Kitchener Rangers 2019-20 Season Thread

[MatthewsMoustache]

 

[robertmac43]

Fits the bill for what we need so well!

 

[GeoBlue]

SPORTSNET CHL POWER RANKINGS - 10 ROOKIES TO WATCH 2019-2020 (Oct 10, 2019)

5. Francesco Pinelli, F, Kitchener Rangers: Pinelli wore the “C” and put up 114 points for the perennial powerhouse Toronto Red Wings minor midgets a year ago. He’s stepped right into Kitchener’s lineup and has been able to score goals in five of his first seven OHL games.

Here's the article:

CHL Power Rankings: 10 rookies to watch in 2019-20 - Sportsnet.ca

Second only to Shane Wright in the "O"!

 

[EvenSteven]

Fits the bill for what we need so well!

I'd take a chance on him. His being an '01 intrigues me. That means that he'd be around next year but it also means he'd be more expensive. Certainly fills a hole in the top six. But based on his production so far to this point, would he be a high end enough player to bring in? I'm looking for a high end add to the top six. Is he that guy this year?

His production was cut in half last year after the trade deadline. Likely because the acquisition of guys like McLeod and Tippett bumped him down the lineup. There is a chance a new team could invigorate him where we could see him ramp it up offensively for the second half of his OHL career.

 

[GeoBlue]

I'd take a chance on him. His being an '01 intrigues me. That means that he'd be around next year but it also means he'd be more expensive. Certainly fills a hole in the top six. But based on his production so far to this point, would he be a high end enough player to bring in? I'm looking for a high end add to the top six. Is he that guy this year?

His production was cut in half last year after the trade deadline. Likely because the acquisition of guys like McLeod and Tippett bumped him down the lineup. There is a chance a new team could invigorate him where we could see him ramp it up offensively for the second half of his OHL career.

I am a bit antsy with the "going for it" thought at this time. I know it is still VERY early in the season but this team so far has shown me that we should still have one eye on the "sell" when the trade deadline comes. The power play is just not working like it did last year........yet. And we can't seem to win on the road. I would be a bit more comfortable if Joey decided to come back to the O and we could get a decent return for his rights.

Speaking of, and just putting it out there, if you had to chose between Joey coming back or trading him, which OA would you get rid of at this stage? Discuss amongst yourselves.

 

[EvenSteven]

It's too late to sell, I believe, as far as MM is concerned. Spending assets on graduating players (Ingham and Hawel) tells me he's looking to contend. How does it make sense to sell after getting older? Not only would we selling the OA's and Damiani, we'd be selling off his acquisitions now as well. Makes the rebuild harder.

The worst thing that could happen now is we don't add between now and the deadline - or in other words, we stand pat. If he comes away from the deadline without adding to this roster, blaming high prices or whatever, he'll look like an idiot in my opinion.

Pissing away assets without going all the way would get us nowhere this year and because of a depleted cupboard, nowhere going forward.

Today, I have a hard time seeing this team going past the second round. Sure it's early, but the other two preseason favourites in the conference are as good or better than us now with much more in the way of assets with which to use at the deadline.

 

[EvenSteven]

Tough to say on a returning Garreffa. Meireles and Yantsis go nowhere. So we will be down to Hawel and Garreffa.

On the surface, Hawel would be my choice to stay. However, if our power-play doesn't get up to snuff like it was last year, there will be no denying that Garreffa might be a very good ad for that reason.

At the end of the day, we might have to look at which of the two brings us the most in trade.

 

[GeoBlue]

It's too late to sell, I believe, as far as MM is concerned. Spending assets on graduating players (Ingham and Hawel) tells me he's looking to contend. How does it make sense to sell after getting older? Not only would we selling the OA's and Damiani, we'd be selling off his acquisitions now as well. Makes the rebuild harder.

I think we can still be sellers. We needed a goalie either way, not just for stopping the pucks, but helping the D have more confidence as they ply their trade. Whether we sold or not, I always like the Ingham trade with the thinking that Wu comes in late this year or next as the backup. The thinking is that Ingham will have an OA year.

