Kitchener Rangers 2022 Off-season Thread

[EvenSteven]

doubt Hamara or Mesar sign until after NHL training camp.
Maybe a Longacre signing (still doesn't have a place listed to play, despite being one of the last NTDP cuts, and no college commitments for the future) but I'm not getting my hopes up for Hage at this point. MM has to decide if he's going to gamble that Hage doesn't get the ice he wants on a stacked Chicago Steel team and/or is a 16 year old kid who realizes Chicago is very far away from Toronto/family/home; or if he's going to take the safe money, declare him defective or trade him and get the compensatory pick around 10th overall next year .

Makes a ton of sense.

But no doubt if Hage doesn’t come and we have to take the comp pick next year without multiple 2nds and 3rds via trading his rights, IMO, drafting him will be an epic fail for the organization.

The last thing I want to do is look at the players taken shortly after Hage and wonder “what if”.

 

[Coaches Coroner]

Makes a ton of sense.

But no doubt if Hage doesn’t come and we have to take the comp pick next year without multiple 2nds and 3rds via trading his rights, IMO, drafting him will be an epic fail for the organization.

The last thing I want to do is look at the players taken shortly after Hage and wonder “what if”.

I guess I don't have that apprehension. I would prefer getting some 2nds and 3rds, but seeing as this year or next are the "window" with our current top players, delaying our 1st from last year to next year and starting a rebuild with 2 1sts is very appealing; more appealing with the extra's but it would be more of a C+ than an F for me.

My hope for this year is MM makes the kind of tough call he made last season; we're either in or we're out, we're adding or we're selling. Last year he sold and I was quite happy with the returns, and we had a nice playoff run despite selling off (the desire for having a competitive playoff was the rationalization for a lot of stand pat years). If we get to the deadline and we're just not performing the way we should, even selling a couple bigger pieces would go a long way for our next cycle.

 

[Gondrex]

doubt Hamara or Mesar sign until after NHL training camp.
Maybe a Longacre signing (still doesn't have a place listed to play, despite being one of the last NTDP cuts, and no college commitments for the future) but I'm not getting my hopes up for Hage at this point. MM has to decide if he's going to gamble that Hage doesn't get the ice he wants on a stacked Chicago Steel team and/or is a 16 year old kid who realizes Chicago is very far away from Toronto/family/home; or if he's going to take the safe money, declare him defective or trade him and get the compensatory pick around 10th overall next year .

That is exactly how I currently see things.

On Hage and ice time, would he get more in Chicago, or Kitchener? I can't say that I'm familiar with Chicago's line-up, and as mentioned above, the Rangers won't know about Mesar until likely mid-to-late September. Not having a Mesar in the line-up would likely bump Hage up in the line-up (i.e. more ice time), not ? Regardless, of course Hage needs to make up his mind soon without knowing the decision on Mesar.

 

[EvenSteven]

That is exactly how I currently see things.

On Hage and ice time, would he get more in Chicago, or Kitchener? I can't say that I'm familiar with Chicago's line-up, and as mentioned above, the Rangers won't know about Mesar until likely mid-to-late September. Not having a Mesar in the line-up would likely bump Hage up in the line-up (i.e. more ice time), not ? Regardless, of course Hage needs to make up his mind soon without knowing the decision on Mesar.

Hage would see the same ice time that Rehkopf and Pinelli saw. Pretty decent for a 16 year old. He’d see PP time and play up the lineup at times as they did.

 

[EvenSteven]

I guess I don't have that apprehension. I would prefer getting some 2nds and 3rds, but seeing as this year or next are the "window" with our current top players, delaying our 1st from last year to next year and starting a rebuild with 2 1sts is very appealing; more appealing with the extra's but it would be more of a C+ than an F for me.

My hope for this year is MM makes the kind of tough call he made last season; we're either in or we're out, we're adding or we're selling. Last year he sold and I was quite happy with the returns, and we had a nice playoff run despite selling off (the desire for having a competitive playoff was the rationalization for a lot of stand pat years). If we get to the deadline and we're just not performing the way we should, even selling a couple bigger pieces would go a long way for our next cycle.

My thing with the possibility of walking away from Hage and all we get is the comp pick is that I’m betting that the player we draft at 10th next year likely wouldn’t be the calibre that Hage is. (Unless MM cooks a deal and gets a much higher ranked player at 10 next draft).

Part of my thinking that Hage may come is that I don’t believe MM would, for lack of a better term, waste a 1st on a player who he has no idea if he’d report or not.

He had that chance a couple years ago and passed on Fantilli. He instead went with the safe pick.

I’m thinking (hoping) he has a good feeling that he’d get him to report.

But the clock is ticking.

 

[Gondrex]

I guess I don't have that apprehension. I would prefer getting some 2nds and 3rds, but seeing as this year or next are the "window" with our current top players, delaying our 1st from last year to next year and starting a rebuild with 2 1sts is very appealing; more appealing with the extra's but it would be more of a C+ than an F for me.

