Salters

[jay44]

I don't want to be too negative.

But if I'm honest I'm a bit disappointed.
Yes Leigh is a presence and he's scored a couple. Lovely... There are plenty of big players who can do that. But I want somebody to wear their heart on their sleeve and show they care.
Like brad or sometimes hendrikx does. When Hendrikx throws more checks than salters something is wrong.

I mean he's great but you know he can throw hits and just chooses to bounce of rather than finish any checks... In that regard it's like watching phill hill.

But I do like him just want more!

 

[kingmo19.2]

I hope you've got a tin-hat as you'll get slated for saying anything negative on here!

I think quite a lot of fans would agree with you - and a lot were expressing the same feelings on Sat.

I'm positive that he'll come good. Granted it's been a fairly quiet start for him, but he's done the business before at Nottingham and Braehead, so he's got the class.

I think maybe we were spoilt a bit with Clarkson hitting a lot (in our rink) last season and expect Salters to do the same.

(BTW - What a great start to the season for Clarkson).

 

[E.D.S.]

But then Clarkson never did it for me either. He seemed a bit in and out of games. Brad did at times too. Just wonder if the legend of Brad masks over the games when at times he was anonymous. I'm a huge fan of Brad by the way.
On refection I think I expect too much from this role. Someone who is smashing everything every game and scoring for fun. Just doesn't happen for me. Keefe didn't do it for Giants every game but always seemed to do it against us so we got the impression he was like that 24/7. I'm not hugely impressed at this stage with Salters but as quite rightly pointed out.... He's proven at this level and I'm sure he'll come good. Still early days but a fair observation to make I think given what I've seen.


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[Rabbitohs4]

Salters needs to be more aggressive this doesn't mean fighting!!
Just lay a few hits let the other team know he is boss and that will do for me.

See imo keefe is the best player in the league for doing this, every shift him and Lloyd hit at least once. If anyone hits his team mates badly he is the first to go over and offer someone out or tell them do it again he will be involved kind of thing. He gets quite a lot of points too and wears his heart on his sleeve.

Salters don't seem interested right now and I hope it changes

 

[TommyDevil13]

Until proven otherwise, I am happy to give him the benefit of the doubt for the time being. His toughness and previous point production (in this league) speak for themselves.

He has 5 points in 5 games - can anyone honestly say they wouldn't take a point a game from him this year?

I agree that he could be being more physical at times, but he might be mindful of the fact that refs do seem to have it in for big guys. Voth was a monster presence on the ice, but he sat out plenty of games in the locker room or the stands after getting game and match penalties. Salters might be easing himself into the hard hitting role to stay under the DOPS radar. Or perhaps he's carrying a knock but can't be rested until Culligan is fit.
He will have been brought in on pretty decent money after his last two seasons. I think it's too early to judge him yet, and I hope I'm proven right in due course!

 

[Pickett]

I don't think anyone is questioning his points production.... We all know he's capable (based on the last 2 seasons) of posting 30+ goals and that's great.

What I believe people are surprised / frustrated about (and I posted this myself after the Sheffield game) is his lack of physicality and the fact that he seems to be avoiding that side of the game at the moment.

As you say, this could be down to a few things - fear of refs, instructions from Lord etc... But seems like a bit of a "waste" if a player is holding back like that. He's certainly not someone who regularly gets banned for bad hits etc so I don't think the refs would be particularly onto him. There are also plenty of bigger guys in the league.

I too hope I'm proved wrong - I think it's just that Salters was the signing I was most excited about during the off season and he hasn't fully lived up to what I was hoping for yet. Time will tell!

 

[jay44]

Yeah it's not production at all. It's the finishing checks it comes over as being lazy.
I've always highly rated Keefe and would take him in a heart beat. I just want Salters to finish checks and be more of a presence if things heat up

 

[Have Hope#35]

I tend to agree with what most people are saying here... I also expected a slightly more physical Salters, but in his defence he threw a big legal hit early on in the game against Braehead and immediately got 2mins for Boarding and when it comes to defending his team mates he's not one to rush into the play with the gloves already dropped, he just calmly skates up to the opposing player and ushers them away with a quiet warning and a chew of his gum shield!

 

[ASHIPP]

Got to remember that at Braehead (Fitzgerald) and Nottingham( Lepine) Leigh had guys dedicated to looking after all the rough stuff so he could be let loose to play his game. It's a different set up at the Devils with toughness throughout but no dedicated fighters.

Would love to see Leigh play his natural game because he is incredibly skilled and energetic.The fact that we havn't seen much of that could be down to coach's instructions, being mindful of officials or even injury.

He is on a line where often he is unmarked whilst Walton and Hervato are targeted on the attack. Leigh could terrorise the opposition let loose.Is he happy on that line?

It's hard to to stop making comparisons in our minds to the Vother. He was a one-off who will never be replaced. Leigh is a different generation of power forward. Lordo will have to figure out the best role for him.

 

[bb1]

This is a good post. It's not a negative one from what I have read. We all know Salters is a quality player who is good on special teams and can score.

However I do agree that he needs to put his stamp on games and terrorise opposition D men in the way Keefe and Lloyd do. He's got potential to be one of best power forwards we have seen.

I don't want him to go out and fight but to put himself there as a no nonsense power forward. Even though Weller played D for us he was a force to be reckoned with a and laid out some big hits that made opposition think twice about skating with puck over blue line. If Weller played fwd he would have been a wrecking machine much like Salters could and still wouldn't need to fight much.

Hervato and Hendo are two players who are playing their roles perfectly. Janssen is another guy who will terrorise D men but doesn't have Salters skills and scoring ability. I just feel Salters could be phenomenal if he hit more and would cause mayhem for other teams D men who will be no doubt put off their games. Just my opinion but would add another dimension to the lines.