We can still sell off our OA's and Damiani if need be. That would certainly restock our cupboard especially if Joey returns. I am not sure if there are any restrictions trading Hawel again. I posed that question and no one really had an answer. But if he can be traded, it is reasonable that we should at least get back what we paid for him. More if he really produces between now and the deadline.

Bottom line is that I think it is still wait and see. And I would not be making any bold acquisitions at this point until the team proves it is going to be a true contender. That means winning on the road, ironing out the slow starts, get the D helping out Ingham, get some sort of PP working, and just gelling a bit more and looking like a team.

 

[ohloutsider]

I think we can still be sellers. We needed a goalie either way, not just for stopping the pucks, but helping the D have more confidence as they ply their trade. Whether we sold or not, I always like the Ingham trade with the thinking that Wu comes in late this year or next as the backup. The thinking is that Ingham will have an OA year.

We can still sell off our OA's and Damiani if need be. That would certainly restock our cupboard especially if Joey returns. I am not sure if there are any restrictions trading Hawel again. I posed that question and no one really had an answer. But if he can be traded, it is reasonable that we should at least get back what we paid for him. More if he really produces between now and the deadline.

Bottom line is that I think it is still wait and see. And I would not be making any bold acquisitions at this point until the team proves it is going to be a true contender. That means winning on the road, ironing out the slow starts, get the D helping out Ingham, get some sort of PP working, and just gelling a bit more and looking like a team.

Players can be traded more than once in a year but can't be traded back to the same team for 13 months.

 

[EvenSteven]

Players can be traded more than once in a year but can't be traded back to the same team for 13 months.

Further, if a player is traded away from a team, he can't return to that team in any way (ie a three way deal) for 13 months.

The only way a player can return to a team after being traded away inside of 13 months is if he clears waivers. That happened a few years ago in Oshawa. Tyler Taylor I believe.

 

[Billyjack]

I am a bit antsy with the "going for it" thought at this time. I know it is still VERY early in the season but this team so far has shown me that we should still have one eye on the "sell" when the trade deadline comes. The power play is just not working like it did last year........yet. And we can't seem to win on the road. I would be a bit more comfortable if Joey decided to come back to the O and we could get a decent return for his rights.

Speaking of, and just putting it out there, if you had to chose between Joey coming back or trading him, which OA would you get rid of at this stage? Discuss amongst yourselves.

Get rid of Gareffa

 

[EvenSteven]

I think we can still be sellers. We needed a goalie either way, not just for stopping the pucks, but helping the D have more confidence as they ply their trade. Whether we sold or not, I always like the Ingham trade with the thinking that Wu comes in late this year or next as the backup. The thinking is that Ingham will have an OA year.

We can still sell off our OA's and Damiani if need be. That would certainly restock our cupboard especially if Joey returns. I am not sure if there are any restrictions trading Hawel again. I posed that question and no one really had an answer. But if he can be traded, it is reasonable that we should at least get back what we paid for him. More if he really produces between now and the deadline.

Bottom line is that I think it is still wait and see. And I would not be making any bold acquisitions at this point until the team proves it is going to be a true contender. That means winning on the road, ironing out the slow starts, get the D helping out Ingham, get some sort of PP working, and just gelling a bit more and looking like a team.

To truly sell today, we'd be looking to get fair return on all graduating players. Today, we have six graduating assets. Meireles. Yantsis. Damiani. Hawel. Ingham. Garreffa. I know MM has been good, but to move them all and get fair value would be a stretch.

Ingham may or may not return for an OA season. But time will tell. Joey was coming back too. Owen Sound fully expected McNiven to return. He chose not to. Anything can happen between now and next fall.

Yes we needed goaltending. Richardson wasn't going to get it done. He had lots of opportunity here and it wasn't working out. But spending assets on Ingham, in what could turn out to be a sell year, would rank right up there with the Paterson acquisition.

