Rumours & Offseason Nonsense 2023/24

[Gazr76]

I agree with this. The quality of player in the league has gone downhill for sure and that’s no disrespect to any player in the league, but we’ve gone from signing players like Linglet who came straight from the KHL!

Belfast have spent money and it’s worked out due to two main factors. Good recruitment and tactics. Yes a lot of players have come straight from USports and ECHL, but them winning lots of trophies these past two seasons have been largely down to Adam Keefe. Whereas we’ve got recruitment horribly wrong these past two years and we’ve sacked both coaches after getting those appointments horribly wrong, one of which was a cheap option.

Agreed. Every season it seems a number of individuals always state something along the lines of 'The quality of the league keeps getting better and better' but it simply isn't. In terms of the number of skilled talented players across the league, IMHO this peaked at the end of the last decade.

 

[Swarley]

Agreed. Every season it seems a number of individuals always state something along the lines of 'The quality of the league keeps getting better and better' but it simply isn't. In terms of the number of skilled talented players across the league, IMHO this peaked at the end of the last decade.

I'd say the quality seemed good the first season back after lock down but snowballed mid season and then the following season it just went south like sherman.

 

[Slartibartfast]

So we putting pietronero as line 1 forward? Got to be looking at carrying a spare, especially with Ully and mosesy injury record

You may be right. Pietronero has a pretty poor points tally. 0.08 pts per game last season and not much better in the ECHL the year before. Not sure why he had 3 teams in his last ECHL season. That can't have helped. But he was almost a point per game in the Alps league where Ulmer and Bentivoglio played so maybe they are hoping for a return to form. But as you said, its probably more likely that he is a spare.

 

[moggy#9]

You may be right. Pietronero has a pretty poor points tally. 0.08 pts per game last season and not much better in the ECHL the year before. Not sure why he had 3 teams in his last ECHL season. That can't have helped. But he was almost a point per game in the Alps league where Ulmer and Bentivoglio played so maybe they are hoping for a return to form. But as you said, its probably more likely that he is a spare.

Don't get too hung up on the specifics of things like points per game from him last year. His role was constrained and, with limited ice time, he wasn't going to make a major impact. I remember having a similar conversation about Ian McIntyre after his first season. While I don't expect pietroniro's production to go through the roof like mac did, he is a player with more upside than we've seen. My issue with him is more about which of our players are rolls of the dice, out that we're expecting rebound seasons from.

 

[lloyd_jeff]

Don't get too hung up on the specifics of things like points per game from him last year. His role was constrained and, with limited ice time, he wasn't going to make a major impact. I remember having a similar conversation about Ian McIntyre after his first season. While I don't expect pietroniro's production to go through the roof like mac did, he is a player with more upside than we've seen. My issue with him is more about which of our players are rolls of the dice, out that we're expecting rebound seasons from.

That’s a very good reason why he’s shouldn’t be here as spare, you’ll need a spare to have an impact, not just a body.

 

[moggy#9]

That’s a very good reason why he’s shouldn’t be here as spare, you’ll need a spare to have an impact, not just a body.

I think his attraction is his flexibility. After all we never know where we'll be down a body.

 

[TL91]

That’s a very good reason why he’s shouldn’t be here as spare, you’ll need a spare to have an impact, not just a body.

It’s a balance financially though. We can’t have an expensive player sat in reserve either so it’s a balance between cost and impact

 

[Mooney#16]

Noting if 15 imports are signed then the spare can be an import or Brit.

 

[lloyd_jeff]

He was unable to make an impact last yr and l don’t really care if the coach was an imbecile and the ice time was limited. As soon as those skates hit the ice, you play, if not, then bye bye.

 

[Rempel16]

He was unable to make an impact last yr and l don’t really care if the coach was an imbecile and the ice time was limited. As soon as those skates hit the ice, you play, if not, then bye bye.

I’m not so sure he was unable to make an impact. He brought some grit and forechecking.

He was also reliable defensively. If PR can unlock some scoring then that’s ideal.

It’s a calculated risk and one worth taking i feel.

 

[lloyd_jeff]

He’s also massively upgradable, hey we’ve rolled the dice & taken risks before, so why not continue….

 

[Hockeymad]

Beau bennett to be announced 3rd of August??

Our top line rw

That's my guess

 

[Ger-Devils]

Beau bennett to be announced 3rd of August??

Our top line rw

That's my guess

I’ve seen him asking about Belfast on Twitter asking what it’s like then saying he’s heading over for a visit but nothing since..

Any rumours to Cardiff? He’s not iced since 19/20?

 

[jenks33]

Surely it won’t be Beau Bennett. Clearly a talented player but he hasn’t played since the 2019/20 season! I think I’d rather have a less talented player that played last season. I would worry about his motivation at EIHL level and also the owners have said they tell players not to give anything away on social media and he tweeted “EIHL here I come” about 3 weeks ago.

 

[Hockeymad]

Surely it won’t be Beau Bennett. Clearly a talented player but hasn’t played since the 2019/20 season! I think I’d rather have a less talented player that played last season. I would worry about his motivation at EIHL level and also the owners have said they tell players not to give anything away on social media and he tweeted “EIHL here I come” about 3 weeks ago.

Yes he did but no posts since

 

[Rempel16]

He’s also massively upgradable, hey we’ve rolled the dice & taken risks before, so why not continue….

Every player is massively upgradeable, if you spend the money.

I’d much rather the coach plays sensible with a calculated risk, on a player that is affordable, with a character and attitude that it is already a known quantity… like Pietroniro.

 

[lloyd_jeff]

Every player is massively upgradeable, if you spend the money.

I’d much rather the coach plays sensible with a calculated risk, on a player that is affordable, with a character and attitude that it is already a known quantity… like Pietroniro.

I’ve no idea if he’s affordable or not, as for the risk, well there simply isn’t any risk is there.

 

[Rempel16]

I’ve no idea if he’s affordable or not, as for the risk, well there simply isn’t any risk is there.

How do you know if he's upgradable if you have no idea if he's affordable or not?

The risk is based on his lack of point production last season...

 

[lloyd_jeff]

How do you know if he's upgradable if you have no idea if he's affordable or not?

The risk is based on his lack of point production last season...

Are you seriously saying he’s the best there is……

As for risk, what will happen if he doesn’t produce ?

 

[Rempel16]

Are you seriously saying he’s the best there is……

As for risk, what will happen if he doesn’t produce ?

I don't know if he is the best he is for the wages agreed (assuming he's signed). I am not privvy to that information and nor should I be.

My initial issue with your post was that you said he's massively upgradable.... I said that everyone is, but it depends on money. So give me an example of a player that he can be upgraded for...?

If he doesn't produce then there are any numbers of factors to look at:
- are the Devils winning?
- how many games has he played?
- how many turnovers has he forced?
- how many goals against him when he's on the ice?

Obviously, if he's not playing up to his value, as perceived by PR, then he gets released - like Hermann last season.