Devils vs MAC Újbuda - 25 Aug 19 - Preseason

#41
I don’t think it’s unfair to say that our preseason performances and results were pretty crap.

We have a lot more questions than answers. Outside our top line, which will certainly be high scoring (it has Joey M after all) and Richie and Fournier on D, there is a sense of wishful thinking everything of hoping goes ok. Am I also right in saying we only scored one penalty shot in 4 games?

We played a very average EBEL side (EBEL is less than EIHL), a lesser prepared Panthers team tipped for mid table and a Hungarian team that the Steelers made easy work of.
 
#42
I don’t think it’s unfair to say that our preseason performances and results were pretty crap.

We have a lot more questions than answers. Outside our top line, which will certainly be high scoring (it has Joey M after all) and Richie and Fournier on D, there is a sense of wishful thinking everything of hoping goes ok. Am I also right in saying we only scored one penalty shot in 4 games?

We played a very average EBEL side (EBEL is less than EIHL), a lesser prepared Panthers team tipped for mid table and a Hungarian team that the Steelers made easy work of.
The EBEL is of slightly better quality than the EIHL.
 

Mooney#16

Well-Known Member
#43
If Devils have spent within their means and Giants and Steelers have spent within there’s then maybe Devils fans are going to have to suck on it. It might just be as simple as that.

Giants and Steelers have clearly got better. If their resources allow them to do it to a level that Devils can’t match. We are where we are in the pecking order and it’s no longer top.
 

jenks33

Well-Known Member
#44
My hope is with us having more returnees than Belfast and Sheffield we will find more consistency than them over a 60 game season. It’s certainly more hope than expectation tho. I’ve said for a while now my worry is we are lacking a sniper that you look at and think “he will get us 30 goals”. Apart from Martin and possibly Riley I don’t see any of our other players getting anywhere near 30. I look at Sheffield and Belfast’s forwards and they just look a bit deeper than us. It means that we will probably need another 70 point season from Fournier, which is a tough ask.

Before the “ why is everyone being so negative” brigade get hysterical I’m not concerned about us doing a Sheffield of last season and completely falling apart. We’ve got a good roster and I can see us being bloody tough to beat. I’m assessing our roster as potential league winners tho.
 

CaldicotDevil

Well-Known Member
#45
It’s clear as day steelers have improved.
Giants also with reddox lake and a few others. Where have devils improved??

I can name one signing and that’s riley for hedden that is it
Giants & Steelers are bigger clubs than the Devils, They’re going to have better players.

Like them or loathe them Steelers are the biggest club in the EIHL with the biggest budget. Ok last few years Sheffield have been poorly run especially with head coaches & recruitment but this year they seem to be back on track with Fox and setiously backed him with the £££.

Giants are always strong partly because the foundations build by Todd. They’re personally my pick to win the league.

I’m extremely happy with our squad, our clubs well run and we’ve signed the best players possible. I’d rather see us spend within budget than overstretch just because Sheffield have signed St Pierre or Belfast have signed Reddox.
 

Wannabe2

Well-Known Member
#46
I obviously don’t think Steelers, or Giants have better players than us, and before any Neanderthal has a dig that’s my honest opinion, as those who differ have theirs. Once we click I honestly believe we will be the business, I like the look of all our new lads, and give it another few weeks I think we will be firing on all cylinders. The CHL to me is still pre season, and playing better teams can only be a plus. And one passing note the EBEL is a higher standard than the EIHL, to some anyway.
 

RTfarty

Active Member
#48
It’s clear as day steelers have improved.
Giants also with reddox lake and a few others. Where have devils improved??

I can name one signing and that’s riley for hedden that is it
It’s worth bearing in mind that players like Martin/Linglet/Fournier would be marquee signings for other clubs. We haven’t had to improve in as many areas as other clubs and the acquisitions of Riley/McNamee/Marjamaki etc. are more than enough to strengthen the core we already have.

RE last nights result, MAC had the benefit of playing the night before in a high tempo game, and would of undoubtedly had a fire lit up underneath them going in to this game. Not to mention they won the last period 3-0 I believe against Steelers? It’s surprising what a bit of momentum can do.

We will 100% be up there this season, take pre-season with a pinch of salt.
 

Mooney#16

Well-Known Member
#49
Giants & Steelers are bigger clubs than the Devils, They’re going to have better players.

Like them or loathe them Steelers are the biggest club in the EIHL with the biggest budget. Ok last few years Sheffield have been poorly run especially with head coaches & recruitment but this year they seem to be back on track with Fox and setiously backed him with the £££.

Giants are always strong partly because the foundations build by Todd. They’re personally my pick to win the league.

I’m extremely happy with our squad, our clubs well run and we’ve signed the best players possible. I’d rather see us spend within budget than overstretch just because Sheffield have signed St Pierre or Belfast have signed Reddox.
Agree apart from I think Giants are probably the financial powerhouse of the league now with Panthers 2nd and Steelers 3rd with Devils 4th. I mean this in so much as available funding.

Panthers continue to spend well within themselves I think.

