Kitchener Rangers 2019-20 Season Thread (Part 2)

Status
Not open for further replies.
Mar 12, 2009
7,358
7,428
This is pretty much what Steve Spott did during his time here. One hard sell off in his first season in 08-09. After that, never really sold off ever and as a result, in years we should’ve contended, we didn’t have the assets to go all in hard. Spott was left to whine about high prices that he couldn’t/wouldn’t pay because he didn’t have the high picks gained in what should have been sell off years, and wouldn’t part with youth (ie Pederson).

We were pretty much mediocre over those years. We had good regular seasons but dismal playoff records. He totally wasted the two John Gibson years here because he wouldn’t/couldn’t pay market value at the deadline.
Sometimes he had the picks but didn't want to "mortgage future", opting for lesser, cheaper options. He also intentionally drafted 4 year players with 1st round picks that were late 2nd or 3rd round talents.
 
  • Like
Reactions: EvenSteven

EvenSteven

Registered User
Sep 3, 2009
7,321
6,073
Sometimes he had the picks but didn't want to "mortgage future", opting for lesser, cheaper options. He also intentionally drafted 4 year players with 1st round picks that were late 2nd or 3rd round talents.

.....resulting in the mediocrity.
 

Tim Wallach

Registered User
Oct 9, 2007
3,714
4,226
Kitchener, Ontario
In regard to last nights game, it was nice to see the 2nd PP start and get the majority of the PP when we got one after going up 4-0. Mckee would have still rolled the top unit at that point.

There is a list of things McKenzie has changed to make things drastically better. But the one I want to highlight relates to your point. He has re-engaged his depth guys to the point that they're bringing energy and developing their games. If you don't do that in junior hockey, it's a death sentence. Those guys were withering on the vine behind a nucleus that got all the reps and all the attention. A big part of the job is ensuring you're bringing those guys along to help the cause. Otherwise, when teams figure you out, you have no help on the horizon and the next season is no better. MM is setting this team up for progress. Finally!!
 

Ward Cornell

Registered User
Dec 22, 2007
6,378
2,549
There is a list of things McKenzie has changed to make things drastically better. But the one I want to highlight relates to your point. He has re-engaged his depth guys to the point that they're bringing energy and developing their games. If you don't do that in junior hockey, it's a death sentence. Those guys were withering on the vine behind a nucleus that got all the reps and all the attention. A big part of the job is ensuring you're bringing those guys along to help the cause. Otherwise, when teams figure you out, you have no help on the horizon and the next season is no better. MM is setting this team up for progress. Finally!!

Plus increasing their value not only to the Rangers but to other teams.
 

K2

Registered User
Jun 11, 2015
669
560
He also intentionally drafted 4 year players with 1st round picks that were late 2nd or 3rd round talents.

Who were all the obvious late 2nd/3rd rounders that Spott intentionally chose in round 1?
 

BogeyJ

Registered User
Jan 5, 2016
227
130
Who were all the obvious late 2nd/3rd rounders that Spott intentionally chose in round 1?

Schmaltz (spelling) comes to mind although he was traded.. I think that was on of his last draft mind you.
 

K2

Registered User
Jun 11, 2015
669
560
Schmaltz (spelling) comes to mind although he was traded.. I think that was on of his last draft mind you.
Pederson was another.

Not an intensional rebuttal but rather just not seeing Spott's picks being blatantly a couple rounds out of order on purpose.

We could have done worse than Pedersen in the first round … in fact we iced three other teams’ 2011 first rounders Mitchell Dempsey, Scott Teskey and Brandon Robinson at times and only Pedersen ever went on to play pro (splitting ECHL/AHL this season). He was still worth 2x2nds and a 3rd (+ 2 potential conds) when we flipped him away to Oshawa where he won OHL Champs & Memorial Cup.

Matt Schmalz was like 6’5” when drafted and was a PPG+ Midget player. Spott only kept him 4 months so he wasn’t much of a 4 year plan kid. Got drafted, did OK with SUD/OS, played/playing minor pro AFAIK. Traded to Sudbury in a big multiplayer + picks deal and carried fair value. We could have had the uber drafter Knight’s 1st rounder Liam Herbst that draft instead I suppose and eventually we did ‘own’ that 1st round draft class' stud Robby Fabbri ;)

I was thinking Davies was maybe one that could have been picked later though he was a big kid with solid Midget production and was eventually still valued 1 or 2 fifths higher than a 2nd round pick by Saginaw after a few years here. Later that draft we still managed to find Bracco, Opilka and Hendo avail (I think) too.

I think a 4 year guy vs two year guy scenario would be more like if Sarnia decided on a Maschrin over Chychrun than picking seeded 3rd round guys in the first because they wouldn’t be as likely to go anywhere. We had some hits, misses and bad luck but I don’t think we were ever too far off the usual ‘best available + team needs’ decision rationale when drafting 1st rounders and found value well down the order under Spott's watch.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dirty12 and BogeyJ
Mar 12, 2009
7,358
7,428
Pederson was another.
maybe it was MH, but could have sworn Spott mentioned swinging for the fence on Davies because "he had mono" that year.


Maybe he would come back to the job that started it off for him :p

lol Spott only has a job because he failed with Toronto and Pete was willing to let him ride his coat tails. He has to be a part of this firing, or SJ is silly.
 
  • Like
Reactions: EvenSteven and K2

EvenSteven

Registered User
Sep 3, 2009
7,321
6,073
lol Spott only has a job because he failed with Toronto and Pete was willing to let him ride his coat tails. He has to be a part of this firing, or SJ is silly.

Very very true. Spott was twisting in the wind very late summer with no job in sight until PD tossed him a life preserver taking him on as an assistant in SJ.

