Kitchener Rangers 2018-19 Season Thread (Part 4)

[bobber]

You have to take some of the measurements available before the draft and at the draft with a grain of salt. Sites like elite prospects and I believe the official OHL guide that the OHL website puts out, had Grayson Ladd at about 5'10. MM in an interview said he was about 6'2 and that's what he was at camp. Being focused on size when most of us haven't seen the players can sometimes lead to inaccurate conclusions and alarmism. We're also talking about drafting players at an age where a lot of kids are just about to hit growth spurts. Someone posted about Yantsis being at Guelph camp and he was listed at 5"10. A year and a half later and he's 6'2, now 6'3.

At 16, Langdon and Sebrango are right around 6'0, and our top pick still with us from the draft prior to that is 6'3" Vukojevic. Keeping an eye on size is something to consider, but I don't really think size is quite as dire of an issue as others. I feel like we're on the right track, hoping it keeps going.
I think some things look worse seeing one of the tallest players in the leage in 6'6" Ratcliffe against 5"6" (maybe) Gareffa makes the size issue look at least a bit worse than it is. The league is not filled with Ratcliffe's, he may be one of the best skaters at his size that this league has seen in a decade.

I'd like to draft for balance. Take a bigger player when his skill and skating are equal to the smaller players obviously, but I'd rather a small player with skill and skating ability than a slow big guy with average skill. Focusing on size as a top priority may just lead us back to near the end of the Spott era when we were fed up drafting size, grit players with lower end offensive upside and hoping to switch to drafting speed and skill even if small.

Torgo when I talk size I mean average size. The average size of OHL players is a little over 6 feet. We have 17 forwards listed on the roster and I believe 5 are of average size and the rest up front are smaller. The average in the NHL is I believe is 6' 1". When you look at the Storm as an example even taking Ratcliff away they have some guys bigger than average that are considered great skaters. The Storm have around 10 or 11 NHL draft picks and most are average or above. Size is a factor in the NHL draft. My preference is to have at least an average size or bigger team with a few smaller fast skilled players in the mix. Its just my opinion. For us it doesn't matter as much who they draft as we gave up our seats this year after 20 years in the same section. I will still go the rookie camp and the Gold Cup as they are a lot of fun.

 

[bobber]

For those interested this is from Brock Otten's mock draft. Not that this is the player they would pick. It's just a guess from Otten. Looking at different info I found the tallest I found him was 5'6" 155 pounds.

13. Kitchener Rangers - Colby Saganiuk - Pittsburgh Penguins 16U - Center
Without an NCAA commitment, Saganiuk may be the highest profile American player who could be convinced to head north to the OHL. Undersized, yes, but Saganiuk is a fantastic skater with the potential to be a high impact offensive player. Currently at the USDP U17 camp, he may still take some convincing. But the Kitchener franchise has never been afraid of a recruitment battle. With a mid 2nd and an early 3rd, in addition to drafting well last year, Kitchener can afford to roll the dice here on a potential #1 center and hope that if he does not commit that they can deal his rights. Of course, they could also wait until that Oshawa 2nd to see if he is still available, but he likely does not get by Saginaw at the end of the first. (Brock Otten)

 

[EvenSteven]

I know we still have a game to play, but thus far, I have to say that Richardson has been our MVP of these playoffs.

Even though he's let in a bunch, it could have been a hell of a lot worse had he been the below average Richardson that we've seen from time to time this season.

 

[EvenSteven]

For those interested this is from Brock Otten's mock draft. Not that this is the player they would pick. It's just a guess from Otten. Looking at different info I found the tallest I found him was 5'6" 155 pounds.

