Kitchener Rangers 2019 Offseason Thread

[MatthewsMoustache]

Lipanov playing in the ECHL with Orlando to finish the season

 

[bobber]

NOW WE'RE TALKING............


13th Overall: Kitchener Rangers

Prospect Selected: Stuart Rolofs – LW
2018-19 Team: Kanata Lasers (HEO)

Boasting a roster flooded with highly skilled young players, adding Stuart Rolofs to the mix will afford the Kitchener Rangers with considerable scoring depth in the years ahead. Sure to skate with the likes of Reid Valade and Isaac Langdon, Rolofs brings size, strength, and innate offensive abilities each and every time he graces the ice. Widely known for his heavy shot, Rolofs can devise and execute scoring plays to boot and stands as a versatile yet lethal threat with each passing shift.

Further, given his 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame, Rolofs will have little trouble adjusting to the OHL-level in 2019-20, as the youngster skates remarkably well for his size and is incredibly difficult to knock off of the puck once in possession. A 33 goal-scorer for the Kanata Lasers of the HEO this past season, Rolofs will be able to jump into the Rangers’ lineup without issue and play a commanding and intimidating role for Kitchener in the years ahead.

Now that sounds like a Ranger! Actually a few prognosticators have mentioned this guy as someone they think the Rangers pick. Its a guessing game that no one ever wins though.

 

[EvenSteven]

I wonder if there's a possibility that MM will explore moving some draft picks around prior to the draft. As we know, draft picks only can be traded in the week leading up to the entry draft. What if we, say, target Rolofs, but have somebody else that we covet who we feel won't be around by the time we select with our second round pick.

Perhaps we can pick up a high second round pick in trade? Looking at the draft pick database, I see a trading partner that we may be able to do business with.

Peterboro currently has two second round picks, no third round pick, and a fourth round pick in this draft. I wonder if they would entertain the following:

To Kitchener:
2nd in '19 (King)

To Peterboro:
2nd in '21
4th in '19
4th in '19 (Sag)

That deal fills a hole in the second round that Peterboro has in 2021. Since they don't have a third round pick in this draft, those two 4th would help out there.

It may take some arm twisting in order to get the deal done. We may have to swap out one or both of those fourth-round picks for our 3rd (Bar) in this draft. Peterboro has a hole there too. Not something I would really want to do though as it is a high 3rd rounder. But you have to give to get.

 

[Mein Yak]

NOW WE'RE TALKING............


13th Overall: Kitchener Rangers

Prospect Selected: Stuart Rolofs – LW
2018-19 Team: Kanata Lasers (HEO)

Boasting a roster flooded with highly skilled young players, adding Stuart Rolofs to the mix will afford the Kitchener Rangers with considerable scoring depth in the years ahead. Sure to skate with the likes of Reid Valade and Isaac Langdon, Rolofs brings size, strength, and innate offensive abilities each and every time he graces the ice. Widely known for his heavy shot, Rolofs can devise and execute scoring plays to boot and stands as a versatile yet lethal threat with each passing shift.

Further, given his 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame, Rolofs will have little trouble adjusting to the OHL-level in 2019-20, as the youngster skates remarkably well for his size and is incredibly difficult to knock off of the puck once in possession. A 33 goal-scorer for the Kanata Lasers of the HEO this past season, Rolofs will be able to jump into the Rangers’ lineup without issue and play a commanding and intimidating role for Kitchener in the years ahead.

This same guy had him going number 20 to London
OHL Prospects
I do understand that we pick before london.

 

[Mein Yak]

If we take Stuart in the first how about this guy as our second
OHL Prospect Profile: Kaleb Lawrence

 

[nelli27]

Dallas Stars Sign Riley Damiani
Dallas Stars Sign Riley Damiani

 

[Tim Wallach]

If we take Stuart in the first how about this guy as our second
OHL Prospect Profile: Kaleb Lawrence

Everything about that profile suggests 1st round pick, but he's not expected to go that high. Interesting.

 

[Rangers True Blue]

This same guy had him going number 20 to London
OHL Prospects
I do understand that we pick before london.

Based on his updated listing...

 

[Rangers True Blue]

Dallas Stars Sign Riley Damiani
Dallas Stars Sign Riley Damiani

Odds of him not returning to the Rangers this coming season?....

