Devils Player Back Is.....

[Rempel16]

It's interesting that people suggest finding a sniper for Max to play with. So what role on the team do people think Max fills?

Because for me, he was the closest thing we had to a sniper last season. I think we need to be finding a decent playmaker to set him up.

Although, ideally Max has signed as a 2nd line winger and we are going for an improvement up top anyway.

 

[Donna2009]

i'm glad max is back, perhaps not always the most consistent of players. But i would rather have his bum on our bench, someone else's in the league.

 

[Donna2009]

i'm glad max is back, perhaps not always the most consistent of players. But i would rather have his bum on our bench, someone else's in the league.

Surely he isnt coming back to be near his "new home"???

 

[maccab5]

It's interesting that people suggest finding a sniper for Max to play with. So what role on the team do people think Max fills?

Because for me, he was the closest thing we had to a sniper last season. I think we need to be finding a decent playmaker to set him up.

Although, ideally Max has signed as a 2nd line winger and we are going for an improvement up top anyway.

Thats what i was thinking

 

[Dwoods]

I like Max as a person and I agree with what people have said above - clearly at times the guy is un-playable, but as also mentioned we did not see enough of that throughout the season.

Yes he was our top point scorer, but based on his stats, he is a 2nd line forward - and I hope this is maybe where he has been signed to play - we need a couple of Fulgham type players on our top line.

I think the Play-off Final showed exactly what Max can be about. I personally thought he had a terrible game in the Final, but he got 2 goals for us (the 2nd was an unstoppable slap shot) - but overall I expected more from him in the Final.

So I guess it comes down to the old chestnut - which Max will we be getting next year? Whilst I don't blame Max one bit for some of our poor performances, his form seemed to be symptomatic of the inconsistencies of the team (mainly away from home obviously).

I guess we need some big time "MBA's" to come and fill some of the slots on the team. Overall, if Max is our "2nd" line player, then I am very happy to have him back. If he has been signed as our "go-to" player then I do worry about his lack of consistency. Time will tell.

 

[Soundwave1]

It's interesting that people suggest finding a sniper for Max to play with. So what role on the team do people think Max fills?

Because for me, he was the closest thing we had to a sniper last season. I think we need to be finding a decent playmaker to set him up.

Although, ideally Max has signed as a 2nd line winger and we are going for an improvement up top anyway.

Thats what i was thinking

+1 (I think that's what I'm supposed to do when I agree isn't it?) :lol:

 

[El Supremo]

So people think Birbraer didn't have a fantastic season (even though his points suggest otherwise). He is still a fantastic player. In football, do teams get rid of players just because they've had a below par season? No, of course not... players are human and cannot be at the top of their game every season. If there's anything I hate about hockey in this country is the constant swapping of players. How can teams get better and build successful teams by making wholesale changes each season? Am I right in thinking that one of the reasons that Coventry are successful is that over the years they manage to keep the bulk of their players?

 

[nmase20]

Well maybe max would make a better play maker than he would goal scorer, he actually got 3 more assists than smith and smith got 2 more goals than him. I think put max on a line with a sniper that can consistently get more goals than maxi does and we could see a winning combination.

 

[Soundwave1]

So people think Birbraer didn't have a fantastic season (even though his points suggest otherwise).

His points don't suggest otherwise though - not if he's expected to be top points scorer. As a no.3 guy then yes his points are good.

A fantastic season isn't just about points. As Dwoods pointed out in the playoff final Max scored two goals, but had a poor game. I remember a few games where he was poor, but scored. Unless your a 90 point season guy I don't think you can get away with being poor in other areas.

It sounds like I'm being negative, I'm actually pleased to see Max back in the right role

 

[wildthing74]

I'm not a huge fan of Max,not even 1 of my favourtite players to be honest but I would much rather he stayed than left.
Maxy seems to be taking the brunt of the stick for a less than expected productive season between him and Smith.Whilst a nearly 100% fit Smith looked superb from Jan onwards,the problems that line had gelling due to Smith's injury and changes to the lines possibly cost him anoth 10-15 points on the season.
I think had Smith been fit from September they would have been awesomne together and been nearer the top points scorers in the league.
To me its all ifs,buts and maybe anyway now as last season is gone but I see getting Max back as a good addition to the squad and more than pleased he is staying.

 

[Wannabe2]

I'm amazed people are not happy with Max re-signing.I take the point about Smith being a playmaker that feeds Max and the concern he needs a top centre to feed off but this guy was our top point scorer.
There would not be many teams fans unhappy with getting their top point guy back the following year and I'm sure Max is hungry to have a better year again.
Welcome back Maxi.

