Cardiff Devils Confirmed Signings & Departures 2016/17

[Devil_Abroad]

Re: Cardiff Devils Confirmed Signings & Departures 2016/17

But guys like Jansen and Fitzgerald aren't intimidated - that's the point. Louis will fight when necessary, just like Batch and probably both Hotham brothers. The main thing is that our guys won't be intimidated by them - that's team toughness. Nottingham killed us with 4 lines. Sheffield caught us due to a combination of their guys getting 2 weeks off to rest and heal, and our guys carrying injuries and losing form. I'm sure they will address that this year.

I am pleasantly surprised to hear other fans think us the toughest team last year - shows how hard they were forechecking.


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[MattHuskie]

He's big and tough and was able to stick around in the AHL for 4 years. Better still he gives us flexibility in defence as he can play forward if extra bulk is required up from sometimes and could swap with Cully if it suited at any point.
However weve signed him as a stay at home guy and he looks perfect for that role too.

I'm pretty confident we will be ok for size and toughness now as like many others I expect one of the remaining forwards to be likely to be our go too fighter if and when intimidation and enforcing is required.

Very happy so far and really interested in the last 2 forward's.

 

[Bails77]

Size, speed, toughness and AHL experience! What's not to like? Totally agree with Lordo, the D corps looks to have great balance. Not many people will want to drop them with Louis or Batchy, 2 seriously big guys.

Looking forward to the last 2 players and the type of player Lordo goes with

How long till pre-season? LETS GO DEVILS!!!!!!

 

[Electro]

Re: Cardiff Devils Confirmed Signings & Departures 2016/17

Good signing, what a team needs for success is players remaining on the ice and contributing and reacting to the play, for the whole season.



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[Devil_Abroad]

Re: Cardiff Devils Confirmed Signings & Departures 2016/17

Even with 2 slots remaining I'm overwhelmed with how good the squad looks on paper and again we have a team to challenge for trophies.

Now it doesn't matter how much quality you have on the ice they need to gel quickly and be a unit. It's another long year ahead for Andrew - the guy is going to have to drink buckets of coffee this this year!


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[Electro]

Re: Cardiff Devils Confirmed Signings & Departures 2016/17

It's a good squad for sure, how competitive against others, we'll know soon enough.


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[Finny]

I'm in full trust of Lord and co, but i also have memories of being absolutely destroyed physically in the CC final and that game would have been out of sight by the second period had it not been for Bowns.

I'm not sure you can use that game as a sign we were/are lacking in toughness though. That was IMO down to Nottingham have four lines. They knew they could send out the Lawrence-Janssen line out every other shift in the first period, and still play three strong lines the rest of the game. There were no fights in that game, it was simply one line being physical at the start and gradually wearing us down.

And even if that one fight by Fitzgerald cost us that game - it doesn't necessarily mean it cost us the title. We lacked depth in scoring IMO, and I'd much rather us solve that problem than sign a couple of fighters who can't contribute to the other 55 minutes of a game.

The Payette season was horrible to watch. But I don't think we are anywhere near that season.

 

[SteveKing]

When I look at our D men, I feel that we are younger, bigger and faster than last year's group. Mark gives us another huge presence back there to go along with Batchy and balances our offensive dman in Fournier and Andrew while Ritchy and Scott give us a combination of the two.

Now to round out the forward group, the departures of Hervato and Russell, while unfortunate, have opened up the opportunity to take advantage of the scramble for jobs in North America. You can expect more scoring and more belligerence still to come. Very exciting times.

 

[Devil_Abroad]

Re: Cardiff Devils Confirmed Signings & Departures 2016/17

Just heard the Louis interview - he has a very deep voice - he will be fine guys - our D is complete


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[Koop11]

I think this a great addition to the team. Bags of experience at AHL and ticks the box in respect of a big stay at home blue liner.

Welcome Mr Louis.

 

[ASHIPP]

We needed a tough, experienced stay-at-home import dman.......we've got a goodone. Very happy with this signing....Mark brings aggression, size, skill....you don't survive 5 seasons in the AHL if you dont have skill.

Welcome to Cardiff, Mark.

 

[Devil_Abroad]

Re: Cardiff Devils Confirmed Signings & Departures 2016/17

Sorry folks. I had to run to a meeting and then went home to cook Mr Bowns some supper! By the time you see this, it'll be close to announcement time. My clue would be that this dman is definitely going to leave his mark on any forward trespassing into Bownsy's crease.