Giants being taken over by the Odyssey Trust was a game changer for them. Team owned by the rink owner is always going to be the dream ticket for a team in the EIHL.
 

ASHIPP

Well-Known Member
#50
Think there would be cause to worry after 5 or 10 more games if our special teams are not producing. There would be something wrong. Domestic competitions will be so tight this season because some teams appear to have significantly upgraded on quality that many games could well be decided on successful man advantage situations and even shootouts (aren't there more points awarded this year for OT wins?)

As for the CHL.... it's fantastic to showcase the team and British ice hockey in the CHL. Heck, the chance to play some top European teams is yet another incentive for players to sign for the Club. But our team always goes into this competition with an injury or two. The rosters of the British clubs are never as big as their opponents. They haven't had as long to prepare. As Lord has said, the Team will give it everything they have got. But that's all they can do and all we should expect.
 
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jenks33

Well-Known Member
#51
Agree apart from I think Giants are probably the financial powerhouse of the league now with Panthers 2nd and Steelers 3rd with Devils 4th. I mean this in so much as available funding.

Panthers continue to spend well within themselves I think.

Giants being taken over by the Odyssey Trust was a game changer for them. Team owned by the rink owner is always going to be the dream ticket for a team in the EIHL.
Can’t be much in it though right? Steve King and the owners don’t strike me as a group that would have us lagging behind the others by much financially. Would it be fair to say we’ve been a victim of our own success? As far as most seasons we have 15 returning players and most of their wages are going up every season as we don’t want to lose the likes of Martin, Bowns, Dixon, Fournier to better leagues.
 

Mooney#16

Well-Known Member
#52
They might have gone up with inflation but i’d doubt too much. The ones that always strike me as eating money and it’s not a slur on the guys but retaining guys who’ve just done the MBA must be pricey as taking the MBA off their package must come at a cost ie MBA + cash = ?? Or Cash only = ?? +. Guys like Linglet and Dixon must be more expensive this year in cash terms.

Rightly so it strikes me Steve, Todd etc want a business that can stand on its feet not drain their pockets. I think they are investing business IQ not £’s. Always been my issue with the Orange. False advertising.

The interesting thought for the fans is how would you approach a increase in ticket pricing. Say every ticket went up £1. 3k straight on player budget and recruitment a week. How many would go for that? If fans were prepared to pony up the money you could walk the league but the same as the owners how much are you prepared to pay for success.
 

CaldicotDevil

Well-Known Member
#53
Can’t be much in it though right? Steve King and the owners don’t strike me as a group that would have us lagging behind the others by much financially. Would it be fair to say we’ve been a victim of our own success? As far as most seasons we have 15 returning players and most of their wages are going up every season as we don’t want to lose the likes of Martin, Bowns, Dixon, Fournier to better leagues.
I don’t think it’s a case of who’s owners are wealthiest as most club are run sustainably. It’s more of a case of who’s club has more potential.

Todd recently said he would trade the rent free ice for extra seats. So with that logic our squad spending cap will always be lower than that of the; Steelers, Giants & Panthers due to their capacity. As it stand we are very competitive in the league but if the EIHL continues to improve as it does we might struggle to keep up if we stay at the IAW.
 

Mooney#16

Well-Known Member
#56
The dream dream dream again scenario is that a larger capacity arena finally comes to Cardiff. Somehow Devils can manipulate a deal around sporadic usage of said arena for higher expected gate fixtures and turn a tidy profit whilst maintaining residence of IAW for lower crowd fixtures and training.

This is pie in the sky stuff but without hugely altering IAW the only other route to Devils ever getting through their business ceiling. It’s that or absolutely try and fleece fans and sponsors and that will just down like cold vomit with most.
 

Wannabe2

Well-Known Member
#57
But then again we have what we have and that’s the reality of it, we have a 3000 seater with no ice time rent, a venue that we can play when we want to play, unlike Belfast, Sheffield, and Nottingham. College places for 3/4 players, so in the heap of things it can’t be too bad.
 

mjh

Well-Known Member
#58
We've got a brand new 3000 seater and we win silverware every year. It would be great to have more capacity but it won't be a possibility for many years. As long as we can continue to compete with the very best in what is essentially a minority sport in the UK, I'll be happy. With the way the players are treated and a winning culture, we also have other advantages some teams don't have.
 

CaldicotDevil

Well-Known Member
#59
But then again we have what we have and that’s the reality of it, we have a 3000 seater with no ice time rent, a venue that we can play when we want to play, unlike Belfast, Sheffield, and Nottingham. College places for 3/4 players, so in the heap of things it can’t be too bad.
What I didn’t realise till Todd tweeted it (I always naively thought the “free rent” meant everything in the IAW was of free use) the IAW charge the devils for basically everything apart from the ice. This includes stewarding, car parks, security, use of the offices & shop plus much more which adds up.

We’re in a good place at the minute on & off the ice but it’s encouraging Todd & the C4 are always looking bigger picture. Can’t see us moving out the IAW for a long while yet.
 
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