both..Squad is complete.. last forward, top line player to be announced next week
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The completed squad - Your verdict
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Thanks, if the rumoured final forward signing is indeed signed, will that not be a spare import, or are we currently a forward short/yet to be announced?
We're allowed 15 imports on the bench.
Allowing for the import forward we'll be announcing next week, the likely match day situation will be:
1 import netminder + Brit
5 import defencemen
9 import forwards (8 currently announced to date with 1 more announced next week).
That means one of the import netminders will have to sit it out.
If for some reason we had both import netminders on the bench, then one of the import out skaters would need to sit it out.
What many of us would like to see is the club sign a spare out skater to cover for injuries and niggles. It would also keep all the players on their toes because the spare would replace any under performing import out skaters.
Regards
Doom
Now I'm clear lol!Doom wrote: ↑Thu Aug 17, 2023 9:27 amWe're allowed 15 imports on the bench.
Allowing for the import forward we'll be announcing next week, the likely match day situation will be:
1 import netminder + Brit
5 import defencemen
9 import forwards (8 currently announced to date with 1 more announced next week).
That means one of the import netminders will have to sit it out.
If for some reason we had both import netminders on the bench, then one of the import out skaters would need to sit it out.
What many of us would like to see is the club sign a spare out skater to cover for injuries and niggles. It would also keep all the players on their toes because the spare would replace any under performing import out skaters.
Regards
Doom
Yeah, I think carrying a spare would be a good idea, we have by default, ended up doing that just after the season starts, over the last few seasons at least. Although if there was a choice between better a budget for the full squad v's having to carry a spare, I'd prefer to see the money go on better players.
Still got to wait then before I can provide my verdict as I'm waiting until the squad is complete
As far as I'm concerned this final signing is a crucial piece of the jigsaw, because it's the forwards where we look weakest, especially with so many of them coming off a poor season.
I've woken up early and can't drift back off, so I thought I'd have a run through our squad.
Netminding
I think we're in a decent place with the netminding. Greenfield has proved himself to be a solid number one and should be good for 92% next season, which is a minimum for a championship winning team.
I'd be worried if Morrone had to play on a regular basis, but he should be good enough to fill in from time to time.
Laing looks to be a solid British back up.
Defence
I think this is where our strength will be next season and feel very content with the business we've done.
Petgrave and Nevalainen are a known quantity and were arguably one of the top three defensive pairings in the league last season. I see no reason to believe that won't be the case again.
Saucerman is probably the player I'm looking forward to watching the most. Reports suggest he's a good skater and the larger ice surfaces in Europe seem to suit him. Both his European excursions have resulted in him being top of the +/- for defencemen.
Diffley looks solid if unspectacular. Tansey is the one I'm most concerned about, because his +/- record is quite poor, but he does offer us some size at the back and apparently has a bullet of a shot which should be useful on the powerplay.
In Jones we know we have one of the best British defencemen in the league.
Whilst it might be quite attack minded, I do like the overall balance and think it looks a slight upgrade on last seasons decent defence.
We also have 3 left and 3 right.
Forwards
For me this is where we look the weakest and could end up struggling again, especially if the final signing isn't top notch.
The theme running through our new forwards is that they're all coming off of a poor season.
Last season I picked out 4 players I thought were risky signings and all were forwards (Neumann, Raska, Connolly and Mitchell). Of those only Neumann really came off, the rest struggled.
I think it's a similar situation this season, but with more potential upside if they do come off. The players I have in mind are:
Vallerand - Well into his 30s and suffered an injury last season, so it is questionable if we'll see the Vallerand of two seasons ago. I don't feel this is the same level of risk as Connolly though, because even the Vally of last season should be good for 20 goals.
Juusola - One of the players I'm most excited to watch, but he is coming off of a 0 goals season, so confidence might be quite low. If he gets off the mark early I think he could really fly and have a similar impact to Latal.
Simpson - Another one who struggled to make an impact last season, his first in Europe. He's never been much of a goal scorer, but he's big and we're told he's good at faceoffs, which will be useful, especially in special teams situations.
He must have something about his game because from college he went straight to the AHL, where he spent two curtailed seasons. In the AHL he produced at a similar rate to the new Belfast signing who everybody seems so excited by, although Simpson had better +/-.
Kielly - It looks like he struggled with injuries last season and only managed 3 goals from 23 games, which is a poor return.