13. Kitchener Rangers - Colby Saganiuk - Pittsburgh Penguins 16U - Center
Without an NCAA commitment, Saganiuk may be the highest profile American player who could be convinced to head north to the OHL. Undersized, yes, but Saganiuk is a fantastic skater with the potential to be a high impact offensive player. Currently at the USDP U17 camp, he may still take some convincing. But the Kitchener franchise has never been afraid of a recruitment battle. With a mid 2nd and an early 3rd, in addition to drafting well last year, Kitchener can afford to roll the dice here on a potential #1 center and hope that if he does not commit that they can deal his rights. Of course, they could also wait until that Oshawa 2nd to see if he is still available, but he likely does not get by Saginaw at the end of the first. (Brock Otten)

As I said earlier, my issue with him is will he report rather than size.

Azevedo was a small skilled player and we built a nice team around him that wound up being a Memorial Cup finalist.

But then, that was DeBoer doing the building.

There are lots of decent players with size outside the first round. Our scouts just have to find them.

 

[Coaches Coroner]

I know we still have a game to play, but thus far, I have to say that Richardson has been our MVP of these playoffs.

Even though he's let in a bunch, it could have been a hell of a lot worse had he been the below average Richardson that we've seen from time to time this season.

I think that speaks more to the fact that our top performers haven't produced or shown up offensively, and less to Richardson's play being good.

Yantsis has been getting pretty frustrated a lot. It would help the team and his game overall if he found a way to channel that frustration into physicality, throwing the body etc. versus complaining to refs.

As I said earlier, my issue with him is will he report rather than size.

Azevedo was a small skilled player and we built a nice team around him that wound up being a Memorial Cup finalist.

But then, that was DeBoer doing the building.

There are lots of decent players with size outside the first round. Our scouts just have to find them.

There are a couple late round picks we had that took flyers on some guys with really good size, and from looking up the numbers at least a couple of them did relatively ok in their leagues this season, for where they were picked at least. Van Compernole and Adams-Mathews were the two that stuck out, think there was another one or two interesting picks.

 

[GeoBlue]

And that's a wrap! Question: Is there some sort of rule with regard to imports being OA's? All the talk has been about Meireles, Gareffa, Yantsis and Richardson. Are not Hugg and Lipps eligible to come back?

 

[bobber]

Good luck to this Ranger team going forward into next season and the OAs that are moving on. Kind of an up and down season but there were some fun games here at the Aud.
Congratulations to the Storm. Big skilled veteran team.

 

[Coaches Coroner]

And that's a wrap! Question: Is there some sort of rule with regard to imports being OA's? All the talk has been about Meireles, Gareffa, Yantsis and Richardson. Are not Hugg and Lipps eligible to come back?

Teams rarely use both an OA & Import slot on one player. Hugg rumor has it has SHL offers. Lipanov hasn't proven worthy of an OA slot, let alone Import and OA (which they would had to in order to keep either).

 

[robertmac43]

Really going to miss Hugg, he really gave it his all each and every night. You could tell throughout this game how much he wanted it. Good luck to him and the graduating OAs!

 

[GeoBlue]

Teams rarely use both an OA & Import slot on one player. Hugg rumor has it has SHL offers. Lipanov hasn't proven worthy of an OA slot, let alone Import and OA (which they would had to in order to keep either).

So under the right circumstances, an import CAN be an OA even though it "rarely" happens?

 

[bobber]

Hugg said in an interview tonight he was going back to Sweden to play next season. Storm were a handful for the Rangers tonight. They just closed of all lanes and never gave them many looks.

 

[rangersblues]

It's easier to replace an import with another quality import through the draft than a player like Miereles, Hugg, or Yantsis with another quality player who is <20 years old. Therefore you rarely see an OA import.

 

[Coaches Coroner]

So under the right circumstances, an import CAN be an OA even though it "rarely" happens?

Yes.

