Stats don't tell the tale really if you aren't an offensive d-man. He isn't. This helps out in the toughness area and from what I remember hearing last year, he has an agressiveness to his game where he sometimes goes "over the line" so to speak. We need that on the back end too.
I like the deal. However, I'd like to know the significance of the swap of imports. Do the Whalers have the option to swap in these two years or are the picks swapped without conditions?
Also, this will make it very hard for Fanelli to make this team.
Melchiori - 91
One of Sol/Jasper - 91 (I prefer Sol)
Murphy - 93
Iafrate - 94
McEneny - 94
Young - 94
Genovese - 94
Gilbert - 95
The only way Fanelli sticks around is if one of Young or Genovese play their way off the team. Spott has said that Fanelli has to make this team. Nothing will be handed to him.
IMHO Jesse Young could be the one who gets the shoulder tap and asked into the office.
But I do like how the defence is shaping up for next season.
Thought.....could Max, Young or Ben gets moved up front?
IMHO Jesse Young could be the one who gets the shoulder tap and asked into the office.
But I do like how the defence is shaping up for next season.
Thought.....could Max, Young or Ben gets moved up front?
I think it may be possible but it's too early (for me anyway) to really make a good judgment on that. We really haven't seen much of either of the three at this level to see if any of them has the kind of game to play the wing. We'll know more after a few ex-games.
Fanelli, IMO, won't move up. I've seen a scrimmage and a half and the pairing of him and Sol looked pretty good to be honest. I'm hoping Sol is made available and that pairing, along with the Murphy/Melchiori pairing could be our front four. If not Sol, then it'll be Jasper.
How the 5 and 6 spots pan out is up in the air. Of course Iafrate has to be in the top six - maybe in the four spot beside Sol/Jasper. The possibility of Iafrate moving into the top four is what makes me worry about Fanelli's spot on the team. Unless of course, Sol moves on to the AHL, and Fanelli impresses to the point where Jasper is made expendable which would allow Spott to acquire an OA forward.
I don't see McEneny going anywhere. Ditto Gilbert. Last year we had a more veteran team and as a result, McEneny saw little ice. This year however, we are much younger and therefore, Gilbert should see more icetime than McEneny did in his rookie year. To have Fanelli in the bottom pairing would take a lot of ice away from McEneny/Gilbert - not to mention Young/Genovese.
Fanelli is a '93 though so could still be a solid guy and wind up being a Ranger for the next three years - including an OA season.
I think it may be possible but it's too early (for me anyway) to really make a good judgment on that. We really haven't seen much of either of the three at this level to see if any of them has the kind of game to play the wing. We'll know more after a few ex-games.
Fanelli, IMO, won't move up. I've seen a scrimmage and a half and the pairing of him and Sol looked pretty good to be honest. I'm hoping Sol is made available and that pairing, along with the Murphy/Melchiori pairing could be our front four. If not Sol, then it'll be Jasper.
How the 5 and 6 spots pan out is up in the air. Of course Iafrate has to be in the top six - maybe in the four spot beside Sol/Jasper. The possibility of Iafrate moving into the top four is what makes me worry about Fanelli's spot on the team. Unless of course, Sol moves on to the AHL, and Fanelli impresses to the point where Jasper is made expendable which would allow Spott to acquire an OA forward.
I don't see McEneny going anywhere. Ditto Gilbert. Last year we had a more veteran team and as a result, McEneny saw little ice. This year however, we are much younger and therefore, Gilbert should see more icetime than McEneny did in his rookie year. To have Fanelli in the bottom pairing would take a lot of ice away from McEneny/Gilbert - not to mention Young/Genovese.
Fanelli is a '93 though so could still be a solid guy and wind up being a Ranger for the next three years - including an OA season.
Any of that make sense?
Yeah....but the Rangers could be S.O.L. about Sol coming back.
As for the trade....Basically giving up 2 3rd round picks 3 or 4 years (the import picks are a wash) down the road for 17 year old 1st round pick is a great deal unless there's some baggage
we're not aware of!
