuing to practice with OHL calibre players and play occasionally.
Going from practicing and playing with OHLers for half a year, then going to a different team in a different league more than half way through...what benefit, if any, is probably negligeable.


If the boxer doesn't teach him about where his skates/feet should be on the ice to maintain balance while throwing or dodging, I'm not sure it's going to make much practical difference. He's a tough kid but gets spinning around too much.

Balance is integral, some teams like London have a former NHL enforcer they bring in to work with the kids.

 

[Ref Hannah]

No doubt Schaubel will get the 30 games here next year. Likely he and Edwards split the duties. That’ll be a good situation for both to develop in.

They’ll push each other with the carrot being the starters job in the 2026 post season.

As far as promises made, and this didn’t affect the goaltender position directly, but the Agreement affected the league this year in a big way and no other OHL team more than the Rangers. I presume promises were made before the Agreement came to be so there is that.

But it’s tough to be critical of MM when the rules are changed mid stream.

Mikey knew exactly what was going to happen. He tried to bake NCAA verbiage into their contracts. The only real surprise this year was having 2 Assist GM kids jammed down his throat. Now he has an over abundance of undersized just decent kids. Hope Valentini and Mooney and others can read the tea leaves. 09's beware in May! Buyer beware.

 

[SFC]

Mikey knew exactly what was going to happen. He tried to bake NCAA verbiage into their contracts. The only real surprise this year was having 2 Assist GM kids jammed down his throat. Now he has an over abundance of undersized just decent kids. Hope Valentini and Mooney and others can read the tea leaves. 09's beware in May! Buyer beware.

Hannah, I'm as frustrated as you are with McKenzie, but the weird trolling of your own team's fans is annoying. Can't you troll Windsor or something? Lol.

 

[EvenSteven]

Mikey knew exactly what was going to happen. He tried to bake NCAA verbiage into their contracts. The only real surprise this year was having 2 Assist GM kids jammed down his throat. Now he has an over abundance of undersized just decent kids. Hope Valentini and Mooney and others can read the tea leaves. 09's beware in May! Buyer beware.

What type of NCAA verbiage?

 

[Ref Hannah]

Hannah, I'm as frustrated as you are with McKenzie, but the weird trolling of your own team's fans is annoying. Can't you troll Windsor or something? Lol.

Sorry! I've been staying out of the lineup on responding for awhile now. EvenSteven kinda poked the bear a bit.

 

[LostRangers]

Hannah, I'm as frustrated as you are with McKenzie, but the weird trolling of your own team's fans is annoying. Can't you troll Windsor or something? Lol.

Or change your name to Chicken Little.
We have a team that many picked to miss the playoffs. While I too am critical of some of his decisions, you have to give him some props for a team comfortably in third in the tough western conference.

 

[Ref Hannah]

Or change your name to Chicken Little.
We have a team that many picked to miss the playoffs. While I too am critical of some of his decisions, you have to give him some props for a team comfortably in third in the tough western conference.