 

[Milky]

I must admit I was thinking the same but on reflection I think my expectations were unrealistic. If we expect him to score loads of goals, smash players left right and centre and skate like the wind every shift he plays, then clearly he'd be too good for this league.

Thinking about it it's pretty clear he's on orders not to give away silly penalties. He's scoring points and is very quick for a big guy. But it does look like he's a marked man as well. Ridiculous roughing call against Braehead and also he gets ejected from the match when standing up for himself.

Given the matches are close at times, my guess is Lordo wants to keep everyone on the ice as much as possible.

 

[bb1]

I can see where you are coming from with this but these guys still should be able to throw clean hits. Salters skating and speed is more than good enough for him to be best in league at it.

 

[Have Hope#35]

I can see where you are coming from with this but these guys still should be able to throw clean hits. Salters skating and speed is more than good enough for him to be best in league at it.

He threw a good hit at the start of the Braehead game and immediately got 2mins for it... We can't blame Salters for that, we have to look at the refereeing in this league, Hogarth being one of the worst!

 

[DevilDom]

I get the impression he is holding back on the checks and aggressive play. Whether that is a specific instruction from Lord, due to carrying a slight injury or fear of getting penalised I can't say.

I wouldn't say I was unimpressed with him as he has showed his class already (goal against Braehead springs to mind) however I am like others on here a little disappointed we haven't YET seen him dominating a team like I'm sure he is capable of.

 

[danhall76]

He laid one hit on saturday and was sent straight to the box. He's been in this league a while and knows the quality of officiating. He isn't a loose cannon and plays smart. This unfortunately means that he will often avoid the rough stuff if he thinks that's what's best for the team.

I love physical hockey but it's tough to play that way consistently in this league without taking ridiculous penalties and harming your team.

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[voth26]

To be fair I think Salters is dammed if he does and dammed if he don't. From what I remember of salts in games when he was with clan an panthers, I don't remember him as a wrecking machine but as a player who threw a hit now and then, but was always planted in front of the Devils net, and stepped in IF he really needed to. I would like to see him step his physical play up because he could be devastating this would hopefully intimidate other teams., I would much rather him as a Devil that's for sure

 

[tigertemme]

It's a tricky one, he's a point a game, 30 odd goals a season kinda guy. But we watched doucet get roughed up while salter watched vs Fife. Not many would let that happen to doucet.
Thoughts again are injury or lordo saying something

 

[TommyDevil13]

In 7 games, Salters has 6 points and very few silly penalties. We are undefeated at home, and staying out of the box for extended periods of time has to have contributed to this.

Everyone on the other teams knows what Salters can do, and it doesn't seem like anyone is taking liberties with our skill players. Granted, there will always be the odd hit/scuffle, but we aren't being bullied like we have been in the past.

I think Salters is smart. He will fight if/when he needs to fight, and not before. His presence alone is enough to deter most people from targeting the smaller guys, and he isn't having to sit in the box to prove it. He can play hockey, crash the net, lay the odd big hit and be a distraction to make space for others.

If he was fighting everything that moved, a small minority of fans might be happy, but most would surely recognise that we just had another Conboy-esque liability on our hands. Salters is unlikely to be cheap, and a 10 game ban doesn't help anyone.

We have Hendrikx to play the high-energy, in-your-face role when needed - Salters brings something else. Until he stops contributing offensively, or backs down from a fight that he should've taken, I will 100% back him and give him the benefit of the doubt. I think it's a shame that more fans aren't prepared to do the same.

 

[Rabbitohs4]

I think Salters is smart. He will fight if/when he needs to fight, and not before. His presence alone is enough to deter most people from targeting the smaller guys, and he isn't having to sit in the box to prove it.

If he was fighting everything that moved, a small minority of fans might be happy, but most would surely recognise that we just had another Conboy-esque liability on our hands. .

His presence alone wasn't good enough against steelers as Fitzgerald run the show down here although we beat them he hit all our players and it took our captain to stand in there.

It also didn't work Saturday when paquet and Lee were hitting our smaller guys all night and even roughed up doucet,
salters just stood there.

It says something when hervato and Walton are being called "nailz" by our fans.. They are hitting every shift.
And we are not asking him to fight everyone we want him to get in there face have a word lay a few hits that's all.

 

[Ocko]

It's also worth remembering who he is on a line with; Zach Hervato. Who has been signed to fill the high energy and forchecking role, it isnt often you try and play two players in this role.

Maybe Lord doesnt want Salters high up the ice all the time hitting in the corners, that line only play with one forechecking player, which more often than not is Hervato. He also does the work in the corners, whilst Salters is around the net and the other player (Kurka and previously Walton) operate in the high slot. This is a team game and with a team that is working well. I feel sometimes a lot of people would prefer stand out individual peformances vice an effective team game. If Salters starts chasing the puck into the corners making huge hits, along with Hervato, we will get turned over in the neutral zone repeatedly with 2 players caught high. Observe Salters defensively, he is always the first player back. I very much doubt he is avoiding the big hits in the corners, being the first one back and being around the net by luck - this would come from the coach.

The Fife incident he did exactly the right thing. Cullen and Doucet stopped as soon as he was there, it was 6 of one half a dozen of the other, a bit of pushing and shoving nothing more. Doucet was never in danger of getting into a fight or getting hurt. The second Salters lays a finger on the Fife player we get an extra minor, for an incident that wasnt even that bad; no bad hit just some pushing and shoving. Knowing Hicks it could easily end up even worse than a 2 minute minor. Did Salters not wading in with fists flying mean that Doucet got roughed up again? Were we getting hit around? No to both for me. It was 3-1 at that point, one PP goal and they are straight back in the game.