 

[MatthewsMoustache]

going into this draft, assuming the database on this site is correct, here's where the Rangers will pick (Will Cuylle made this difficult):

1st Round (13)
2nd Round (36)
3rd Round (46)
4th Round (68)
4th Round (74)
6th Round (115)
7th Round (135)
8th Round (150)
9th Round (175)
11th Round (215)
13th Round (255)
14th Round (275)
15th Round (295)

What I'd like to see with this draft is sign the 1st round pick and the next best 2 skaters to play with the team (obviously subject to change based on roster spots and performance). Draft a goalie early and sign him to a B card and play him with (preferably) Waterloo. Then leave a spot open for another B card for a skater to grab in camp, whether it be one of the 4th round picks or the 15th. Make this years training camp worth showing up to for the prospects.

Goes a long way to have the kids around each other for that whole year even if they don't play with the Rangers every night

 

[EvenSteven]

Teams rarely use both an OA & Import slot on one player. Hugg rumor has it has SHL offers. Lipanov hasn't proven worthy of an OA slot, let alone Import and OA (which they would had to in order to keep either).

Lipanov has shown he can be one of the better players on the ice both offensively and physically. Too bad it only happened one game out of five at best.

 

[MatthewsMoustache]

Lipanov has shown he can be one of the better players on the ice both offensively and physically. Too bad it only happened one game out of five at best.

I just don’t know where he’s going to play if it’s not here because he just isn’t consistent enough to play at the AHL level. He’s already signed so I think that puts going back to Russia out of the equation. ECHL maybe? I can’t see any other OHL teams using an OA and Import card on him either

 

[EvenSteven]

I just don’t know where he’s going to play if it’s not here because he just isn’t consistent enough to play at the AHL level. He’s already signed so I think that puts going back to Russia out of the equation. ECHL maybe? I can’t see any other OHL teams using an OA and Import card on him either

He played 10 games in Syracuse last year at the end of the season. No goals three assists. For an 18-year-old, that's not really too bad. I think he'll start at the AHL level next year. But he will likely learn quick that he'll have to show up every game or else.

I say that without having any knowledge of how the depth chart is next year in Syracuse.

 

[Houndsfan22]

He played 10 games in Syracuse last year at the end of the season. No goals three assists. For an 18-year-old, that's not really too bad. I think he'll start at the AHL level next year. But he will likely learn quick that he'll have to show up every game or else.

I say that without having any knowledge of how the depth chart is next year in Syracuse.

Deep.

 

[Ward Cornell]

For us it doesn't matter as much who they draft as we gave up our seats this year after 20 years in the same section.

..what the heck is that all about??
Gonna miss my "between periods hockey expert"!

 

[bobber]

..what the heck is that all about??
Gonna miss my "between periods hockey expert"!

Funny stuff. I am the last person anyone would take hockey advice from. We have thought about giving up our seats for a couple of years. Met a lot of great fans at the Aud. It's more than hockey down there. It's a social event and we will miss the people we have known so closely for so many years. As long time fans we will still get to the odd game over the seasons.

 

[bobber]

From Brown's blog:
Goalie Luke Richardson was “banged up” this week, so much so that the Rangers called up Kitchener Jr. Rangers netminder Nick Clay on an emergency basis. But Richardson was ready to go for Thursday’s tilt.

 

[Coaches Coroner]

Lipanov has shown he can be one of the better players on the ice both offensively and physically. Too bad it only happened one game out of five at best.

He can, but he's too inconsistent and not productive enough (even when given ample PP time in the first half) to expend both an OA slot and Import imo.

 

[Tim Wallach]

He can, but he's too inconsistent and not productive enough (even when given ample PP time in the first half) to expend both an OA slot and Import imo.

Not to mention that another main reason you rarely see import OAs is that it's also not in their best interests to play another year of junior at 20/21. The main reason they come over is to get exposure to NHL scouting while playing against peers. By the time they're OA age, if they can't find a spot playing against men at home, then their pro dreams are pretty much done.

Lipanov is a 3rd round NHL pick, so TB will have to decide whether to fish or cut bait. I suspect they'll start him in the ECHL and see what they have given he's still young, but yes, not much chance a guy like him would ever be back as an OA. I was impressed with how emotional and gracious he was with fans after the game. I think he did care quite a bit.