Kitchener Rangers 2021-22 Season Thread (Part 2)

[Tim Wallach]

So the deal most likely ends up being McDonnell for a 2nd, 3rd and 4th.

 

[SYWTom]

Yeah if Hunter doesn’t come I still like the deal. If he does, it’s a homerun. However, from OHLinsiders on twitter he says Hunters commitment to Michigan is very strong.

 

[K2]

Brown's Game Day piece has conditions listed:
- The 2nd round pick to Kitchener kicks in if the OHL plays one playoff game (presumably this season) or if McDonnell plays an OA year.
- The 3rd round pick kicks in if McDonnell plays an OA year.
- The picks sent to Barrie are conditional on Brzustewicz reporting to Kitchener.

Somehow we could end up being 'buyers' Good problem to have if this season goes pear-shaped anyways and then Brzustewicz does report. McDonnell for a 4th & 2nd would seem the most probable outcome.

Pronounciation throwdown: Brzustewicz > Xhekaj

OHLinsiders on twitter he says Hunters commitment to Michigan is very strong.

Brzustewicz (2018): “It’s been my dream school since I was little, when I first stepped onto the ice”
Recruiting: Hunter Brzustewicz commits to Michigan

 

[K2]

McTavish joining Xhekaj in the Hammer!

 

[MatthewsMoustache]

Best case scenario to start next season:

Odelius-Schmidt
J. LeBlanc-Brzustewicz
Andonovski-Motew
Hollett

Left Fegaras out because it seems far fetched at this point. Looks like a really good starting point. Odelius projected to be a top round pick, Schmidt obviously already signed by the Lightning, Brzustewicz going to be a high pick next year and still room to add an OA or 2.

 

[MatthewsMoustache]

McTavish joining Xhekaj in the Hammer!

Jeez. Gotta think that’s the 2 most physically matured players in the league. Both can skate like pros at over 200 pounds. They’re going to be fun to watch over the next few months.

 

[Tim Wallach]

For me right now, the elephant in the room is the coaching and development. You can keep throwing players at the problem but unless you teach them a cohesive system with a high compete level, you’ll always be subpar.

Kitchener doesn’t play with any pace or grit and struggles mightily with passing (both giving and receiving). They undervalue three key elements in speed, toughness and defined roles. Every player brings the same lacking dynamic.

I hate to be negative but contenders compete a lot harder and adapt to game style. KIT needs to figure it out or adding a couple promising pieces will just fizzle out yet again.

 

[K2]

For me right now, the elephant in the room is the coaching and development. ... adding a couple promising pieces will just fizzle out yet again.

And yet somehow we turned Xhekaj and Yantsis from coal into diamonds.

 

[EvenSteven]

Best case scenario to start next season:

Odelius-Schmidt
J. LeBlanc-Brzustewicz
Andonovski-Motew
Hollett

Left Fegaras out because it seems far fetched at this point. Looks like a really good starting point. Odelius projected to be a top round pick, Schmidt obviously already signed by the Lightning, Brzustewicz going to be a high pick next year and still room to add an OA or 2.

I wouldn’t be so quick to pencil in Hunter B just yet. It’s one thing to trade for his rights and have a good record on getting NCAA bound players to commit. It’s another to land him.

I’m just a little wary of his excitement to be committing to Michigan - his favourite school and hockey team since he was a child.

This could either go the way of guys like Schmidt and Vukojevic, or it could very well go the way of guys like Trouba, Fox, McAvoy or Mayfield.

Yes we’ve had success getting some guys to report, but we’ve had just as many or more not report.

And that “elephant in the room” that Tim talked about above could loom large in trying to get him to report. That, and the strength of that Michigan team going forward.

 

[Tim Wallach]

And yet somehow we turned Xhekaj and Yantsis from coal into diamonds.

You’ll always have some breakthroughs. Don’t forget Xhekaj’s biggest step forward came when he was away from the team for a year.

I stand by that assessment though. On balance, we haven’t drafted particularly well or developed players beyond the narrow strengths they arrived with. And they have undervalued some of those elements.

 

[MatthewsMoustache]

You’ll always have some breakthroughs. Don’t forget Xhekaj’s biggest step forward came when he was away from the team for a year.

I stand by that assessment though. On balance, we haven’t drafted particularly well or developed players beyond the narrow strengths they arrived with. And they have undervalued some of those elements.

Agreed. They didn’t put either of Xhekaj and Yantsis in positions to succeed at first either. Xhekaj was the 4th line left wing in his rookie year and Yantsis was in and out of the lineup until they had no choice but to play him more during his time here.

I think that’s the case for a lot of players that have come through here. Hardly ever move young guys out when they go for it and they never usually sell like they are now. Valade is one on this roster that stands out. Langdon if he were still here too. Didn’t sell very hard in 18-19 which left them in the bottom half of the lineup and then when it came time for them to compete in 19-20 they didn’t get moved out to get more ice time somewhere else.

 

[MatthewsMoustache]

For me right now, the elephant in the room is the coaching and development. You can keep throwing players at the problem but unless you teach them a cohesive system with a high compete level, you’ll always be subpar.

Kitchener doesn’t play with any pace or grit and struggles mightily with passing (both giving and receiving). They undervalue three key elements in speed, toughness and defined roles. Every player brings the same lacking dynamic.

