Summit Sunday 2023 - Dedicated thread
- Thread starter kristian
- Start date
Looking at the points per game of last season, I have Barrow on the 2nd line.
We have 2 good first lines there and average points wise its an upgrade on last year.
I think we still have a third line winger to come. Im getting nervous that it may be Penny. Hope not.
On D I can't see Jardine coming back as his knee was pretty knackered last season.
I suspect it will be Crawford and Mosey. UK Ice Hockey Rumours twitter page has been right about all the others and have been saying for ages the Mosey is joining us.
We have 2 good first lines there and average points wise its an upgrade on last year.
I think we still have a third line winger to come. Im getting nervous that it may be Penny. Hope not.
On D I can't see Jardine coming back as his knee was pretty knackered last season.
I suspect it will be Crawford and Mosey. UK Ice Hockey Rumours twitter page has been right about all the others and have been saying for ages the Mosey is joining us.
Interesting thought on the poker comment. Something in the back of my head thinks we might have done something similar in the past?
Having said that I wouldn’t be shocked if he was pencilled in for that first line. He was on course for a 20 goal season before he got injured. And we haven’t that many wingers score 20+ goals in a season. There weren’t many complaints when we re-signed Crandall as our 1st line RW yet even in that first season he only scored 12 goals from a full league campaign. The same as Barrow from nearly half that. Maybe PR feels that line needs a bit of youth and physicality to compliment the other two.
Having said that I wouldn’t be shocked if he was pencilled in for that first line. He was on course for a 20 goal season before he got injured. And we haven’t that many wingers score 20+ goals in a season. There weren’t many complaints when we re-signed Crandall as our 1st line RW yet even in that first season he only scored 12 goals from a full league campaign. The same as Barrow from nearly half that. Maybe PR feels that line needs a bit of youth and physicality to compliment the other two.
I don’t know is the honest answer.
I felt last year that Jardine was being signed as our #1 D, but it was Crawford who ended up doing that job despite being less experienced.
I said at the end of last season I wouldn’t object to either Crawford or Jardine returning but wasn’t sure we had space for both if we wanted to improve.
You can make a good argument for either returning. Im assuming that Mosey will be on D, but if not then I guess there would be space for both.
And if Mosey is used as a F then Waller - Busch - Mosey is a very strong 3rd line.
I felt last year that Jardine was being signed as our #1 D, but it was Crawford who ended up doing that job despite being less experienced.
I said at the end of last season I wouldn’t object to either Crawford or Jardine returning but wasn’t sure we had space for both if we wanted to improve.
You can make a good argument for either returning. Im assuming that Mosey will be on D, but if not then I guess there would be space for both.
And if Mosey is used as a F then Waller - Busch - Mosey is a very strong 3rd line.
I’m intrigued by the signings.
We know exactly what we’re getting with what I’m going to call our “first” line (but I think the top two will be interchangeable and will get similar ice time) of:
Cox - Martin - Sandford
I can then see a “second” line (based on comments) of:
Ully - Arniel - Barrow
More traditional third and fourth lines of:
Waller - Busch - AN Other
Brandt - Duggan - Davies (assuming)
As people have pointed out in various places, that right wing on the third line could be Barrow with another slotting in on the top line. It depends who comes in.
We don’t have enough announced D to really look at who goes with who.
Why I’m intrigued is there are some stats to get excited about, but so far there isn’t a Linglet/Hedden/Dixon type of experienced player where you can look at his past and see he played, and succeeded, at the top level. But I think the figures in the forwards could give us some really good scoring if everything works. If not, we could find ourselves short in terms of points compared to Belfast.
Interested to see if we go the Strachan/Morrisonn/Mikkelson route of a really top level experienced and responsible D man that I think we have been missing.
A Hotham/Fournier type to match such a D man would be my ideal, and if I’m being greedy a spare forward and D man (but someone who can do both can work).