Also, adding Ingham may have given pause to guys like Wu and/or Hasley in reporting. How many games do you think either of those players would've thought they would play here playing behind a veteran NHL drafted goalie who played 57 games last year? And who may return next year as an overager?

No surprise they didn't report.

 

[Billyjack]

Tough to say on a returning Garreffa. Meireles and Yantsis go nowhere. So we will be down to Hawel and Garreffa.

On the surface, Hawel would be my choice to stay. However, if our power-play doesn't get up to snuff like it was last year, there will be no denying that Garreffa might be a very good ad for that reason.

At the end of the day, we might have to look at which of the two brings us the most in trade.

Gareffa should go, he screwed the team over by saying he would return and didn't, wouldn't be fair to Hawel

 

[EvenSteven]

Gareffa should go, he screwed the team over by saying he would return and didn't, wouldn't be fair to Hawel

You make a good point.

 

[Ward Cornell]

A player can be traded on a whim and without warning but a player after 4 yrs and not missing a game isn't allowed to follow his lifelong dream?

 

[MatthewsMoustache]

Garreffa has got to be the one to go. Hawel is just settling in (quite well for that matter). Joey G’s pro ambitions put us in this place and now it’s backfiring at him

 

[MatthewsMoustache]

A player can be traded on a whim and without warning but a player after 4 yrs and not missing a game isn't allowed to follow his lifelong dream?

7 other Rangers also went to do the same thing, they still reported to camp

 

[MatthewsMoustache]

Josh Brown has Reid Valade listed in. no Meireles?

 

[EvenSteven]

A player can be traded on a whim and without warning but a player after 4 yrs and not missing a game isn't allowed to follow his lifelong dream?

You also make a good point!

 

[GeoBlue]

Players can be traded more than once in a year but can't be traded back to the same team for 13 months.

Thank you, OHL!

 

[GeoBlue]

A player can be traded on a whim and without warning but a player after 4 yrs and not missing a game isn't allowed to follow his lifelong dream?

I don't think anyone wanted to stop Joey from pursuing his dream. I think it is just the way he went about it that has people fired up. He could of just said, "Let me try this and that and if things don't work out by this day, I will come back". Yes, apparently he stated that he would come back last year but we are all allowed to change our mind. The thing is, knowing what I know about Joey and his personality, I would say it was more of someone giving him some bad advice (agent?) more than Joey's personal decision.

 

[GeoBlue]

Josh Brown has Reid Valade listed in. no Meireles?

?????????? Don't recall him getting injured in the last game?

 

[MatthewsMoustache]

?????????? Don't recall him getting injured in the last game?

Farwell and Kitchener Rangers have Langdon, Valade and Motew out. Josh Brown had the pre Greg Meireles return lineup on copy and paste I guess

 

[Coaches Coroner]

Despite not hitting the scoresheet, I think that is the best game I've seen Pinelli play all season. He put himself in postion for 3-4 very good scoring chances, and set players up for another 2-3. He created a lot of turnovers with a very active stick on the forecheck. Seemed to be in good position to intercept opposing team passes.

That off-setting tripping penalty call on Stepien was impressively bad. The player falls after they've had possesion, which would mean there cannot be a penalty as the play was already dead...and that's IF Stepien were to have tripped him; they showed the replay on tv and Stepiens stick never touches the player, who falls after they've skated out of reach of Stepien or his stick.

 

[ohloutsider]

Despite not hitting the scoresheet, I think that is the best game I've seen Pinelli play all season. He put himself in postion for 3-4 very good scoring chances, and set players up for another 2-3. He created a lot of turnovers with a very active stick on the forecheck. Seemed to be in good position to intercept opposing team passes.

That off-setting tripping penalty call on Stepien was impressively bad. The player falls after they've had possesion, which would mean there cannot be a penalty as the play was already dead...and that's IF Stepien were to have tripped him; they showed the replay on tv and Stepiens stick never touches the player, who falls after they've skated out of reach of Stepien or his stick.

The call on Stepien was for diving not tripping.