I hate to be negative but contenders compete a lot harder and adapt to game style. KIT needs to figure it out or adding a couple promising pieces will just fizzle out yet again.

It almost seems like a culture thing. Time and time again we see players like Riley Damiani come in and they’re absolute workhorses in their 16/17 year old seasons. But when they get into their older seasons they show up when they want to, lose the heart and compete that made us fall in love with them and the cycle continues.

 

[Tim Wallach]

It almost seems like a culture thing. Time and time again we see players like Riley Damiani come in and they’re absolute workhorses in their 16/17 year old seasons. But when they get into their older seasons they show up when they want to, lose the heart and compete that made us fall in love with them and the cycle continues.

I totally agree. I have said for a while that it’s a cultural thing here now.

 

[K2]

On balance, we haven’t drafted particularly well or developed players

I'd say we're above average in drafting and given where we've been drafting recently, we have really pulled a few bunnies out of the hat that many teams have not. A 'model' team down the road have typically drafted even later and, while they may have occasional 'exclusives' fall to them, they also deal their underperforming top draftees very readily where we instead retain and hope they'll be overagers. Apart from the top 3 (+/- 2) draft prospects typically being huge outliers in talent at 14/15, picking OHL first rounders is among the biggest crapshoot gambles in sports drafts. Room to improve, sure but we're probably B+/A- most drafts.

Development today is a big question, especially after losing Karlsson and replacing him with someone comparatively uncredentialed. We've regressed for sure and maybe when money flows again we'll invest in top coaching talent. I'd credit MM for Xhekaj's development by letting Xhekaj be Xhekaj when he took over and not eating his lunch over every penalty, trying to re-tool his game, etc. Sure X went overkill at times but learned from the discipline too. I think MM set a trajectory that X matured into well and X did the work here to succeed, he didn't suddenly develop into a pro working at Costco during shutdown.

It almost seems like a culture thing.

I wouldn't use Damiani as a poor culture poster boy but sure we do 'deflate' as players and a team too often. Many in the coaching field suggest it's something of a generational trait given the prevalence elsewhere and away from hockey.

 

[JoelKRangers]

Sucks to see McDonnell go but it made sense to trade him. I heard he's playing today in Owen Sound for the Colts already. At least we got to see him set up Pinelli on a 2on1 in his last game as a Ranger (pictured below). Is Valade next to go?

 

[Jives]

Valade will be a very good OA option. I don’t see the rush to trade him. If the offer is stupid crazy high then sure. If not I’d keep him and see how next season starts.

 

[EvenSteven]

Valade will be a very good OA option. I don’t see the rush to trade him. If the offer is stupid crazy high then sure. If not I’d keep him and see how next season starts.

There are a few teams moving ‘02’s who are very good OA possibilities next year for good return. (McDonnell. Uberti. Butler to name a few)

Based on the prices for decent OA’s these days (Morgan. Guzda. Baber. Carroll. Sproule.), I’d move Valade now if it means bringing back, say the Uberti return (2nd, 3rd, 4th).

Then bank the 2nd and pick up a decent OA for next year with the 3rd and 4th.

 

[MatthewsMoustache]

I’d move Valade now. Even with the Fishman injury they have Misaljevic and Swick out of the lineup this afternoon against the Knights. Got A. LeBlanc on the 4th line too. Get the kids as much ice time as possible. Even if it doesn’t work out at least we know now and not in October of a season where we want them to go for it.

 

[Jives]

Jack Harper for a 9th. We only had 6D so this is a cheap add to fill a void.

 

[StormWatcher]

Kitchener picks up D Jack Harper from Guelph for a 9th. No report here, he was low on the depth chart.

 

[Jives]

Rangers have full line up and not holding anyone back today in case of injuries or a trade almost complete.

 

[MatthewsMoustache]

Fills the void for now. Low risk. Best case scenario he works out and snags an OA spot next year.

 

[Jives]

Valade, Serpa, Harper and Cajan are the only options for OA next year. Cajan I really like but it’s rare for a team to use an OA and import spot on a player. I would consider using it on Cajan though. We need to find 2 imports next year for Cajan to not be considered as an option. If you have no desire to bring back Cajan next season they I’d be trying to shop him to a contender needing goalie help with an import spot available or a weaker import they could flip us back.

 

[EvenSteven]

Valade, Serpa, Harper and Cajan are the only options for OA next year. Cajan I really like but it’s rare for a team to use an OA and import spot on a player. I would consider using it on Cajan though. We need to find 2 imports next year for Cajan to not be considered as an option. If you have no desire to bring back Cajan next season they I’d be trying to shop him to a contender needing goalie help with an import spot available or a weaker import they could flip us back.

I doubt we’d have any success moving Cajan at this point. I like him, but he’d have to be a lot better than he’s been to eat two slots on this team next year. Too many easy goals against.

 

[EvenSteven]

I’d move Valade now. Even with the Fishman injury they have Misaljevic and Swick out of the lineup this afternoon against the Knights. Got A. LeBlanc on the 4th line too. Get the kids as much ice time as possible. Even if it doesn’t work out at least we know now and not in October of a season where we want them to go for it.

I agree. Move him now and A LeBlanc and Rehkopf play top six minutes the rest of the way.

As Farwell and Pope pointed out pre game. There are a lot of contending teams who haven’t made moves yet who were expected to.