Thank you for that clue Steve - it was a tough one to work out

Now then, how about the next clue please


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[SteveKing]

The next clue is going to have to wait a couple of days I'm afraid. As I alluded to, the loss of Rusty and Herv have forced us to reformulate the makeup of the team, particularly given Herv's EU status. I can tell you that we have several options at the table and I can also tell you that each option is very good. I'll reconnect early next week and then it'll be time for the "guess the signings for a signed jersey" competition.

 

[Devil_Abroad]

Re: Cardiff Devils Confirmed Signings & Departures 2016/17

Did I just miss out on a signed Louis shirt? [emoji15]

Looking forward to tryig to guess the next one - 6'6", speedy, silky hands, top goal scorer, playmaker akin to Martin, and has won over 100 fights........ [emoji102][emoji102][emoji102]

[emoji3]


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[scottydoesntknow]

We could have just signed Robert Farmer if we wanted a punchbag! :lol:

I'm a little indifferent about this signing just because I don't know who will take our final roster spots yet when we desperately need toughness.

He loses most fights, draws some and occasionally wins one - usually against smaller opposition - don't think anyone will even think twice about what he would do if Janssen smashed Asselin through the boards... I'm finding it hard to get excited by this "tough" signing because no one wants to see their own player get battered repeatedly.

Very disappointed IF Louis is expected to be our enforcer this year, however from a playing side he looks to be a great addition to the team. You don't play that many games at AHL level for no reason.

Toughness - Not impressed
Playing side - Good addition

To clarify, I'm just making a case for a genuine heavyweight (not a goon) seeing as so many people seem to be against it.

People really do underestimate the effect of having a genuine enforcer on your team knowing they have your back. Just look at how Phil Hill performed when he was on a line with Voth for example. I'm sick of seeing players throw their weight around against us and getting stuck in knowing that we don't have anyone to answer the call and really put them in their place. Voth used to set the tone and let players know that we weren't to be messed with, if someone hit one of our skill guys, he would go out and make sure he hit one of theirs twice as hard. Hendrikx did a great job last season, but no way should he have been our #1 enforcer.

- We need a guy who would have lit Janssen up last year for KO'ing our captain regardless of circumstances - no one did anything. We all know Voth wouldn't have just let that lie and carried on playing like nothing had happened.

...I am curious though to see who we get in next, because as Steve said this isn't the biggest signing yet.

 

[Electro]

Cardiff Devils Confirmed Signings & Departures 2016/17

I think people overestimate the effect of having enforcer/s. More likely some just confuse tough guys with enforcers. That is different to having skilled players that add offensive/defensive understanding and abilities. Enforcers are no use in the bin or changing room. Manchester's new signing and others show the direction many teams are going in the league.


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[Finny]

According to a post on THF Rory Rawylk tweeted this about Louis:

@cardiffdevils are getting one of the toughest I've seen. Guys a beast. And a great guy.

 

[Foxy]

Just heard the Louis interview - he has a very deep voice - he will be fine guys - our D is complete


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Never knew a deep voice was the making of a good player lol ive been missing this out of the equation all these years lol

Seems like a good signing for us.

 

[Wannabe2]

Done a lot of research on this young man, and he is tougher than what people think,
1 His fights have been in the AHL, some on his losses have been when he was24/25 and against top class fighters, guys who are real tough guys.
1. Bobby Robins who has beaten Fitzgerald/ Bootland/Hollweg
2. Jimmy Bonneau who has beaten Tidball/Leblond/Engelland/Boogard/Klotz/Keefe/Fitzgerald/Gratton
3.Matt Pelech who has beaten Eric Neilson/ Keefe/Robins X 2/Fitzgerald.
4. Zack Stortini who has beaten Colt King/ Rypien/ Parros/ Prust/ Fitzgerald.
5.Dalton Smith who has beaten Robins/Lepine/ Yonkman
6. Darren Kramer who has beaten Stortini/ Jannsen
7. Josh Gratton say no more
8. Brett Gallant who has beaten Klotz/Robins/Fitzgerald/Konopka X 2
9. Alex Gallant who has beaten Brian McGratton/ Drew with Bissonnette
So there we are, this young man is far tougher than I thought,and probably others thought the same.
Just need a power forward now in the Ian McIntyre mould, and happy days.

 

[KaneDevils]

Who said let him hit the ice and play first before judging? Ridiculous comment. :lol:

An upgrade on hendo I'd guess.

Welcome to Cardiff dude. :RAWK