A while back I said that I wouldn’t be sharing my thoughts regarding who I thought should stay, and who should go, on the current squad until the season was over. Although it finished on a high, I think that achievement was basically just papering over the cracks that we all know are there in this team. I think there’s a need to be brutally honest about the deficiencies.
My thoughts are predicated on the following needs within the team. There are probably others, but for the purposes of this summary, these will do.
- We need upgrades at Centre. The spine of the team has been too weak - we’ve struggled on face-offs, and we need more of a consistent threat on the first line. At one point in the playoff final a graphic showed us as winning only 40% of the faceoffs. That’s not nearly good enough.
- It’s clear that, no matter what some would have you believe, the role of the enforcer hasn’t gone from this league. If Louis is going, we can’t rely on Batch for that (we need him on the blueline). McNally hasn’t proven to be the deterrent I’d hoped. A new enforcer will need to be a winger.
- We need more physicality generally.
- I was going to suggest here that our secondary goaltending needs an upgrade. But obviously we’re now in a position of needing a new primary as well. While Kozun looked really good in the early season, his flaws have been exposed as the season has progressed and we’ve not had nearly the split of ice time between our keepers that I’d hoped for. I know that the idea of having two import goalies has annoyed some fans, as they see it as wasting import slots. I do feel that the case has been made for having two goalies sharing the schedule. Unless Bownsy comes back, and is happy to split ice time 50/50, that means two imports.
- We need a new offensive and a new defensive defenceman. If Fournier is indeed coming back, that would be perfect. I’d also take Ben Blood. Both are players who know the Devils set up as well as being immensely talented.
- If the rules allow we’re going to need to carry a spare import again.
So, now onto the individual players:
Carruth
He’s been excellent, and I’d hoped we would keep him. As that doesn’t seem to be the case, we have to look to him as the standard of replacement that we need.
Kozun
He hasn’t had as much ice time as I’d hoped. In the latter part of the season he seemed shaky when he did ice. He should be replaceable, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him end up in Guildford.
Richardson and Batch
These two have been immense all season. We know how brilliant Richardson is, whilst Batch has developed beyond my wildest dreams. Any team in the league would love these two.
Register
How this guy never player consistently at a higher level than he has is difficult to understand. His point scoring and his ability to soak up minutes makes him very valuable. That’s not to say that he hasn’t given me kittens at times, but he is a player that pretty much every team in the league would be jealous of us having. Register and Fournier on the same team would be awesome.
Mikkelson and Louis
It looks very much like these two are retiring. I’m sure we can find two solid players to step in, hopefully to be the sort of long term asset that Louis has been.
McNulty
He has been a solid stay at home defenceman who has given us the stability that BOC simply didn’t. He can certainly do a job for us, but if he doesn’t stay he should be replaceable.
Reid
The fact that he’s our top scorer says a lot. I think that he could have done even better on a settled line. Whilst in some games he seems to have struggled to make an impact, that’s probably as much to do with the attention he now gets. All that said, if you look at the type of goals that he typically scores they tend to be from a cross ice pass with the goalie out of position. He’s not stepped up to break games in the way that the CCS line has.
Dixon
Unfortunately it looks very much like Dixon will retire. This is a real pity. The guy is a warrior, and he contributes in a variety of ways. If he could be persuaded to stay, I’d see him more anchoring a 3rd line rather than centering the first. His loss will mean that we lack a dependable face off specialist. Such a player to anchor the first line must be a high priority.
Crandall
Another one we need to keep. I would see him being even more productive with a top centre linking him and Reid up.
Cox, Coughler and Sandford
We must keep these three together at all costs.
Duggan
Duggan has developed into a great two way forward. He also seems to be a big part of the glue that draws the team together. I can’t see him going anywhere, but he would be very difficult to replace if he did. I see Duggan as a future captain.
Waller
Excellent breakout season. If he has a good world championships he might be tempted to try his luck outside the UK, but we have to try our best to keep him.
Davies
From time to time I’ve seen him criticized. I just don’t get that though. He plays a role and plays it well. His tenacious forechecking puts a lot of pressure on opponents, and I think he’s a valuable weapon to have in our arsenal. That said he’s part of the problem at centre. We need a better centre, but I don’t quite know where we’d get as a comparable Brit.
McNally
In the early season he was a standout, but following his return from injury hasn’t seemed the same player. I’d also hoped to see him bring more toughness. I don’t see him returning.
Lammon
There was a time in the season where he started to look good. I don’t think that he’s been bad exactly, but we need an upgrade on his position.
Brandt
His popularity has been based upon two things – his willingness to make big hits (this is in itself a bit of an indictment of the lack of physicality elsewhere in the team) and his heritage. For anyone criticising him it’s important to remember that as a first year pro, and having missed a bunch of hockey over the last few years, this was going to be a tough season for him. That said he’s played the role he’s been asked to and even stepped up on the PK. I’d be quite willing to give him a full season to show what he can do. Given that he’s probably one of the cheaper players on the team, I think he’s at least earned that much.
Dupont
I’ve made no secret of the fact that, as a player, I didn’t think that Dupont was anywhere near good enough. As a coach he stepped up in very difficult circumstances and, to his credit, he produced. That said, he was using a team and systems that were already in place. To put things in perspective the team won the shortest competition of the season.
Our aim for next season has to be to win the league back and try to emulate Nottingham’s achievement in winning the Continental Cup. I don’t think that Dupont has the experience for that, and I’m not sure he’ll have chance to develop as a coach in the pressured environment of coaching the Devils. I see somewhere like Dundee, where there are a different set of expectations, to be a more natural fit.
So, how does this break down?
Keep
Richardson, Batch, Reid, Crandall, Cox, Coughler, Sandford, Duggan, Waller, Brandt, Davies, Register
Go
Carruth (who I’d really rather keep, but we know he’s signed elsewhere), Kozun, McNally, Lammon, Mikkelson (retire), Louis (retire), Dixon (retire), Dupont
Meh
McNulty
On rumours
The way that the roster is opening up the return of Fournier and Martin would be brilliant. Yes, they’re a couple of years older, and their roles might be slightly different, but they would be a declaration of intend. I’d also like to add Ben Blood to that. When he was with us previously he was, if we’re honest, too good for us. Even a few years on I think his class would be a massive steadying influence, particularly is we’re losing Louis.
If Bownsy were to come back, he could undoubtedly be a huge asset. It would however have to be on the basis of sharing duties to a top import goalie on a 50/50 split.