We know exactly what we’re getting with what I’m going to call our “first” line (but I think the top two will be interchangeable and will get similar ice time) of:
Cox - Martin - Sandford
I can then see a “second” line (based on comments) of:
Ully - Arniel - Barrow
More traditional third and fourth lines of:
Waller - Busch - AN Other
Brandt - Duggan - Davies (assuming)
As people have pointed out in various places, that right wing on the third line could be Barrow with another slotting in on the top line. It depends who comes in.
We don’t have enough announced D to really look at who goes with who.
Why I’m intrigued is there are some stats to get excited about, but so far there isn’t a Linglet/Hedden/Dixon type of experienced player where you can look at his past and see he played, and succeeded, at the top level. But I think the figures in the forwards could give us some really good scoring if everything works. If not, we could find ourselves short in terms of points compared to Belfast.
Interested to see if we go the Strachan/Morrisonn/Mikkelson route of a really top level experienced and responsible D man that I think we have been missing.
A Hotham/Fournier type to match such a D man would be my ideal, and if I’m being greedy a spare forward and D man (but someone who can do both can work).
If Mosey is coming back, and it looks almost guaranteed that he is, then I would much prefer him as a forward. If he does he would slot in to that 3rd winger role, and playing with Waller that line would have serious wheels. And a bigger guy in Busch in the middle to make space and get them the puck, it could work well. That would leave 2 d men, I'm hoping Crawford is back. And if Jardine is not I would go for an old fashioned stay at home d man.
Obviously that does put Barrow in the top 6. He could be up to it, his start last year would suggest he could be, but we'll have to see him play first.
One thing that's a slight worry for me is that Ully and Barrow are coming back from significant injuries. Mosey is guaranteed to miss half a season too. Maybe getting Chad as a spare isn't a bad shout actually.
Obviously that does put Barrow in the top 6. He could be up to it, his start last year would suggest he could be, but we'll have to see him play first.
One thing that's a slight worry for me is that Ully and Barrow are coming back from significant injuries. Mosey is guaranteed to miss half a season too. Maybe getting Chad as a spare isn't a bad shout actually.
I think Devils are one signing away from being bang on the money but it is to compliment Arneil and Ully. I’m not knocking Barrow but he has only played 30 games of pro hockey and was paired with Ohrvall last season who went on a run so I’d love to see him on the third paired up with Waller and push him up a level. Devils simply didn’t score enough last season so another guy chipping in with decent numbers would probably put them at or near top of the goal scored column. Someone like Ohrvall even. Three lines of genuine offensive quality.
Defensively it’s still hard to read despite having four signed. Again though you have to be looking to lead the league in goals against.
Defensively it’s still hard to read despite having four signed. Again though you have to be looking to lead the league in goals against.
Totally agree with you Mooney. I look at Barrow at this stage of his career and think “Fingers crossed he’s good enough to be on a top line” compared to a Ully or an Arniel who are clearly top line signings at this level. Like you said he’s only played 30 odd league games as a professional for a team where there was no pressure to win.
I think some people miss the point when we are concerned about Barrow on a top line. It’s not like i don’t rate the signing, I actually really like everything I’ve read about him but for a team hoping to win the league he should be starting on the third line for me. You can always juggle the lines if he turns out to be as good as the coaches/owners think he is but there’s no way anybody can be 100% confident he’s the answer for that Ully, Arniel line because he’s so inexperienced. He also missed a large chunk of last season through injury. As I said the other day I’ve got absolutely no doubts Barrow would start the season on Belfasts third line and they’re the benchmark.
I think some people miss the point when we are concerned about Barrow on a top line. It’s not like i don’t rate the signing, I actually really like everything I’ve read about him but for a team hoping to win the league he should be starting on the third line for me. You can always juggle the lines if he turns out to be as good as the coaches/owners think he is but there’s no way anybody can be 100% confident he’s the answer for that Ully, Arniel line because he’s so inexperienced. He also missed a large chunk of last season through injury. As I said the other day I’ve got absolutely no doubts Barrow would start the season on Belfasts third line and they’re the benchmark.
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