Yeah....but the Rangers could be S.O.L. about Sol coming back.
As for the trade....Basically giving up 2 3rd round picks 3 or 4 years (the import picks are a wash) down the road for 17 year old 1st round pick is a great deal unless there's some baggage
we're not aware of!
Not to mention there is lots of time to recoup those picks in trade.
Yeah....but the Rangers could be S.O.L. about Sol coming back.
As for the trade....Basically giving up 2 3rd round picks 3 or 4 years (the import picks are a wash) down the road for 17 year old 1st round pick is a great deal unless there's some baggage
we're not aware of!
I don't think it is a stretch to say that Iafrate did not play up to his expectations in Plymouth. He was given ample chance last year to prove himself and with all the returning defense Plymouth has returning, it would be situation this year that he would probably have difficulty earning his ice time. According to another web site he was still living at home - this change may be what is needed. This could definitely turn out to be a huge win for Kitchener. Having said that, I can not remember a Plymouth trade that Velucci got fleeced.
I think Spott did a great job acquiring a former 1st rounder who's only 17 years old for the low, low price of two 3rd's.
There was a lot of hype around this young man prior to last years draft.
Any talk of not living up to expectations is premature. You can't give up on a young defenceman after just one season, and I'm sure the Whalers didn't move him for that reason, especially a guy who is big and strong and will only get bigger and stronger.
I think this is a great deal for the Rangers, a great opportunity for a young player full of potential to move from one great organization where he would be caught in a numbers crunch to another great organization that desperately needs the type of player Max is, and a great deal between two really smart GM's. I scratch your back you scratch mine.
Max goes to Kitchener for a fair price maybe Kitchener moves a player this year, next year or in the future to the Whalers for a fair price.
I'm hoping they use this deal to trade another defenseman for a forward. It seems like it's very improbable Peca or Ashton-Reese are coming to Kitchener and they lost a lot scoring in Tipoff, Akeson, and Landeskog. They need some more forward scoring depth.
I don't think it is a stretch to say that Iafrate did not play up to his expectations in Plymouth. He was given ample chance last year to prove himself and with all the returning defense Plymouth has returning, it would be situation this year that he would probably have difficulty earning his ice time. According to another web site he was still living at home - this change may be what is needed. This could definitely turn out to be a huge win for Kitchener. Having said that, I can not remember a Plymouth trade that Velucci got fleeced.
He wasnt given any chance. Plymouth opted to not play him for no reason. I went to a few games, once in particular where he broke up several plays, scored a nice goal and was then benched the rest of the game (second and third period). Unless he's a headcase, then ill understand the move. But from what it looked like from a fan's POV, Velucci once again makes a bonehead move.
He wasnt given any chance. Plymouth opted to not play him for no reason. I went to a few games, once in particular where he broke up several plays, scored a nice goal and was then benched the rest of the game (second and third period). Unless he's a headcase, then ill understand the move. But from what it looked like from a fan's POV, Velucci once again makes a bonehead move.
I'm not a Plymouth fan so maybe I don't get to see as many of their games as you do. I do see quite a few games every year at different cities and have followed the OHL for more years than I care to share. What I can tell you is that from the many games watching Plymouth, Velucci plays more players per game than almost every other coach so I highly doubt he wouldn't give a first round draft choice ice time for no reason. The fact is that if I had a kid with the talent to play I would have my fingers crossed that Velucci may be coaching him given he is much more likely to roll all four lines than most coaches.
He has a system like many coaches and while you may make individual plays within a game you must play within the system for the best possible team success which I understand he demands. As I have pointed out, there is a first for everything, but I cannot recall an instance where Velucci traded a player that ended up being a mistake. I have no specific knowledge of why he was being traded - it just may end up being a numbers game, in which case Velucci may end up doing Iafrate a favour.
Regardless, I don't know of too many boneheaded things that Velucci does given his success and track record.
He wasnt given any chance. Plymouth opted to not play him for no reason.
