In the Kitchen-er cupboard

The Kitchener Rangers were considered a Western Conference favourite in the OHL, however the departures of Jeremy Morin and Jeffrey Skinner has left a huge scoring void. Gabriel Landeskog should make up for some of the scoring and the addition of Tobias Rieder will also help. Ryan Murphy enters the season with considerable fanfare after a splendid rookie season and a strong playoff. Mckeen's Director of Scouting David Burstyn profiles these prospects along with a few other Rangers.

Gabriel Landeskog (2011), RW, Kitchener

Played a vital role in the development of Jeffrey Skinner last year and showed that even without him he could inherit the scoring responsibilities for the Rangers with a hat trick in the opening game .. a skilled two-way forward with creativity and industry .. he is strong for his size, as he has gained an inch and over 20 pounds since he joined the league last year .. a good, solid skater but he could use a better separation gear .. creates in tight spaces with a quick turn of his blade or simply by driving hard to the net with brute force .. unstoppable once he gets moving, he has incredible balance and strength on his skates that he can impose his will in traffic and stay in the slot to make a play even though he is being pestered by multiple forwards .. always finds his way in front of the goal and shows courage to stay there .. manages to get his stick free for tips and deflections .. has a very quick shot release .. savvy coming off the boards and making a play .. can spot an open linemate from close or far range but always seems to make the right play with the puck .. picks up the high man coming back and supports the play defensively deep in the zone .. plays on both special teams .. has an edge but his hits did not knock players down .. plays with sandpaper and received untimely penalties as a result .. Landeskog is a talented player who embodies all the attributes of a throwback player who refuses to be intimidated and plays a North American game.

Tobias Rieder (2011), W, Kitchener

First round Import selection started the game slowly but got better with each passing period .. left himself vulnerable to a big hit in the first period before being more self -preserving and aware .. an economical skater who makes the most out of his stride .. he is smooth with a nice change of direction and is very sleek .. he has an innate habit of sneaking up on players from behind and pick pocketing them .. he is stealth-like in his approach .. undersized, he does not attack the danger zones but he does get his shots on goal .. clever playmaker and crafty with the puck .. lacks physical strength to be a difference maker in any area of the ice and has to rely on his game-reading abilities .. his shot is average so he needs to get in close to capitalize on his finishing skills .. operates better with the man advantage .. has a nice skill set to draw from but will need to get more involved.

Ben Thomson (2011), LW, Kitchener

A budding power forward, Thomson understands his role and diligently goes to the front of the net and danger areas to make plays .. pushes defenders back with his size and is not afraid to challenge them by barrelling to the outside .. sluggish skater with limited speed .. average hands for shooting, ok passer .. his puck decisions can be questionable .. if he has time to think he can find a play, as he will lift his head up, however too often, he has his head down and does not always make the best use of his options .. can be one dimensional, as his play in the defensive zone needs considerable work .. plays with some nastiness .. lack of skills coupled with questionable hockey sense makes him a long term project.

Ryan Murphy (2011), D, Kitchener

A surprise omission form Canada's U18 Hlinka squad, Murphy took the off-season to add 12 pounds of muscle to his frame .. a swift, effortless skater with multiple levels of acceleration, which enables him to separate from the pack .. he also has a tight pivoting radius, excellent balance and agility .. was instrumental in many rushes, however they did not result in anything overly productive .. skated into many dead-ends .. looked tentative against a more physical team such as Saginaw, as he hurried his plays .. he does command space and has a lot of time to operate in open ice .. more of a finesse player in terms of defending .. he can lose his effectiveness when a bigger player charges toward him, however he gets his stick on a player to slow him down and angles him off well .. Murphy has the ability to do things at an alarming rate of speed but too often, he neglects his defensive positioning .. he is unable to get his shot off and never gets enough wood on it electing to use a powder puff wristshot .. surprisingly, he has the shot but does not exhibit confidence in it nor does he separate himself from traffic well enough to get it off .. Murphy's game inside the offensive zone is dependant on the opposition playing him closely so he can twist and turn off them and inch closer to the goal where he is most effective .. Murphy has a dynamic skill set that mirrors that of a young Paul Coffey but has a lot to learn about the nuances of the game.

Matia Marcantuoni (2012), C, Kitchener

First round selection saw plenty of time on the PP and a regular shift to illustrate his offensive game .. a quick skater with a quick change of pace and direction .. he skated around the rink with enthusiasm and it was only his lack of physical strength that prevented him from converging on loose pucks .. he often was the first to a loose puck along the boards but as soon as the opposition caught up to him, they out muscled him to the side .. very slender and underdeveloped, and plays more of a perimeter game as a result .. has good velocity on his shot and gets it off quickly .. played the PP and was able to shake off players and find the open man while maintaining good pressure inside the zone .. will be thrust with more offensive responsibilities due to the loss of Morin and Skinner and early indications are that he can handle the test.