2019 - 2020 Roster ...

zoesdevil

Well-Known Member
#21
I like Byers and he ticks all the boxes. However IMO he'll be too wild for Lordo to gamble on. He took 182 PIMs this year, way too many for a 1/2 line guy. I also think an aging squad caught up with a bit this year, we seemed to lose our legs a bit on Sunday games. So I would like to see recruitment aimed towards building a younger squad. Byers doesn't really tick that box at 33.
That's what I was thinking before posting it, that's his age is getting towards something we may need to change our thinking on & his penalty minutes, if he didn't take that many, he'd be an immense player.
 

Temme

Well-Known Member
#22
Even though the overall league stats don't suggest it I still think need another out & out scorer to take the pressure off Joey Martin.

Joey finished 6th place in the EIHL scoring with 30 goals.
Next was Fourns in 18th in the EIHL with 24 goals.
The Linglet & Dixon tied at 28th in the EIHL place with 21 goals.

If we're lucky enough to keep Fourns we can't expect him to emulate the same form and point production he had this year. That's why if I was Lordo I'd edge my bets with a 1st line proven scorer.

Hoping there's someone in Steve King infamous little black book of hockey contacts. If not make Lake the number one priority.
I agree here,
Martin could really benefit from an out and out scorer, the Thorold line (84-88-85) worked very well, but not as well as 42-88-85 last year & the dynamic changed around a few times this season iirc, as 42 was proving to be a non factor on that particular line.

Martin is 100% a pass first guy and plays with his head up continually, he makes any top line in this league instantly better & there's no reason the right wingers along side him can't bag 30 goals each.
 

Temme

Well-Known Member
#24
Are we not better leaving this until after the season has ended?
I'm just speculating what players could benefit from having around them; not saying what players i'd gas.

I don't see any harm in using a forum to incite discussion.

People have spent all season suggesting line changes?
 

Samael

Well-Known Member
#25
I'm just speculating what players could benefit from having around them; not saying what players i'd gas.

I don't see any harm in using a forum to incite discussion.

People have spent all season suggesting line changes?
I agree with Animal. Time and a place for this discussion. Yes this is the place, now is not the time.
 

jimmy snels

Well-Known Member
#28
i can see lake to steelers. i can see them going after ackard as well with the guildford coach taking over. id imagine their new coach would want some proven names to add to new faces as anyone going in there is not taking back more that 6 players i know!
 

OJLloyd

Well-Known Member
#29
This has been our ‘difficult second album’ (I know, we managed to delay it a bit). But joint points with the league winners is a decent effort to say the least.

But ye Ben Lake’s agent is going to be a busy man this off season.

Now obviously we don’t know who is coming back yet, but does Lake displace someone on our top 2 lines?

He could perhaps Centre a line with Linglet and Hedden? But that’s a line of left handers.

From the players who played on the “top 2” lines, only Pope shoots right. Do we perhaps need balance with a true right wing?

Like I said, we don’t know who is coming back next year, so the ideas of balance can’t really be considered until we do. And balance is just as important as previous points to get a line firing.

I will be sad to see any of the team go, particularly some of those who have been here a few years. I think Murdy deserves a shot as a number 1 if he wants it. There a couple of older guys, most of whom showed they still have it, but time catches up with everyone, so who knows.

I said somewhere else that it’s all about the play-offs now. I want to experience what I did last year again. After that, bring on the drip torture of signings.
 

Devils86

Well-Known Member
#30
i can see lake to steelers. i can see them going after ackard as well with the guildford coach taking over. id imagine their new coach would want some proven names to add to new faces as anyone going in there is not taking back more that 6 players i know!
Thought Guildford coach signing was an April fool?

In any event it may still happen post-POFW as he’s a former Steeler.
 

zoesdevil

Well-Known Member
#32
i can see lake to steelers. i can see them going after ackard as well with the guildford coach taking over. id imagine their new coach would want some proven names to add to new faces as anyone going in there is not taking back more that 6 players i know!
Has it been confirmed that Paul Dixon is going g to be their next coach then, as that picture & announcment was confirmed an April fools joke.
 

