Confirmed Signings (& some departures) - All Teams 2019/2020

Diablo hit the nail on the head. I take a look down the Devils roster and there is quality everywhere and big name players.

Think in our (Giants) and Sheffield case is we have gone through a massive rebuild. So gave signed more of these players. Whereas you already had them and only needed to add a few to the squad.

I honestly think the quality between Cardiff, Sheffield and ourselves is comparable. And I think any of those 3 teams could win the league.

Going to be an exciting season I feel.
 

mjh

Well-Known Member
I just can't work it out. I'm naturally a pessimistic person so feel a little bit like the other big teams have nailed recruitment. On the other hand we have an awesome core. It'll take a few weeks of the season for things to become clearer. You never know how teams will gel.
 

Mooney#16

Well-Known Member
Joey H and Pope will have a huge influence on Devils season. More so than any other players I'd go out on a limb and say. If those two turn up to play and stay fit then they can provide the secondary punch to seal big games. As they move down the lines they will probably get line matched against other teams top lines to release our top lines but if they can get the +/- on the other teams top lines that is huge to a winning season.

Also Devils major success the last few years has been dominating the league on special teams. Lordo has to get those to the level far quicker this year than last.

Also more telling if the team could remember they still have to play games in November that would be a bonus. The dip in form is now becoming a bit traditional.
 

jenks33

Well-Known Member
Joey H and Pope will have a huge influence on Devils season. More so than any other players I'd go out on a limb and say. If those two turn up to play and stay fit then they can provide the secondary punch to seal big games. As they move down the lines they will probably get line matched against other teams top lines to release our top lines but if they can get the +/- on the other teams top lines that is huge to a winning season.

Also Devils major success the last few years has been dominating the league on special teams. Lordo has to get those to the level far quicker this year than last.

Also more telling if the team could remember they still have to play games in November that would be a bonus. The dip in form is now becoming a bit traditional.
I can see where you're coming from. If Haddad stays fit and we see more of the Matt Pope that we saw during the play offs then it will be huge for us. I have major doubts though. Nothing would make me happier than to be proved wrong
 

BostonBart22

Well-Known Member
with the exception of the play off win, surely the Giants are currently the team to be caught ( tongue in cheek remark) …..it seem most teams have upped their recruitment and it looks like it could be a exciting season all around
Would rather sheffield be favourites as not involved in the CHL, believe they will falter when the going gets tough after xmas especially when devils and giants are slogging it out again.. devils last 2 games of season..giants home and steelers away..mouthwatering to say the least...
 
Hopefully the dynamic of the devils is enough and i will not second guess lords scouting at least we know that mid season leavers won’t happen to our star players Belfast have a team full of stars but obviously that brings interest from elsewhere I.e blood last season. Although Belfast look like Immense a good team is better than good players.
 

ASHIPP

Well-Known Member
Hopefully the dynamic of the devils is enough and i will not second guess lords scouting at least we know that mid season leavers won’t happen to our star players Belfast have a team full of stars but obviously that brings interest from elsewhere I.e blood last season. Although Belfast look like Immense a good team is better than good players.
Last sentence is a good one. Whilst it's hard not to be envious of some of the experience on other rosters, no individual is bigger than the sum of the parts and they have to learn to play together and buy into systems. Devils have some real positives going into next season - core group, addressed weaknesses from last season with recruitment, hopefully no distractions/disruption with leavers and many of the players have been training and playing together this Summer. Would definitely agree that some pressure will be on Matt Pope and Joey Haddad to stay fit and hopefully produce to the levels they have demonstrated before.
 

voth26

Well-Known Member
For me we got the team we got, same as Giants and Steelers have their respective teams and pretty much both have full rosters that have to gel whilst Devil's have a few to blood in. The other 2 might have big name players but the Devil's also have star players and I think some people have forgotten that and have pretty much written off our chances of winning any silverware
 

Temme

Well-Known Member
For me we got the team we got, same as Giants and Steelers have their respective teams and pretty much both have full rosters that have to gel whilst Devil's have a few to blood in. The other 2 might have big name players but the Devil's also have star players and I think some people have forgotten that and have pretty much written off our chances of winning any silverware
It's hard to get AS excited about players re-signing compared to new players.
There's a lot of hype around Belfast as they're all new guys and there's an element of the unknown excitement.

In reality any team would take Linglet, Martin, Fournier over 99% of their own squad.

Slight rose tinted glasses (which is weird for me), but Fournier is still the best signing i can see on paper from any EIHL team.
 

Devils86

Well-Known Member
It's hard to get AS excited about players re-signing compared to new players.
There's a lot of hype around Belfast as they're all new guys and there's an element of the unknown excitement.

In reality any team would take Linglet, Martin, Fournier over 99% of their own squad.

Slight rose tinted glasses (which is weird for me), but Fournier is still the best signing i can see on paper from any EIHL team.
Agreed. But what about Bowns? We signed THE NM of the World Championships.
 

Temme

Well-Known Member
Agreed. But what about Bowns? We signed THE NM of the World Championships.
I love Bowns and see him as the most valuable player on our entire roster.

However I do think there are better goalies in the EIHL. (not in a negative way)

I've said Fournier as the best signing in the league in terms of talent, and PROVEN talent at that (in the EIHL), but if you're talking about value brought to a team then i 100% agree Bowns is the guy. Continually in the top 3 or 4 goalies in the EIHL year on year!!!!!
 

ASHIPP

Well-Known Member
Wow the Steelers'goalies look a cut above but I'm sure even they probably have a weakness! Thankfully we only play them a few times.
 
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