Kitchener Rangers out to impose Murphy’s Law on foes: OHL Burning Questions

With the OHL season beginning Thursday, BTN is taking an early look at each team in reverse order of last season's standings.

Kitchener Rangers

In 2011-12 — 42-24-1-1, 86 points; third in Western Conference. Lost 4-0 to eventual champion London in conference final.

Final Dynamic Dozen ranking — seventh OHL, 23rd CHL.

Drafted — D Ryan Murphy (Carolina Hurricanes, first round), C Radek Faksa (Dallas Stars, first), LW Matt Puempel (Ottawa Senators, first), G John Gibson (Anaheim Ducks, second), C Matia Marcantuoni (Pittsburgh Penguins, fourth), LW Ben Thomson (New Jersey Devils, fourth), RW Tobias Rieder (Edmonton Oilers, fourth), D Evan McEneny (Vancouver Canucks, free-agent signing).

Draft watch — LW Brent Pedersen.

1. Who will complement the Faksa-Puempel-Rieder line (coach-GM Steve Spott's presumptive top triumvirate)?

And on cue, heads swivel toward Matia Marcantuoni, whose draft season was scuppered after just 24 games when he wrecked his shoulder. The 18-year-old should be pencilled in to be a productive second-line centre behind Faksa. The Rangers have lost a load of veteran scoring with captain Michael Catenacci (25 goals), Toronto Maple Leafs farmhand Andrew Crescenzi (24) and Boston Bruins prospect Tyler Randell (15 in 23 regular- and post-season games), but they have reloaded well. Spott's choice to stand on a lineup that wasn't deep in natural offence last season might have paid off, since the likes of 19-year-old Thomson (11 goals, 42 points) might be able to contribute more than just playing an all-around game.

Spott's allocated his overage spots more for intangibles, adding centre Dominic Alberga and 6-foot-6 wing Nick Czinder in September trades. Defenceman Ryan Hanes falls under that heading, too.

2. Will it be Murphy's Law this season?

Ryan Murphy is a price-of-admission performer as a playmaking defenceman; the occasional turnovers are really just the cost of doing business. A lot has to fall just so for the Carolina Hurricanes top-10 pick, but between having the captaincy, some slick-handed teammates to pop in rebounds and his coach behind the bench for the national junior team, the stars could be alignment for him. Murphy's run over the season's final four months was borderline brilliant. After coming back from a concussion whose effects probably kept him off Team Canada, he counted 62 points across his final 47 games while matching up against opponent's top lines. He is worth seeing for his last go-around in junior. He might not be the league's MVP, but he is vital to the Rangers' success.

3. Can Spott have his cake and eat it too?

It cannot be easy juggling guiding junior hockey's answer to the Yankees with handling the pressure of heading Team Canada at an overseas world junior championship like so many juggling balls — two, I guess. (Or three if you consider that Spott wears the coach and GM hats in Kitchener.) The coach would no doubt downplay this by pointing out the support system with both the Blueshirts and Hockey Canada, but it will be a challenging year.

The Rangers harbour MasterCard Memorial Cup ambitions for their golden anniversary season. Spott is also guiding a Team Canada that whose three-year title drought is starting to gnaw at the national psyche. Few coaches have done the Memorial Cup/world junior gold. Two seasons ago, Mississauga's Dave Cameron's teams were runner-ups in each tournament. The Kamloops Blazers' Don Hay did so in 1995, but (foreshadowing alert) had a stacked team thanks to the first NHL lockout. (Hay also had home ice and the world junior wasn't as competitive two decades ago.) Hockey Hall of Famer Brian Kilrea steered Canada to fourth at the 1984 world junior, when the event had yet to achieve critical mass, but his Ottawa 67's won it all months later.

More power to Spott if he pulls it off. In both cases, it comes down to having the players.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Contact him at neatesager@yahoo.ca and follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.