Totall;y agree with this post, there are a lot of opposing teams that would have taken Max big time. Okay so our coach, who may have to live or die by what he achieves this season, has the belief in Maxi to resign him, that says a lot to me, and i believe that is the correct decision. Gerad has a budget that he has to juggle about, some players will be offered less money in order to bring certain other players in, some will accept that, and some wont, thats life and the coach is the man who,s head is on the block. Myself i am well pleased to welcome Maxi back, and believe on his day he is untouchable, yes he has been a bit inconsistent, but that has been a problem for the whole team this last season. He wont be our highest earner in the coming season by a long shot, but he just may turn out to be our best player, if he shows us week in week out what he is capable of. So at the end of the day, after taking everything into account like having to bring in some new high earners to the country, and trying to maintain a certain core of players from last season to keep continuety, then Maxi could end up being a very good fit. Myself welcome back Maxi, have a great summer, and come back guns blazing mate.
HAPPY HOCKEY DAYS.

 

[ASHIPP]

Max is undoubtedly a great goal scorer, and often scores when something is really needed - but IMHO did not perform anywhere near his potential mentally or physically last year. For someone who could possibly so prolific, I often felt he wasn't in some of the matches and I got the feeling he relied too much upon his comfort zone of Smithy to perform. Other prolific goal scorers like Kalmikov, Fulghum, Chambers, Shields proved last year that they could perform irrespective of who they were partnered with.
I always felt in his second year with the Devils last time, he, like Prpch was a player who mentally turned up when he felt like it.
It will be interesting to see if he can bring his A game to every match next season because Smithy won't be there.

Ok, perhaps my post and some of the others may seem a little harsh - but these seem to be reactions based on observations from more than just one season.
The upside of Max returning to the Devils is that he adds to the core squad from last year and G obviously wants to ensure stability. But consistency is also key and Max can be erratic - brilliant one moment, not appearing to be there the next. :?
If Max unleashes his skill and realised his full potential, he could have the season of his career next season. I would be very happy for him personally if that happened....and of course, very happy for the team!

 

[osh]

Wannabe2; Fair comment. I think the majority of fans welcome the signing of Max, and are hoping that he will be more consistent than he has been. Yes, other teams no doubt would have liked to have signed Max, but I honestly don't feel any of them would be signing him as one of their 1st line men, that's the difference. Personally, I am hoping he will be on our 2nd line with someone more dynamic replacing him on the 1st, what's your view on this ?

 

[Wannabe2]

Wannabe2; Fair comment. I think the majority of fans welcome the signing of Max, and are hoping that he will be more consistent than he has been. Yes, other teams no doubt would have liked to have signed Max, but I honestly don't feel any of them would be signing him as one of their 1st line men, that's the difference. Personally, I am hoping he will be on our 2nd line with someone more dynamic replacing him on the 1st, what's your view on this ?

Your probably spot on Osh, if Maxi was going to be our main man, then G would have to pay him as such, and i dont think thats the case, i may be wrong obviously but i dont think so. We have a very good knowledable coach who knows what is wanted from him this coming season, and believes he will deliver just that, and that will mean putting a very high octane team on the ice. A team that punters want to pay to see, entertainment wise and toughness as well. As i have said and will stick by is that Maxi will have a role on a certain line and i believe he will a big assett.

 

[Finny]

I'd assumed that Max has been signed as a first line winger - and I was just hoping he would either have a more productive season pointswise - or help his new centre score for fun.

If Max has been signed as a second winger, then G has done an incredible deal and we have the best second line winger in the league by a mile. Somehow though I can't see it.

 

[nmase20]

I would be very suprised to see him on the second line too, perhaps a question for tonights phone in on real radio. I wouldn't think maxi would accept a second line deal though.

 

[Soundwave1]

I would be very suprised to see him on the second line too, perhaps a question for tonights phone in on real radio. I wouldn't think maxi would accept a second line deal though.

To win the league you really need two 'top lines' IMO; perhaps one with a little more scoring. I'm sure he'll play on the big PP unit even if he's on the second.

 

[Kipper]

G has a hard job this year as I expect he is operating within strict budgetary limits.Bear in mind that the Devils management probably expected to get the rights to operate the rink halfway through the past season. That didn't happen and my guess is that budgets will be adjusted accordingly for 2010/11.

This is one reason I suppose why Smitty isn't coming back.He played all season with a dodgy knee. As an obviously high earner, perhaps he was too big a risk to take.

I am very happy that Max is back.He is as good as anyone in the league and I am sure that G will be building a line to get the best out of him.

 

[Finny]

Having said that, Max hit over 70 points this year which I believe is his highest for the club (perhaps Finny can confirm/correct).

It certainly is, 77 points in fact. Which is the 4th highest points total by a Devils player since the EIHL started.

 

[nmase20]

Its says on EIHL that he got 58 points :?

i'd like to know whats happened to this interview on devilstv that was supposed to be up this afternoon??