Kitchener Rangers 2023-24 Off-Season Thread (Part 1)

[Krangers08]

Rehkopf did not seem to have a " playoff gear" . I'm not sure that would be a player a GM would want in a go year at the deadline. Still an excellent player but needs to find the 2nd gear somehow when needed.

Could say that about all the top trade candidates next year. Pinelli, Romani,Barlow and Rehkopf

 

[bobber]

There were two different Rehkopf's in the regular season too. Pre WJC and post WJC. I don't think it was anything he did differently, which is part of the problem I guess. As it was becoming more apparent he was putting the puck in the net at an astronomical rate, the opposition focused on him and the checking got tighter. It carried over to the playoffs. I'm sure he'll learn to fight through it next season. Unfortunately (but hopefully) for another team..

Sop and Razor are not sandpaper types. If you poked Pinelli around the net you might have got a glove on the beak. These two seem to skate away and look at the ref. I like both players but to move on to a higher level they both need more grit in their game. They really aren't built that way. Not all players are. It's something scouts have to look for in players.

 

[rangersblues]

Sop and Razor are not sandpaper types. If you poked Pinelli around the net you might have got a glove on the beak. These two seem to skate away and look at the ref. I like both players but to move on to a higher level they both need more grit in their game. They really aren't built that way. Not all players are. It's something scouts have to look for in players.

There's also an art to playing with sandpaper. Not being so obvious that you're taking bad penalties constantly. I thought when a lot of our guys tried to play with more grit, it was obvious they were over the line.

 

[bobber]

Brandon Mashinter types required for the future. If an opposing player slashed or face washed him after a whistle he gave them a punch in the beak quick. Players like him give line mates room to manouver. Assistant coach Jacksonville Icemen ECHL I believe now.
Score the only Ranger goal in that Mem Cup game lost at the Aud

 

[EvenSteven]

Sop and Razor are not sandpaper types. If you poked Pinelli around the net you might have got a glove on the beak. These two seem to skate away and look at the ref. I like both players but to move on to a higher level they both need more grit in their game. They really aren't built that way. Not all players are. It's something scouts have to look for in players.

I contend if you put Rehkopf with a couple of skilled but gritty players, he’d thrive offensively. He and Sop together was a bad look. But then, we only had one healthy top six F with jam (Swick), and at times he was indifferent in the sandpaper department.

 

[ohloutsider]

Could say that about all the top trade candidates next year. Pinelli, Romani,Barlow and Rehkopf

You can for sure with Barlow but both Romani and Pinelli seem to have some grit in their game. All are good players, just what GM's will see I guess.

 

[bobber]

I contend if you put Rehkopf with a couple of skilled but gritty players, he’d thrive offensively. He and Sop together was a bad look. But then, we only had one healthy top six F with jam (Swick), and at times he was indifferent in the sandpaper department.

Swick seemed to play more physical recently. Guess someone put a bird in his ear.

 

[EvenSteven]

Brandon Mashinter types required for the future. If an opposing player slashed or face washed him after a whistle he gave them a punch in the beak quick. Players like him give line mates room to manouver. Assistant coach Jacksonville Icemen ECHL I believe now.
Score the only Ranger goal in that Mem Cup game lost at the Aud

Is LaBrash a player? He has the size. On one hand, if he’s a player, you’d have to ask why he wasn’t scooped up in this draft earlier than he was. Then on the other hand, Jacob Julien went 41st overall in the U18 draft.

 

[rangersblues]

Is LaBrash a player? He has the size. On one hand, if he’s a player, you’d have to ask why he wasn’t scooped up in this draft earlier than he was. Then on the other hand, Jacob Julien went 41st overall in the U18 draft.

Some minor hockey organizations don't do a very good job of showcasing their players to scouts at the next level. And some kids just blossom a year or two later.

 

[nelli27]

Duco, Keefe, to name a few. Those types of players needed.

 

[EvenSteven]

.

 

[Tim Wallach]

Historically, Kitchener hasn't really given much of a shot to their U18 drafts. After discarding him, I think it was Betts who went on to a pretty solid run. Kitchener appears to lock in on their guys (higher picks) and ignore most others. Would be nice to see them open up their minds to some other options. London sure does.

 

[Ranger77]

And the coach.

Just curious? Does Hunter do pre and post-game radio hits with the London crew?

 

[EvenSteven]

Just curious? Does Hunter do pre and post-game radio hits with the London crew?

Not sure on game day. But he does do hits on their podcast.

 

[Knights Watcher]

Just curious? Does Hunter do pre and post-game radio hits with the London crew?

Nope, If anything it's their Assistant GM Rob Simpson or maybe their asst coaches. Seldom does he ever do pre or post gamers with the local crew

 

[Coaches Coroner]

Duco, Keefe, to name a few. Those types of players needed.

Duco is a great reminder that size isn't the only, or perhaps even main, attribute to look for grit/toughness in this league.