My hope for this year is MM makes the kind of tough call he made last season; we're either in or we're out, we're adding or we're selling. Last year he sold and I was quite happy with the returns, and we had a nice playoff run despite selling off (the desire for having a competitive playoff was the rationalization for a lot of stand pat years). If we get to the deadline and we're just not performing the way we should, even selling a couple bigger pieces would go a long way for our next cycle.

I'm still curious on how the depth and quality of the 2023 draft compares to this past year. If one were to assume a deeper draft next year, along with the fact that there are a lot of returning players this year, perhaps that may have also been something that was considered when they selected Hage......if they were to get that extra 1st rounder because Hage did not come.

 

[Coaches Coroner]

My thing with the possibility of walking away from Hage and all we get is the comp pick is that I’m betting that the player we draft at 10th next year likely wouldn’t be the calibre that Hage is.

Yes, and if Hage were committed to the OHL he would have been a top 3 pick, which is why the risk was taken where we picked. You either get a player better than what you'd normally get at 10, or you get a player at 10 the following year. The guy you get at 10 next year just has to be as good as the guys you could have taken at 9 instead of Hage, not as good as Hage.

That is exactly how I currently see things.

On Hage and ice time, would he get more in Chicago, or Kitchener? I can't say that I'm familiar with Chicago's line-up, and as mentioned above, the Rangers won't know about Mesar until likely mid-to-late September. Not having a Mesar in the line-up would likely bump Hage up in the line-up (i.e. more ice time), not ? Regardless, of course Hage needs to make up his mind soon without knowing the decision on Mesar.

Chicago is the perenial powerhouse of the USHL. They have little problem recruiting high end talent and are returning quite a few players from a dominant team last season iirc., including several drafted players.

 

[EvenSteven]

Yes, and if Hage were committed to the OHL he would have been a top 3 pick, which is why the risk was taken where we picked. You either get a player better than what you'd normally get at 10, or you get a player at 10 the following year. The guy you get at 10 next year just has to be as good as the guys you could have taken at 9 instead of Hage, not as good as Hage.

Sure, but based on where we selected Rehkopf last year vs where he was ranked, and having him report, probably gave us reasonable expectation that it was a decent bet that Hage would report as well.

Even though, as Rehkopf the year before, he was ranked higher than where we selected him.

 

[OHL4Life]

My thing with the possibility of walking away from Hage and all we get is the comp pick is that I’m betting that the player we draft at 10th next year likely wouldn’t be the calibre that Hage is. (Unless MM cooks a deal and gets a much higher ranked player at 10 next draft).

Part of my thinking that Hage may come is that I don’t believe MM would, for lack of a better term, waste a 1st on a player who he has no idea if he’d report or not.

He had that chance a couple years ago and passed on Fantilli. He instead went with the safe pick.

I’m thinking (hoping) he has a good feeling that he’d get him to report.

But the clock is ticking.

i would bet on hage in kitchener next year, he told teams that was his plan, he wanted to avoid the top 4/5 teams in the draft

 

[Rangers True Blue]

i would bet on hage in kitchener next year, he told teams that was his plan, he wanted to avoid the top 4/5 teams in the draft

And the timing of his signing with Chicago Steel, I thought it was odd that he signed so close to the OHL draft. But that signing would hold off teams from taking a "chance" on him. Then, MM picked him up and yes, Hage showed up for camp. In my mind (such as it is), this showed that Hage was not 100% thinking USHL.

Now, it's a matter of seeing who else will show up for the Rangers this season and how Hage fits into that. With Rangers and Steel's camps on the horizon, I would think something would happen very soon with Hage.

 

[OHL4Life]

And the timing of his signing with Chicago Steel, I thought it was odd that he signed so close to the OHL draft. But that signing would hold off teams from taking a "chance" on him. Then, MM picked him up and yes, Hage showed up for camp. In my mind (such as it is), this showed that Hage was not 100% thinking USHL.

Now, it's a matter of seeing who else will show up for the Rangers this season and how Hage fits into that. With Rangers and Steel's camps on the horizon, I would think something would happen very soon with Hage.

i get the vibe that hage will fulfil his commitment to the steel this year and then be in kitchener the following year. hage is represented by caa, caa is the reason why the steel are so successful, all their top ncaa kids head to chicago. i dont think caa or chicago wants to ruin that relationship.

 

[EvenSteven]

i get the vibe that hage will fulfil his commitment to the steel this year and then be in kitchener the following year. hage is represented by caa, caa is the reason why the steel are so successful, all their top ncaa kids head to chicago. i dont think caa or chicago wants to ruin that relationship.

If that is the case, can the Rangers risk that he’ll come after one year in Chicago? They wait and then he possibly doesn’t report at all?

Unless he does what Meireles did here as a 16 year old, how can we risk losing the comp pick that we’d get if we walk away from him in the September window?

 

[OHL4Life]

If that is the case, can the Rangers risk that he’ll come after one year in Chicago? They wait and then he possibly doesn’t report at all?

Unless he does what Meireles did here as a 16 year old, how can we risk losing the comp pick that we’d get if we walk away from him in the September window?

all you can do is deal with what you have been told and if you feel the group is legit, most agents wont outright lie, they dont want to burn a bridge. hage said he would prefer to be in the ohl at 17, so you act based on that. in situations like this there is no gaurintees, just as there probably was no guarantee with rehkoff the previous year.

