Kitchener Rangers 2021-22 Season Thread
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Is this the first season the Rangers have gone undefeated?
Rangers True Blue
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Josh Brown's article says Arber Xhekaj and 4 others are interested in attending the showcase in Erie set up by the other OHL players. Seems like a low number, but I'm assuming that McDonnell and Sebrango won't be going given that it is a draft exposure event. Pinelli will also just be coming off his second 2-week quarantine in a matter of a couple months (Slovenia and U18s) so I can't imagine he would want to do it a third time for a short trip to Erie when he's already pegged to be a 1st/2nd round pick. So I'd say probably Valade, Petizian, Fishman, Motew are all players that would be strong candidates to attend.
Langdon might also be a good candidate to go as well. High pick plagued with injuries. Has had time to heal. Out to prove himself?
Another good option. Hope they are all able to get in. Sounds like they’re opening it up to other leagues across Canada and the US (maybe Europe as well) but with an 8 team tournament and COVID there’s only so many players they could have there.
17th overall. Same spot both Reid Valade and Andrew LeBlanc were selected.
rangersblues
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And no 2nd round pick. Can't afford to miss any this draft.
Ward Cornell
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Not sure if it really matters all that much since this draft is a total crap shoot....may win and may lose bigtime on the talent!
But yes, I rather be picking higher but.............................
rangersblues
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I'll have to respectfully disagree. I think the top picks are usually established and little changes at the top year to year. It's in the range where we're picking that it becomes a crap shoot.
Ward Cornell
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I think we just said the same....I did say "I rather pick higher" which you said the top picks are "usually" established and then the crap shoot where we are picking. IMHO!
rangersblues
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Rangers first 5 rounds. Yikes. Hope I missed something.
1st - 17th
2nd - No pick
3rd - 51 (Ottawa)
4th - 62
5th - 99 (last pick of 5th Barrie)
1st - 17th
2nd - No pick
3rd - 51 (Ottawa)
4th - 62
5th - 99 (last pick of 5th Barrie)
Rangers True Blue
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This is such a crazy draft coming up that anything's possible. Could be that a player the Rangers are high on will also be high on the Rangers. It's happened the past two drafts (and likely more). Best player available?
I'm pretty sure that's right. On the bright side, they are returning 8 forwards from 19-20 as well as LeBlanc, Martin, Swick, Sop being added. Both goalie spots are filled. They have Sebrango, Xhekaj, Motew and LeBlanc on D so there are still some spots to fill there but they also have Fegaras who was their 4th round pick last year so I'm assuming he will be the 5th.
Based on all of that, my hope for the draft is that they use #17 to draft a 6th D man, #51 to select another forward. Then if they can, use the import draft to add another D. That would leave them with 13 forwards and 7 d. Lineup would start off like:
Sop-Pinelli-McDonnell
Valade-Petizian-Fishman
Langdon-LeBlanc-Serpa
Martin-3rd round pick-Dickerson
Swick
Sebrango-*Import*
Xhekaj-Motew
1st round pick-LeBlanc
Fegaras
If they want to compete, they need more. On forward, they will need to replace Dickerson with an OA F who can play in the top 6 with either Pinelli/McDonnell or Petizian/Valade. They could probably use some more of a veteran presence on the back end as well, maybe a trade like the Holden Wale one. And then they probably still need a big splash at the deadline, which would probably come at the cost of their 1st round pick given that they have no draft picks.
Rangers get pick 9 in the import draft, very good opportunity to add a high end talent
You didn't miss a thing. The original strategy was to get a boatload of 2nd rounders for Vuk.
EvenSteven
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Rangers True Blue
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EvenSteven
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I think with our empty cupboard, we use this as a development year with an aim on maybe going on a run in 22-23.
Spend the year trying to acquire picks to use as currency to use at that year’s trade deadline. Heavily recruiting anyone of value that hasn’t reported yet could go a long way in producing for us extra currency. Getting two or three guys to report would allow us to move assets for picks.
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Agreed. Had there been a season and an opportunity to recoup the assets given up for Ingham, Hawel, Noel, Wale, it's a different story. They don't have a strong enough top 6 forwards after Valade, Pinelli, Petizian, McDonnell. With Ville supposedly leaving as well, that leaves Sebrango, Xhekaj, Motew and LeBlanc. So with all that they're probably 2 forwards and 2 defence away from being a legitimate contender.
I hope if they are going to retool, they sell hard. Sebrango, McDonnell, Petizian and Xhekaj are all gone after 21-22. They don't have to move them all, but they could get a ton for Sebrango and probably McDonnell depending on how his first half goes. Petizian and Xhekaj have never really had the opportunity to be the top guys on a team, so unless they are adamant on going to a winner, I wouldn't be upset if they kept them and allowed them to be first line/top d pairing players which they likely wouldn't be on a team going all in.
K2
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Agreed, though whenever the next season commences there will quite possibly be more unknowns & surprises than we've seen in some prior decades.
Possibly, but he would likely need to help our chances by making it known that we're his exclusive OHL report ... if he actually does want to play here.
If there's going to be fans in the stands in 2022, making the playoffs could well be a fiscal essential. Successful as we've been the last 20 years, we're a not-for-profit with a small 'business continuance' reserve that has only been depleting the last 14 months.
That's another part of why I suggested not trading Petizian or Xhekaj. They will make the playoffs either way, but being able to put up a fight and getting some extra home playoff games would be nice. But I think they need to move at least Sebrango, possibly McDonnell as well. They can't try to make something out of nothing to recover the losses of the past 14 months. If they want to continue to get home playoff game revenue past the 1st round in future years, they need to know when to sell. And since they couldn't trade Vukojevic this year, now is the time.
They simply just don't have the assets to go far in the playoffs. The team isn't strong enough on paper to be a front runner in the west. They have no 2nd round picks until 2024 and only 1 3rd in each of those years leading up to 2024, so the only way they could make it work is by trading their young players. That would mean they would have to have a full on rebuild where they likely miss the playoffs in future years, rather than the "retool" seasons we are used to seeing where they make the playoffs and get a round in at least
Let's not forget that a lot of other teams are in the same unknown territory. After no hockey for a year and a half, it is almost a blank slate. I say the best strategy is to throw out the best lineup you have and see where you are at the trade deadline. We could end up being sellers, sure, but the rookies may also surprise and we might run away with it. I've seen it happen in the 80's.
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