 

[MatthewsMoustache]

Odds of him not returning to the Rangers this coming season?....

he would have to make the NHL... he's behind 4/5 guys that are already NHL centres, also Ty Dellandrea

Not gonna happen

 

[Mein Yak]

Everything about that profile suggests 1st round pick, but he's not expected to go that high. Interesting.

I think its his speed that lower him in rankings. However imagine how good a line of Lawrence and Rolofs could be. Lawrence a center playmaker and Rolofs a sinper on the wing. Both with size. Jeez, we might be talking about a Ratcliffe, Schnarr combination in these two players.

 

[Coaches Coroner]

Everything about that profile suggests 1st round pick, but he's not expected to go that high. Interesting.

Having followed the draft the last 8-10 years or so, I find it hard to know exactly what to think with players ranked outside of the first by amateur scouting organizations and amateur scouts on twitter...the way the profiles shake up it always seems like just about every player is really good overall with just a few warts (not usually emphasizing just how glaring those warts may be). A 3rd rounder profile often sounds like a 1st and a lot of mid to late round profiles sound like hard to miss- 2nd-3rd round quality players.

Just an anecdote: I was friends/acquaintances with a bunch of guys when they were going through there OHL Draft year and it was a year a decent amount of local kids were picked. One was picked by the Rangers in the early-mid rounds, tall, lanky kid who could skate but he never panned out. I wasn't surprised, he liked hockey but didn't seem very serious about it. Another who was a 2nd round pick of another team who didn't pan out and who later played a season here wasn't really interested in hockey after his last AAA season but kept playing because one of his parents wanted him to.
A couple of those guys had strong OHL careers, others gave it their best but they had simply peaked in AAA. If some of the more naturally talented players I knew had the work ethic of some of the guys I knew who didn't have the skill/ability to make it, they'd have been really strong OHLers.

The OHL draft is very interesting as there are just so many more factors outside the current pure skill/ability of the player that are extremely hard, if not near impossible, to predict with hockey players of that age.

 

[Ward Cornell]

Having followed the draft the last 8-10 years or so, I find it hard to know exactly what to think with players ranked outside of the first by amateur scouting organizations and amateur scouts on twitter...the way the profiles shake up it always seems like just about every player is really good overall with just a few warts (not usually emphasizing just how glaring those warts may be). A 3rd rounder profile often sounds like a 1st and a lot of mid to late round profiles sound like hard to miss- 2nd-3rd round quality players.

Just an anecdote: I was friends/acquaintances with a bunch of guys when they were going through there OHL Draft year and it was a year a decent amount of local kids were picked. One was picked by the Rangers in the early-mid rounds, tall, lanky kid who could skate but he never panned out. I wasn't surprised, he liked hockey but didn't seem very serious about it. Another who was a 2nd round pick of another team who didn't pan out and who later played a season here wasn't really interested in hockey after his last AAA season but kept playing because one of his parents wanted him to.
A couple of those guys had strong OHL careers, others gave it their best but they had simply peaked in AAA. If some of the more naturally talented players I knew had the work ethic of some of the guys I knew who didn't have the skill/ability to make it, they'd have been really strong OHLers.

The OHL draft is very interesting as there are just so many more factors outside the current pure skill/ability of the player that are extremely hard, if not near impossible, to predict with hockey players of that age.

I look at most drafts as a "groups of players.
In most cases the top 5 are easily defined, then the 5 next are somewhat interchangeable. Then after that the next grouping of 5 is totally interchangeable. Once you drop down few rounds it's a total crapshoot for rankings. Where one team may have a player in the 5th round another team will have him in the 7th or lower.

 

[Coaches Coroner]

How would people feel if the Rangers go the route TheScout.ca's mock draft and draft a goalie with their 1st pick? From what I've read there of this draft, there is a clear-cut number 1 goalie in this draft in Ben Gaudreau . Seems to be a highly touted prospect in general. Goalies can be tricky and always seem to be a bit more of a gamble than forwards.
13. Kitchener Rangers – Ben Gaudreau, G, North Bay Trappers
The Rangers get their goalie of the future and that future is pretty well now. Our top ranked goalie was also a unanimous selection as the Best Pro Goalie Prospect in our Scouts Poll.