 

[Devin]

OHL beauty contest winner: Francesco Pinelli

 

[Gondrex]

Training camp dates are finally up on the Ranger site. No rosters yet.

 

[K2]

Training camp dates are finally up on the Ranger site. No rosters yet.

Tuesday, August 30th:
6pm – Practice / On-Ice Testing – Team Blue
7pm – Practice / On-Ice Testing – Team White
Wednesday, August 31st:
10am – GAME – Team Blue vs. Team White
7pm – GAME – Team Blue vs. Team White
Thursday, September 1st:
10am – GAME – Team Blue vs. Team White

Kitchener Rangers

kitchenerrangers.com

 

[TheAud]

Training camp dates are finally up on the Ranger site. No rosters yet.

Noticed only Kitchener, London and Windsor have announced their training camp dates. None of the three have announced their rosters. Do you think Hamara will be at our camp?

 

[Jives]

I don’t think so. He will go to NHL camp and then they will decide where he goes after camp….imo Kitchener.

 

[EvenSteven]

Noticed only Kitchener, London and Windsor have announced their training camp dates. None of the three have announced their rosters. Do you think Hamara will be at our camp?

Too much uncertainty in Kitchener. As far as I can recall, only one 2022 draftee signed (Bottineau). Neither import committed yet.

Multiple teams with preseason rosters announced on the OHL website and nothing yet from the Rangers. Multiple “Future Watch” videos from multiple teams on the OHL website but with no new signings outside of Bottineau and Brzustewicz, nothing to report.

 

[rangersblues]

Too much uncertainty in Kitchener. As far as I can recall, only one 2022 draftee signed (Bottineau). Neither import committed yet.

Multiple teams with preseason rosters announced on the OHL website and nothing yet from the Rangers. Multiple “Future Watch” videos from multiple teams on the OHL website but with no new signings outside of Bottineau and Brzustewicz, nothing to report.

Hoping they're holding off making announcements and waiting until closer to camp for free publicity.

 

[Coaches Coroner]

The imports are going to NHL camps, seems obvious that they wouldn't be signing yet. Hamara won't stick, Mesar likely won't, but of course kids who've just been drafted are going to want to do all they can to earn a pro-spot, start making a living.
The draft picks are a concern, but if we trade or simply declare Hage defective when that window opens up, that would clear up that issue for me.

 

[Gondrex]

The imports are going to NHL camps, seems obvious that they wouldn't be signing yet. Hamara won't stick, Mesar likely won't, but of course kids who've just been drafted are going to want to do all they can to earn a pro-spot, start making a living.
The draft picks are a concern, but if we trade or simply declare Hage defective when that window opens up, that would clear up that issue for me.

Once again I agree with your logic CC. I personally think there is a good chance we eventually see Hamara. Mesar is a longshot to make the Canadiens, although I admit I'm a bit less certain on whether or not we see him here. Hoping it eventually happens.

If you're going to see Hage here at all, his signing would likely be one that would / could be announced in the near term. It would come as a pleasant surprise for me personally, as I and I'm sure others really don't know what to expect at this point.

No idea what will happen with Longacre. Hoping to at least see these two listed on the rosters for training camp.

 

[K2]

If you're going to see Hage here at all, his signing would likely be one that would / could be announced in the near term.

If he throws out the first pitch at the Panther game tomorrow, we're golden

 

[Kristina Hazzard]

here is how i see it going down

LW	C	RW	LD	RD	G
Valade	Pinelli	Serpa	Schmidt	Brzustewicz	Parsons
Martin	Rehkopf	Sop	Motew	LeBlanc	Vandenberg
Misaljevic	Mercer	Fishman	Andonovski	Harper	DiFelice
Swick	LeBlanc	Zidlicky		Hollett
Pugliese	Macchione	Bottineau

 

[Gondrex]

here is how i see it going down

LW	C	RW	LD	RD	G
Valade	Pinelli	Serpa	Schmidt	Brzustewicz	Parsons
Martin	Rehkopf	Sop	Motew	LeBlanc	Vandenberg
Misaljevic	Mercer	Fishman	Andonovski	Harper	DiFelice
Swick	LeBlanc	Zidlicky		Hollett
Pugliese	Macchione	Bottineau

Assuming you have the columns listed in order of depth I would moreless agree.
Looking forward to seeing how 03's Sop and Fishman do offensively, and whether or not either deserves a top-6 position in the line-up on an assumed contender. This is where a Mesar signing would greatly improve things. I think it has even been questioned previously whether or not Rehkopf as an '05 would be considered a top-6 if the Rangers have serious ambitions.....something likely more to be evaluated at the trade deadline though.

So I'm interested in what kind of years Sop and Fishman both have as 03's. Also likely too many 04's up front - again, especially even more so if Mesar eventually drops in. I really don't think you can have 04's playing 4th line duty. Mind you, what if 05's Mercer and Zidlicky both end up producing more? Interesting situation. I do like Swick's (04) size. To me, it would be hard to part with that.

On the backend, if we were to add Hamara, it will create an interesting situation.

Just my 2 cents.