 

[rve24]

A real up n down year for you fans.
Hoping for a 7/8 spot n a sell off pre season...
Hot start n among league leaders til WJC...Hope
Shuffling out D n OAs, keeping the injured OA, adding Sale......
Some interesting moves along the way up n until trade deadline.
The hot streak leads to a tough 2nd half. 1st rd W in a tough series vs Erie than the LK matchup against the evil empire.
Just an odd up n down season from the outside but the decisions and direction suggested on here early year n thru the deadline probly woulda worked out better than the actual moves but it's great to live in hindsight. And the thoughts were definitely the majority.
Good looking young group of players already in town, n if this draft is half as good as last this team is back in the hunt in 2 years.
And what seems like a solid coach.

 

[rangersblues]

A real up n down year for you fans.
Hoping for a 7/8 spot n a sell off pre season...
Hot start n among league leaders til WJC...Hope
Shuffling out D n OAs, keeping the injured OA, adding Sale......
Some interesting moves along the way up n until trade deadline.
The hot streak leads to a tough 2nd half. 1st rd W in a tough series vs Erie than the LK matchup against the evil empire.
Just an odd up n down season from the outside but the decisions and direction suggested on here early year n thru the deadline probly woulda worked out better than the actual moves but it's great to live in hindsight. And the thoughts were definitely the majority.
Got looking young group of players already in town, n if this draft is half as good as last this team is back in the hunt in 2 years.
And what seems like a solid coach.

Solid analysis from the outside.

 

[rve24]

Solid analysis from the outside.

A more solid analysis preseason by the Ranger faithful and many stuck with it or leaned slightly towards soft sell, even after great start.....says alot about the fans knowledge of the O and what your team needs.
That's it, you all gotta start a campaign where posters from HF take on the GM role in collaboration for the community owned team. Gotta be an odd # for votes so go with 5,7,9,11 posters. Let's go full community involvement. (But keep the draft decision makers from last year on payroll)

 

[robertmac43]

Man I wish we were playing a game 5 tonight

 

[Squirrel88]

I'm a little surprised by how negative the board is about this year. To me, this was a fun year where the team, and many individual players, exceeded expectations. I thought they would struggle to get 200 goals and they ended up with 290 - 5th in the league (I think). It was a fun group and easy to root for. I went home after most games feeling like I got my entertainment value out of my tickets. Given the expectations going into the season, any success in the playoffs was gravy.

MM hedged his bets all year. Every deal he made (except one) had a future piece to it. Rookies played up to expectations (Stark, MacNeil, Arquette) or exceeded them (Romano, Reid, Lam, Ellinas). Diracollo and Campbell were nice pickups at no or low cost that might turn into contributors.

At the trade deadline last year, MM said that there would be a 2 year rebuild coming. To a certain extent, he kicked the can down the road, so there is likely to be more pain next year than there would be otherwise, but it was a fun year and you don't have to squint too hard to see a path to future success.

 

[rangersblues]

Given the expectations going into the season, any success in the playoffs was gravy.

At the trade deadline last year, MM said that there would be a 2 year rebuild coming. To a certain extent, he kicked the can down the road, so there is likely to be more pain next year than there would be otherwise, but it was a fun year and you don't have to squint too hard to see a path to future success.

It exceeded expectations from the beginning of the year because of your second statement. I don't think it exceeded anyone's expectations after the trade deadline. This is exactly what most expected.

While it was fun and exciting for a while, if the team is hoping to truly compete for a championship in the near future MM can't afford a repeat of this season.

 

[GeoBlue]

There were two different Rehkopf's in the regular season too. Pre WJC and post WJC. I don't think it was anything he did differently, which is part of the problem I guess. As it was becoming more apparent he was putting the puck in the net at an astronomical rate, the opposition focused on him and the checking got tighter. It carried over to the playoffs. I'm sure he'll learn to fight through it next season. Unfortunately (but hopefully) for another team..

Rehkopf came back from the junior championships and got 2 hat tricks in 1.5 games. I think something happened after he got that injury up north. That's when the 9 game (???) scoring slump started. Just a theory.

 

[EvenSteven]

Given the expectations going into the season, any success in the playoffs was gravy.

This would be a true statement had we sold or did a soft sell as we did in 2022.

But we didn’t. MM emptied the cupboard of picks for the next three years (no picks in rounds 2 thru 5) and didn’t have extra picks in any round in the ‘24 draft - a critical draft where top contention in 2027 is concerned.

In a year where “any success in the playoffs is gravy despite the pre season predictions”, we should have had a draft cupboard comparable to Brantford going forward and a top three rounds in the ‘24 draft like Windsor (1st, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd).

There is a big picture to be looked at here.

 

[Rangers True Blue]

Duco, Keefe, to name a few. Those types of players needed.

Duco took it upon himself to educate opposing players of what not to do with his players. There even occasions when he wasn't on the ice for the ill-advised infraction and would call (and grab by the jersey if close enough to the bench) one of his players off the ice so he could jump on. Seconds later, he was nose-to-nose with that opposing player to provide a learning moment.....