This player was discussed here during last years draft. I have seen him play in both league and showcase formats. My sense is that most of the positive reviews may have a tinge of wishful thinking based upon his pedigree.
As for last year, my understanding is that he did get ice when he was both healthy - he suffered a concussion at one point i thought - and not suspended.
It seems like it's very improbable Peca or Ashton-Reese are coming to Kitchener and they lost a lot scoring in Tipoff, Akeson, and Landeskog. They need some more forward scoring depth.
I was told earlier this week that after delaying his departure until last weekend, Aston-Reese is now in Lincoln.
It really does seem odd to trade a 1st round defenceman for a couple 3rds and swap of import picks. Look at the price Windsor paid for Bateman, and Iafrate has a year of experience under his belt now. Just because you have extra defencemen, you don't give them away. It seems like a pretty good deal for Kitchener unless the player has issues. I don't think Iafrate was terrible for a first year player based on what I saw last year when he played Windsor. He got into a couple fights and seemed like a reasonable prospect.
Monday's game got off to a much better start however, with the Rangers beating the Battalion 5-1 in Brampton. Palazzese kept the Battalion scoreless throughout a period and a half, while Moylan allowed one goal in the third. Matia Marcantuoni scored a beauty snipe in the first to make it 1-0, while Ben Fanelli picked up his first of the preseason on the power play to make it 2-0 before the period ended. Czech import player Radek Faksa scored on a 5 on 3 to start the second, followed by a quick play from Marcantuoni, Faksa and Thompson to make it 4-0. Josh Sterk picked up the final Rangers goal just before the midpoint of the second to make it 5-0 and close out the scoring for the Rangers.
Defenders Ryan Murphy, Jonathan Jasper, Jesse Young and Evan McEnemy did not dress for todays game. It goes without saying that Ryan Murphy will make the team this year. Jasper will either make the team as an over-ager and be expected to be a leader, or he will be traded, likely for some more scoring power up front. Young and McEnemy will likely be third string defenders this season. McEnemy really stepped his game up at the end of last season, and Young has a lot to prove after being sent home before the trade deadline last season. Cody Sol and Julian Melchiori both have potential to play for the Winnipeg Jets farm team this season. Both would be over-agers in the OHL should they return. As I said in my last blog, I think Sol will remain with the Jets farm team while Melchiori will return to Kitchener. Cory Genovese and Jarred Gilbert are two rookies in the league this season. Gilbert has impressed many but he still makes too many mistakes for me, such as taking too long to decide what to do with the puck. I think he'll be ready for the OHL next season. Genovese is not afraid to fight when need be, and he could very well be OHL ready if there is a roster spot open. Finally, Ben Fanelli will definitely be in the opening night lineup. For a guy who hasn't played in 2 years, he sure hasn't missed a beat. Can't wait to see him on the 23rd.
The forward situation is a little more complicated. All of the veterans have shown strong play so far, with notable play from Michael Hasson and Ben Thompson. Both players got bigger and stronger over the summer. Hasson definitely played in training camp like he wanted to prove me wrong and get one of the over-age spots. He had more goals in the blue/white games than he did all season last year. Hasson definitely proved that he can still play in this league, although he could be traded this season. Thompson has also finally shown that he may have made a good decision to not waive his no-trade clause last season. If you recall, he refused to go to Peterborough in exchange for Ryan Spooner, who instead went to Windsor. Thompson has played rough and tough hockey, which is exactly why he was brought here. The rest of the veterans are pretty much a lock to make the team, with all playing well throughout training camp.
Many of the new forwards are also playing very well. Coach Spott is definitely going to have some tough decisions to make. Brett Clampitt has showed he's not afraid to fight, and fight well. Brent Pedersen has also made a few good plays, however he could be the weak link. There's definitely strong potential for him to be a great player in the future, however I don't think he's there yet. Brandon Francisco, Josh Sterk, Brandon Lesway, Keli Grant, Curtis Meighan, and Radek Faksa round out the new names that Rangers fans will have to get used to hearing. All have potential to make the team. It certainly will be interesting to see how this all plays out over the next few weeks.
