How much toughness and by who next season.
- Thread starter Wannabe2
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We must have an enforcer next season to replace Voth. This 'team tough' nonsense is just that, utter nonsense. When Mike Ware retired we didn't replace him with a tough player and the result was not good. Coventry Blaze signed Andre Payette and on his first visit to the old WNIR he pushed our 'team tough' players all over the place on his own and not one of our players wanted or could do anything about it. It was awful to witness and we should not let that happen again.
As has been said, Gerad will never sign a tough who cannot play, those days are long gone, but we never signed that type of player when other teams were doing so. We have always had tough guys who could play and score.
I am positive that Gerad already has a tough guy in the Voth mould already on his shopping list for the summer.
I would suggest we sign Craig Weller and give him the 'C'. He is tough, can play far better than most and he scores goals. Better still is that he is so tough that no opposition player will dare to drop the gloves, so in effect Weller would give the Devils 'team toughness' without actually needing to do too much in that department. What a great deterrent he would be to opposition agitators.
Craig Weller, Chris Frank and maybe a power forward winger who can take care of the business as well as score and we will be fine. Then sign up the goalscorers.
As has been said, Gerad will never sign a tough who cannot play, those days are long gone, but we never signed that type of player when other teams were doing so. We have always had tough guys who could play and score.
I am positive that Gerad already has a tough guy in the Voth mould already on his shopping list for the summer.
I would suggest we sign Craig Weller and give him the 'C'. He is tough, can play far better than most and he scores goals. Better still is that he is so tough that no opposition player will dare to drop the gloves, so in effect Weller would give the Devils 'team toughness' without actually needing to do too much in that department. What a great deterrent he would be to opposition agitators.
Craig Weller, Chris Frank and maybe a power forward winger who can take care of the business as well as score and we will be fine. Then sign up the goalscorers.
Sign Weller? Wishfull thinking, he would take most of our complete budget.
We didn't actually get to see how tough he really could be though did we?
I don't think he ever dropped the gloves ( I didn't see him do it anyway)during his time with us. I think his reputation preceded him and the quality of his play earned respect from opponents, but he was never tested in a fight, probably proving that we don't need an out and out enforcer type of player. Would love him to come back though without a doubt.
We didn't actually get to see how tough he really could be though did we?
I don't think he ever dropped the gloves ( I didn't see him do it anyway)during his time with us. I think his reputation preceded him and the quality of his play earned respect from opponents, but he was never tested in a fight, probably proving that we don't need an out and out enforcer type of player. Would love him to come back though without a doubt.
id like to see us get a power forward who can play and drop the gloves. king would have been a perfect fit for us 
as for who else we'd like to sign id like to see a bit of a reunion of some of our better past players... osaer (most important signing is someone in nets who is your best player IMO) weller, tylor and pelle.... now that would make me smile! using our uni deals this summer wisely is going to be the key. i hope G can pull another tyson, osaer, jarvis, pelle or matzka or kenton out of the magic hat!
as for who else we'd like to sign id like to see a bit of a reunion of some of our better past players... osaer (most important signing is someone in nets who is your best player IMO) weller, tylor and pelle.... now that would make me smile! using our uni deals this summer wisely is going to be the key. i hope G can pull another tyson, osaer, jarvis, pelle or matzka or kenton out of the magic hat!
You have missed the point, he didn't drop the gloves as a Devil because he didn't have to. No opposition player would go near him in that respect and so the opposition stayed honest. We DO need an enforcer and the fact that nobody would go near dropping the gloves with Weller is testament to the fact that he would be the perfect choice.
You say wishful thinking, yet the South Wales Echo ran a story just after the transfer window closed about how close the Devils came to bringing Craig Weller back, and even going on to state that a deal may well occur in the future. As for taking up most of the budget, clearly that wouldn't be correct, why would he sign knowing that we couldn't afford to put a team around him?
If the Devils tried to re-sign him just before the transfer window closed, why not go back for him in the summer?
You say wishful thinking, yet the South Wales Echo ran a story just after the transfer window closed about how close the Devils came to bringing Craig Weller back, and even going on to state that a deal may well occur in the future. As for taking up most of the budget, clearly that wouldn't be correct, why would he sign knowing that we couldn't afford to put a team around him?
If the Devils tried to re-sign him just before the transfer window closed, why not go back for him in the summer?
I certainly haven't missed the point. He had plenty of opportunities to show any toughness when his team mates were taking hits and punches that needed someone to sort it out, he never did that imo. We really don't need an out and out enforcer because it's certainly not that sort of league anymore, we need to be tougher all round as a team and we won't then see 'an enforcer' type player spending unnecessary time in the bin....and you shouldn't believe everything you read in the press either.
Having said that, just like you, nothing would please me more than seeing him in a Devils shirt again next season!
Having said that, just like you, nothing would please me more than seeing him in a Devils shirt again next season!
The "team toughness" seems to work out OK for Detroit Redwings.
Having players willing to go is useful, don't give a hoot about having an out and out tough guy. To me a power forward is a guy who'll go into the corners and the paint and make the space. I wouldn't care if they never dropped the gloves.
I'll take a victory on the score board and no fights any day.
Having players willing to go is useful, don't give a hoot about having an out and out tough guy. To me a power forward is a guy who'll go into the corners and the paint and make the space. I wouldn't care if they never dropped the gloves.
I'll take a victory on the score board and no fights any day.
Re: Re: How much toughness and by who next season.
Yep. Those are the sort of guys teams need. Can play first, bring physicality... as a last recourse will drop the gloves.
Hoffman said in an interview last season that he had no interest in proving anything. He'd rather have no fights and win a championship - that's the sort of player I want.
Yep. Those are the sort of guys teams need. Can play first, bring physicality... as a last recourse will drop the gloves.
Hoffman said in an interview last season that he had no interest in proving anything. He'd rather have no fights and win a championship - that's the sort of player I want.
Re: Re: How much toughness and by who next season.
Since his summer in NA and trying to get back into the top leagues, he's bulked up more than what we seen last time he was here. I was at the Nottingham v Belfast weekend 2 weeks back and he was unreal. Sat in front of the net and not moved once! Belfast look a different team with him there
Since his summer in NA and trying to get back into the top leagues, he's bulked up more than what we seen last time he was here. I was at the Nottingham v Belfast weekend 2 weeks back and he was unreal. Sat in front of the net and not moved once! Belfast look a different team with him there
Sharp maybe willing to go with anybody, but he offers absolutely nothing else. If we paid him n peanuts it would be too much.
G has also called him a human punchbag in an interview and pretty much sid he's a waste of space. I would put large amounts of money on G never signing this poor excuse for a hockey player.
G has also called him a human punchbag in an interview and pretty much sid he's a waste of space. I would put large amounts of money on G never signing this poor excuse for a hockey player.
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#19
We dont have a classless coach that would sign a classless player, myself i wouldnt pay Sharpe in washers. We wont either sign a knuckledragger, my question was how much toughness do you want to see in next seasons team, and who do you think might bring it. We have mainly always had a tough player who could also play, and hopefully thats what we will get next season.
Team toughness all the way. Gone is the out and out enforcer role in this league. Frank is tough but can play. So could Voth. I’d be happy if we signed Frank as our ‘fighter’ next season and have a couple of middle weight type players who are prepared to step up when required (Tylor/Finnerty/Pirpich style players). Using an import on a Shape type player is a total waste.