Gospel

Active Member
#34
If Linglet stays, given that he'll be 37 when next season starts, I feel we need someone on his online who also has the speed and is on his wave length. This season he has managed to get away from the D and into position to pass but nobody has been there, or he has to slow down for others to catch up.

As for taking guys from other teams, I personally don't like it and prefer new faces to the league. Yes you get one that isn't a locker room guy but you can also unearth gems. Look what happened when the owners took over. Virtually a whole new team and that wasn't too shabby and y all accounts had a superb atmosphere in the locker room.

However, if we were to look at other teams players the only one id take would be Lake. Hes been an absolute pest all season!
 

kingmo19.1

Well-Known Member
Thread starter #35
I think better the Devil you know (no pun intended) with imports.

With a proven EIHL player you know what your getting and he knows the league.

With a newbie it’s a bit of a gambol, look at the Rupert brothers that Steelers signed. Yeah, you might unearth a gem - but it’s only a might!
 

Temme

Well-Known Member
#36
I think better the Devil you know (no pun intended) with imports.

With a proven EIHL player you know what your getting and he knows the league.

With a newbie it’s a bit of a gambol, look at the Rupert brothers that Steelers signed. Yeah, you might unearth a gem - but it’s only a might!
The flip side of that, is that every single player is new to the league at some point & no 2 teams are the same.

Look at Crowder at Fife - he's a different player.
Aarssen at SHeffield last year - a different player to the one that played for Braehead.
Leigh Salters...(we won't go there)

You don't necessarily know what you're getting, other than someone you are GOING to overpay as you have no choice.

Devils had agreed terms with John Armstrong when he left Zagreb, but Sheffield swooped in and offered him (rumoured to be) DOUBLE what we had, how much truth is in that i don't know, but it's well known that they offered him after us.

I always prefer players to come in through proper reference checks and other leagues, rather than "he looked good against us"
Faryna (a point a game at Dundee) and Salters are case in question.

Where it's a role guy, or someone down the lines a little where you know for sure what you're getting; i don't mind so much, but shelling out big bucks on top scorers from other teams isn't always wise. (sometimes it is, i'm not disputing).

Also fresh blood to the league is always something to get excited about, rather than recycled players :)
 

kingmo19.1

Well-Known Member
Thread starter #37
Can’t argue with anything you’ve said there. New or recycled both have pros and cons. Lake was nothing special last season at Blaze now lots of fans are fawning over him like he’s McDavid :).
 

zoesdevil

Well-Known Member
#38
We could
Can’t argue with anything you’ve said there. New or recycled both have pros and cons. Lake was nothing special last season at Blaze now lots of fans are fawning over him like he’s McDavid :).
Who knows we could be getting some new blood that we weren't able to get last season as they got a better offer in a better league & Blood may recommend a couple, he still seems to love the club on social media.
 

Temme

Well-Known Member
#39
Can’t argue with anything you’ve said there. New or recycled both have pros and cons. Lake was nothing special last season at Blaze now lots of fans are fawning over him like he’s McDavid :).
Really weird how he's been incredible this year, perhaps overlooked last year as a first option? Wagstaff?????
 

JT666

Active Member
#40
I honestly think the our squad this season had the potential to win the league at a canter. With a few tweaks in the off season (a genuine Tyson Strachan replacement would be important in my eyes), and more fortune off ice, we could win the league next year.

Rather than make wholesale changes to the team, my priority would be an interior redesign of our arena. Let's make a night at the hockey a fun place to be again! In it's present guise I find the IAW/Viola insipid, particularly the bar which lacks any kind of atmosphere. Maybe some of us are so bloody miserable throughout the season because our arena has the ambience of a surgical theatre?!

For what it's worth, I've stopped going to the ice hockey, not because the team are inconsistent (although I have to admit I do miss the big characters and fights!), but because I find the whole experience, and the arena, quite sterile nowadays. Ironically I enjoyed the game night experience far more when we weren't quite as good, but there was a real atmosphere to the place in the last year or so of the BBT.
 
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