IMHO Ben Fanelli has been the best defenceman (if not the best but would be right there) in camp.
It's hard to imagine he's playing this well after missing almost two years.
There doesn't seem to be an lingering issues with him being hit along/into the boards.
If Josh Sterk was a few inches taller and 20lbs heavier he would have been a top 10 OHL pick, He has sweet hands and ice vision and
it will be interesting to see the numbers he'll put up this year and his endurance.
As for Hassan, he may survive camp but in reality he won't be long for the team or the OHL.
I really don't see him pushing out one of the OA d-men and there's not much demand foran O/A with a unproductive past.
Happy about the Max Iafrate pick up. He was a healthy scratch for part of last year and was in a log jam with the Plymouth D. A change of scenery away from his home area, away from distraction that may come along with it hopefully will help.
As far as the preseason, I agree that Hasson has really impressed but even if he keeps it up to start the season, I don't see him in the long term plans but with a rebuild and our OA situation in question, maybe he is in the mix if Sol and Melchoiri don't return....????
I figure Gibson will not get alot of playing time in the preseason as they are trying to figure out the backup situation. Is it Frankie or Moylan?
IMHO Ben Fanelli has been the best defenceman (if not the best but would be right there) in camp.
It's hard to imagine he's playing this well after missing almost two years.
There doesn't seem to be an lingering issues with him being hit along/into the boards.
I think you will find most fans from around the OHL will be pulling for Ben. A Brampton fan posted a link for the game highlights against Brampton this weekend and Ben's goal on the NOOF.
Michael Catenacci was named Captain today and SunLife entered a sponsorship with the Rangers which includes a monetary donation with every Rangers goal at the Aud.
Unfortunately my department moved from the main office to the Westmount office so I couldn't be there for the announcement. It would have been nice to be there for it.
From the blog, "The Rangers were in the middle of a summer whirlwind again when Import Winger and Captain Gabriel Landeskog was drafted second-overall by the Colorado Avalanche. With both Landeskog and Tobias Rieder filling the two Import Selection spots and Landeskog deemed the most-likely prospect to make and stick in the NHL, the Rangers were forced to decide whether they would keep Gabe on the roster, occupying both a roster and import slot, or release him and draft another Import. Kitchener did the later when they deleted Landeskog from their roster and drafted Czech Radek Faksa to avoid being hamstrung once again."
I realize that Kitchener would be in conversation with Colorado regarding the likelyhood of Landeskog staying in the NHL, but what would happen if after 9 games Colorado changed their minds?
Could he still play in Kitchener after roster moves? I don't ever remember anything like this happening before.
From the blog, "The Rangers were in the middle of a summer whirlwind again when Import Winger and Captain Gabriel Landeskog was drafted second-overall by the Colorado Avalanche. With both Landeskog and Tobias Rieder filling the two Import Selection spots and Landeskog deemed the most-likely prospect to make and stick in the NHL, the Rangers were forced to decide whether they would keep Gabe on the roster, occupying both a roster and import slot, or release him and draft another Import. Kitchener did the later when they deleted Landeskog from their roster and drafted Czech Radek Faksa to avoid being hamstrung once again."
I realize that Kitchener would be in conversation with Colorado regarding the likelyhood of Landeskog staying in the NHL, but what would happen if after 9 games Colorado changed their minds?
Could he still play in Kitchener after roster moves? I don't ever remember anything like this happening before.
With the way it stands now, Kitchener does not hold his rights anymore. As well, he was not selected by any CHL team in the past import draft, which he would need to have happened for him to come back to the CHL "if" he doesnt make Colorado.
In turn, he was drafted out of the CHL and can not play in the AHL according to rules. So as it is now, its make Colorado or go back to Europe to play.
But you also have to look at Colorado's situation which is very weak at LW. Even if he doesnt make it on the first or second line, his game is also suited for a 3rd line role as a TWF. Colorado also could use his ELC to get off the cap floor as well. So all signs point to non issue.
