Cardiff Devils Confirmed Signings & Departures 2017/18

[ASHIPP]

The word of Lordo is good enough for me. And two other current Devils have played alongside this player and know him well.

This is a fantastic opportunity for him to feel comfortable after a year out and get back into the game. Another big centre who can chip in with points. Just what is needed.

Welcome to Cardiff, Paul

 

[Devil94]

Madness that a player of this calibre will be on our third line.

 

[Johnnybravo1927]

I am still concerned about a lack of toughness. I accept that Batch, louis, Faryna and Hotham can all step up but none of these are true heavyweight fighters. Batch is the closest we have but I dont think he wants to be the go to man.

 

[Finny]

I am still concerned about a lack of toughness. I accept that Batch, louis, Faryna and Hotham can all step up but none of these are true heavyweight fighters. Batch is the closest we have but I dont think he wants to be the go to man.

How much toughness is there in the league this season though?

I can't remember this summer thinking "oh he looks like an out and out enforcer/goon" like I have previously. I might have missed them though?

 

[Rempel16]

I share those concerns. This guy looks good but he looks like a points getter- I don't think that's what we need as our 4th line centre- we need a defence first forward.

Absolute faith in Lord- he knows what he's doing and has forgotten more than I will ever know.
But I have a nagging feeling that the overall make up of this team isn't quite right, as stacked as it is.

 

[Finny]

Some of Crowder's early ECHL stats are very, very good. The level of goal scoring you'd be hoping for a 1st line centre. Even with the drop in his last season and a year off its still ridiculous that this calibre of player will be on our 3rd line.

I wonder whether we'll mix it up with the 3rd and 4th lines or go for a goal scoring import line and a hard-checking Brit line.
Faryna -Crowder - Morissette /Lord would arguably be as good as some teams' 1st lines!!

 

[Johnnybravo1927]

How much toughness is there in the league this season though?

I can't remember this summer thinking "oh he looks like an out and out enforcer/goon" like I have previously. I might have missed them though?

Fitzgerald, Doty, Rosehill, Nickerson plus others still to be announced. Faryna will go with anyone he needs to but he is too good a player to lose for 5 minute periods

 

[aplzart]

I honestly don't think Bordy was the only reason there where less fights last season, players like Fitzy and Nickerson will go if they really want to. The coaches also have a massive say in when they fight just as much as the adrenaline does. And against a fast high scoring team no other team wants to be at a disadvantage with the "enforcer" out of the picture. That being said if we did lose a player for 5 mins taking the likes of Fitzy out of the game with them we have enough backup to replace for the 5 mins. I am really glad that we don't have a full enforcer in there I am much happier with guys who can play put up numbers and can be handy with the gloves off, gotta be more worrying when they are spread through all of the lines.

 

[Kal]

I'd say Louis is more a heavyweight than people are giving him credit for, went with Fitzy and Nickerson last year and did pretty well. Think between him, Batch and possibly Lordo we've got the higher end fighters matched. Faryna and Hoth will pickup the rest

 

[Rabbitohs4]

Bugger the fights it's all about the points this team can produce!!
If any team wants to beat us this year there gunna have to beat us like 7.6 because we sure as hell will score

 

[Wannabe2]

No one likes a tough guy more than me, if we could sign a Mike MacWilliams who could play, contribute and frighten the crap out of the opposition then do it, if we could sign a Mike Ware who could fight anyone and wear a C on their shirt then do it. But this league ain't stacked with tough guys, we have plenty of toughness in our team, and nothing fills arenas like a winning team. Last season proved that, we are winning and the gaff is full. Faryna for me will do very nicely thank you. Anyway when we pick up the silverware that will do just nicely.

 

[ASHIPP]

What is the obsession with having out and out fighters on the team? I doubt Lordo and Todd are concerned about that with sufficient toughness throughout our team.Does anyone think for a minute they are worried about Fitzgerald, Rosehill, Riley, Doty? It's all about sending a message when silly stuff starts before things escalate. IIRC Big Lou and Batchy aquitted themselves admirably on occassion last season without Bordy having to get involved. The additional reassurance of Fayrna, Hotham, Paris and Lordo himself means that all bases are covered.