Looking for the positives, in his time in the USports league he put up some good numbers and out scored the likes of Steve Owre and Cole Sanford, both of whom had excellent seasons in our league last year. You can never tell, but let's hope on the larger ice of the EIHL he can have a similar impact.
Looking at our remaining forwards:
Our British trio look as good as any others in the league (now Conway has left).
The Neumann/Allen/Ciampini line should be one of the best 2nd lines in the league and capable of 70 goals. The problem will be if our so called 1st line doesn't fire and this becomes our top line, because as a top line I think it looks quite weak.
The only player I don't think I've mentioned is Watling. I can see him putting up good numbers whether that be goals and/or assists, so i don't really have any concerns about him on our top line.
It's all on the final forward now.....please don’t be another forward coming off of a poor season.
Well that killed an hour.....is it time to get up yet?
Regards
Doom
I've woken up early and can't drift back off, so I thought I'd have a run through our squad.
Netminding
I think we're in a decent place with the netminding. Greenfield has proved himself to be a solid number one and should be good for 92% next season, which is a minimum for a championship winning team.
I'd be worried if Morrone had to play on a regular basis, but he should be good enough to fill in from time to time.
Laing looks to be a solid British back up.
Defence
I think this is where our strength will be next season and feel very content with the business we've done.
Petgrave and Nevalainen are a known quantity and were arguably one of the top three defensive pairings in the league last season. I see no reason to believe that won't be the case again.
Saucerman is probably the player I'm looking forward to watching the most. Reports suggest he's a good skater and the larger ice surfaces in Europe seem to suit him. Both his European excursions have resulted in him being top of the +/- for defencemen.
Diffley looks solid if unspectacular. Tansey is the one I'm most concerned about, because his +/- record is quite poor, but he does offer us some size at the back and apparently has a bullet of a shot which should be useful on the powerplay.
In Jones we know we have one of the best British defencemen in the league.
Whilst it might be quite attack minded, I do like the overall balance and think it looks a slight upgrade on last seasons decent defence.
We also have 3 left and 3 right.
Forwards
For me this is where we look the weakest and could end up struggling again, especially if the final signing isn't top notch.
The theme running through our new forwards is that they're all coming off of a poor season.
Last season I picked out 4 players I thought were risky signings and all were forwards (Neumann, Raska, Connolly and Mitchell). Of those only Neumann really came off, the rest struggled.
I think it's a similar situation this season, but with more potential upside if they do come off. The players I have in mind are:
Vallerand - Well into his 30s and suffered an injury last season, so it is questionable if we'll see the Vallerand of two seasons ago. I don't feel this is the same level of risk as Connolly though, because even the Vally of last season should be good for 20 goals.
Juusola - One of the players I'm most excited to watch, but he is coming off of a 0 goals season, so confidence might be quite low. If he gets off the mark early I think he could really fly and have a similar impact to Latal.
Simpson - Another one who struggled to make an impact last season, his first in Europe. He's never been much of a goal scorer, but he's big and we're told he's good at faceoffs, which will be useful, especially in special teams situations.
He must have something about his game because from college he went straight to the AHL, where he spent two curtailed seasons. In the AHL he produced at a similar rate to the new Belfast signing who everybody seems so excited by, although Simpson had better +/-.
Kielly - It looks like he struggled with injuries last season and only managed 3 goals from 23 games, which is a poor return.
Looking for the positives, in his time in the USports league he put up some good numbers and out scored the likes of Steve Owre and Cole Sanford, both of whom had excellent seasons in our league last year. You can never tell, but let's hope on the larger ice of the EIHL he can have a similar impact.
Looking at our remaining forwards:
Our British trio look as good as any others in the league (now Conway has left).
The Neumann/Allen/Ciampini line should be one of the best 2nd lines in the league and capable of 70 goals. The problem will be if our so called 1st line doesn't fire and this becomes our top line, because as a top line I think it looks quite weak.
The only player I don't think I've mentioned is Watling. I can see him putting up good numbers whether that be goals and/or assists, so i don't really have any concerns about him on our top line.
It's all on the final forward now.....please don’t be another forward coming off of a poor season.
Well that killed an hour.....is it time to get up yet?
Regards
Doom
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raetiamann
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Doom said Diffley looks a solid if unspectacular D man. Words I've been hoping to read for a while now.