Spott’s coaching career post Rangers has been suspect to say the least. PD will get another coaching job in the show. Spott, on the other hand, is a candidate to find himself out of the show and either coaching minor pro or back in the OHL.

I hope it isn’t here. But with us having a vacancy, I won’t stop worrying until someone else is named.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tim Wallach

Tim Wallach

Registered User
Oct 9, 2007
3,714
4,226
Kitchener, Ontario
Very very true. Spott was twisting in the wind very late summer with no job in sight until PD tossed him a life preserver taking him on as an assistant in SJ.

Spott’s coaching career post Rangers has been suspect to say the least. PD will get another coaching job in the show. Spott, on the other hand, is a candidate to find himself out of the show and either coaching minor pro or back in the OHL.

I hope it isn’t here. But with us having a vacancy, I won’t stop worrying until someone else is named.

Amen to that. Now I'm officially worried.
 
  • Like
Reactions: rangersblues

Ward Cornell

Registered User
Dec 22, 2007
6,378
2,549
I still laugh when I recall Spott talking about trading away high draft picks. He said something along the line of "we'll draft players in the 5th rounds and lower and turn them into players that should have been drafted in the first round" . The problem with that it was Deboer's philosophy but Spott was no Deboer.
I doubt very much that Spott will be back here after hearing some comments from SB about the issues of having one person being the GM and HC and I doubt Spotts ego will let him be anything less than than that.
 
Last edited:

Jives

Registered User
Jan 6, 2018
773
1,016
If MM continues to get the level of compete the Rangers are playing with then no doubt in my mind he finishes the season as HC as all good coaches will be coaching right now.

If they finish strong then maybe he is HC to start next season. This is the best hockey the Rangers have played in years. And it’s not boring hockey. Now don’t get me wrong I’m still on the sell side of things but if he can sell and keep the youngsters playing around .500 hockey (kids working hard) then I’d be all for him as HC next season.
 

EvenSteven

Registered User
Sep 3, 2009
7,321
6,073
If MM continues to get the level of compete the Rangers are playing with then no doubt in my mind he finishes the season as HC as all good coaches will be coaching right now.

If they finish strong then maybe he is HC to start next season. This is the best hockey the Rangers have played in years. And it’s not boring hockey. Now don’t get me wrong I’m still on the sell side of things but if he can sell and keep the youngsters playing around .500 hockey (kids working hard) then I’d be all for him as HC next season.

Your point “and it’s not boring hockey” is what is standing out to me. Agree 100%!

The level of physicality alone is welcomed and refreshing.
 

MatthewsMoustache

Registered User
Jul 2, 2018
2,819
2,274
food for thought, I’m not exactly sold but someone mentioned it to me today. why not retool and bid for the Memorial Cup next year?

2 potential trades that could kickstart this.

KIT
Damiani

FLI
Vierling
2nd
3rd


KIT
Meireles

LDN
Dunkley
3rd
3rd

draft an 02 or 01 import as well

go into next year like:

Pinelli-Vierling-Valade
Dunkley-import-McDonnell
Petizian-Langdon-Stepien
04-Fishman-Dickerson/Martin

Vuk-Sebrango
MacPherson-Ottavainen
Xhekaj-Motew

Ingham
?

leaves an open OA spot assuming Pfeil isn’t the backup. the 04 first round pick would have to be expendable in the eyes of MM for this to work out I’m guessing. but there’s a few more picks in the cupboard and an open OA card.

there’s also enough returning for the following year to remain good
 

GeoBlue

Registered User
Oct 21, 2017
1,587
1,526
Kitchener
One thing that everyone is overlooking in all these trade scenarios is the possibility of doing a similar deal that we did with Bracco / Stanley a few years ago. So what if we got our 2 quality wingers for "everything we have in the cupboard" and some spare warm bodies. Then next year, we can trade a Vuk, Sebrango and possibly a Damiani or Ingham for "everything back plus a little extra"?

Of course, we would have to find the right trading partner.
 

EvenSteven

Registered User
Sep 3, 2009
7,321
6,073
One thing that everyone is overlooking in all these trade scenarios is the possibility of doing a similar deal that we did with Bracco / Stanley a few years ago. So what if we got our 2 quality wingers for "everything we have in the cupboard" and some spare warm bodies. Then next year, we can trade a Vuk, Sebrango and possibly a Damiani or Ingham for "everything back plus a little extra"?

Of course, we would have to find the right trading partner.

We’d have to identify a team that would look to sell vets this year but be all in next year. That team should be Oshawa. So a two part deal would have Noel coming here for picks and then Vukojovic going back in the off-season for a return of picks.
 

Rangers True Blue

Registered User
Aug 2, 2017
1,673
1,402
I still laugh when I recall Spott talking about trading away high draft picks. He said something along the line of "we'll draft players in the 5th rounds and lower and turn them into players that should have been drafted in the first round" . The problem with that it was Deboer's philosophy but Spott was no Deboer.
I doubt very much that Spott will be back here after hearing some comments from SB about the issues of having one person being the GM and HC and I doubt Spotts ego will let him be anything less than than that.
And where DeBoer goes........Spott will follow. That's how he ended up with the Sharks. So everyone breathe!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: K2 and Ward Cornell

Rangers True Blue

Registered User
Aug 2, 2017
1,673
1,402
We’d have to identify a team that would look to sell vets this year but be all in next year. That team should be Oshawa. So a two part deal would have Noel coming here for picks and then Vukojovic going back in the off-season for a return of picks.
And we keep Sebrango. No more talk of trading him please.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JoelKRangers
Status
Not open for further replies.

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->