 

[Tim Wallach]

How would people feel if the Rangers go the route TheScout.ca's mock draft and draft a goalie with their 1st pick? From what I've read there of this draft, there is a clear-cut number 1 goalie in this draft in Ben Gaudreau . Seems to be a highly touted prospect in general. Goalies can be tricky and always seem to be a bit more of a gamble than forwards.
13. Kitchener Rangers – Ben Gaudreau, G, North Bay Trappers
The Rangers get their goalie of the future and that future is pretty well now. Our top ranked goalie was also a unanimous selection as the Best Pro Goalie Prospect in our Scouts Poll.

The only thing I'll say is that if you spend your 1st on a goalie, you better be damn sure he's going to be elite in the OHL. The track record on goalies suggests it's way too much of a crapshoot to take that risk. Having said that, the appeal of having high-end goaltending for several seasons is high. But they have to get it right. The last sure-thing goalie we picked was DiRienzo with our 2nd and that didn't exactly pan out.

 

[rangersblues]

I don't care for even drafting a dman with a 1st round pick. Goalie is way worse imo.

 

[GeoBlue]

Has anyone seen the Youtube video on Eric Guest? Seems like he is dealing with some issues, is getting better with help and has not really closed the door on the Rangers.

 

[Tim Wallach]

Has anyone seen the Youtube video on Eric Guest? Seems like he is dealing with some issues, is getting better with help and has not really closed the door on the Rangers.

I did and kudos to Guest for speaking about it. It could help lots of other kids. I wish him the best wherever that may be. Sounds like he's eyeing a career in psychiatric nursing, which is a very noble goal.

 

[MatthewsMoustache]

Has anyone seen the Youtube video on Eric Guest? Seems like he is dealing with some issues, is getting better with help and has not really closed the door on the Rangers.

my best guess is that he will be playing for London or Komoka in jr. B next year while going to school

 

[Tim Wallach]

Has anyone seen the Youtube video on Eric Guest? Seems like he is dealing with some issues, is getting better with help and has not really closed the door on the Rangers.

I did and kudos to Guest for speaking about it. It could help lots of other kids. I wish him the best wherever that may be. Sounds like he's eyeing a career in psychiatric nursing, which is a very noble goal.

 

[Tim Wallach]

Double post.

 

[Ward Cornell]

The only thing I'll say is that if you spend your 1st on a goalie, you better be damn sure he's going to be elite in the OHL. The track record on goalies suggests it's way too much of a crapshoot to take that risk. Having said that, the appeal of having high-end goaltending for several seasons is high. But they have to get it right. The last sure-thing goalie we picked was DiRienzo with our 2nd and that didn't exactly pan out.

That's why I always like to have a "sell" trade even in a contending yr to acquire multiple high draft picks. This would allow a team to maybe roll the dice if there is potential of drafting a high end goalie in the first few rounds. 1st round?????..."NO"!!

 

[BarberPole9]

Ottawa has a plethora of Defencemen returning next year. Do you think that Kitchener will be moving all in next year? Would Kevin Bahl for Reid Valade + 2 x 2nd rounders make sense for you guys?

 

[EvenSteven]

I don't care for even drafting a dman with a 1st round pick. Goalie is way worse imo.

All the more reason to maybe try to swing a deal this week for a high second round pick. The trade I laid out a day or so ago with Peterboro would answer that need. Then we use that pick on Gaudreau or for the next highest ranked goaltender if he isn't.

I'm not a fan of using a first round pick on a goaltender either.

 

[EvenSteven]

Ottawa has a plethora of Defencemen returning next year. Do you think that Kitchener will be moving all in next year? Would Kevin Bahl for Reid Valade + 2 x 2nd rounders make sense for you guys?

I like Bahl. But I'm not trading three years of Valade away +2 second rounders for him.

Valade will be a valuable piece on next years team and, should we contend the following year, which we just may, he will be one of our leaders by then.

His numbers were modest as a 16 year old, but other aspects of his game leads me to believe he will bring a whole lot more value than just points on the board.

I am more in favour of adding to the defence on the cheap in the off-season. I would add a 2000 born vet who can play on our second pairing. Then, hopefully we add an import defenseman.