 

[Slartibartfast]

Some Crowder clips

 

[Johnnybravo1927]

What is the obsession with having out and out fighters on the team? I doubt Lordo and Todd are concerned about that with sufficient toughness throughout our team.Does anyone think for a minute they are worried about Fitzgerald, Rosehill, Riley, Doty? It's all about sending a message when silly stuff starts before things escalate. IIRC Big Lou and Batchy aquitted themselves admirably on occassion last season without Bordy having to get involved. The additional reassurance of Fayrna, Hotham, Paris and Lordo himself means that all bases are covered.

Its not a Goon I was hoping to sign. A 4th line centre who can score, throw hits and fight. Hendrikx wasnt a goon, he was a decent but Tough D man who protected his team mates. I was expecting someone in that mould. Desbiens was the perfect example

 

[SteveKing]

Here's my take on Crowder: A big bodied centre that contributes at both ends of the rink. He's apparently got great vision and great hands which has made him an excellent puck distributor on offense. Not a fighter but not a shrinking violet either. Teammates absolutely love this guy. He's got a wife and just added their second child so he thought he would make the transition to the working world last year. To be blunt, he hated it. Several months ago he started skating five times a week in the mornings before work and then working out after work because he missed hockey so badly. He wanted to come to a place with a great culture, a place where he would win championships and he was willing to play the role that we needed in order to be a part of it. He'll be as fired up and hungry for this season as anyone in the league!

 

[Wannabe2]

Steve at the end of the day if he is good enough for Lordo, then he is certainly good enough for us. This young man is going to be a great asset to us for sure, Lordo wanted to sign him awhile ago, and that says volumes. Can't wait now mate, let's get this thing on. Look out you other lot, the Devils are coming for you all.

 

[jenks33]

There's a good clip on YouTube of a Fort Wayne Komets analyst discussing the re-signing of crowder a few years ago - he couldn't speak highly enough of him. Sounds like he's brilliant at face offs. I'm really Optimistic about this guy
- Good points production wherever he's been
-Brilliant at face offs
- Very Hungry after a year away from the game
-Lordo chasing him for 3 years

I think he might have a slow start but I predict he'll be a fans favourite by Christmas

 

[Outsider]

OUTSIDER
Yes there were some clips of him that showed him defensively. Just out of interest have you watched them yet?
I mean as far as offensive D men get there aren't many better than A Hotham but he is probably our poorest defensive D man. Scott Hotham was superb but I didn't see a lot of his booming shot from the point which was ment to have been a big strength of his. Reddick will shoot quickly at every opportunity which is what we lacked in many games as we tried to walk it in pretty.

I am just basing on what I've seen and heard about Reddick and I'm sure we will all be pleasantly surprised. Lordo rarely gets it wrong.

Sorry I've been on holidays but you said "A.Hotham is probably our poorest defensive Dman ." Really ?? He's the first out to PK, plays the last minute of each period including the 3rd period when it's a close game and plays 30 minutes or more a game. You don't do those things if you're a poor defensive Dman. Because he's prone to giveaways, mainly because he has the puck on his stick more often than any player on the Devils or possibly the league, many people think he's not good defensively which is I believe is 100% wrong.
Secondly, if you asked him to be strickly defensive, he would be the best at that but he's there for what he provides on the offensive side of the puck and sometimes you have to put up with some defensive mistakes. But the other 5 defence from last year made many mistakes and if you don't understand the position you may not see the mistakes. Point is, A.Hotham is not our poorest defensive D man. That group of 6 last year were the best 6 d man corp in the league and I assume that they will again this year but we will be able to answer that in 7 months

 

[KaneDevils]

Have to agree completely with devil94 and finny. This guy on our 3rd line, insane.
I'm actually as excited by this signing as I am any of the other new guys.
This season is going to be fantastic, even if, dare I say, we don't win anything.
Players want to come to our club, who a few years ago would of rathered a factory job.

GOT TO LOVE BEING A DEVIL

 

[trapped]

This looks like another amazing signing. Clearly a top 6 forward and likely to play 3rd/4th line for us. Crazy.

I'm probably missing the blindingly obvious... but u23's? I appreciate we will probably annou ce two ways but we surely can't have completed our roster without them... can we?