Steelers Rumours 22/23

[House_of_Steel]

What concerns me is who the other top teams are capable of signing and we don’t seem to be anywhere close for all the hype of last season finishing second, Belfast and Cardiff still picked up the silverware! Besko, Carruth, Register, Brodie Reid, if these players were rumoured to be coming to our club most people would say that their CVS are too expensive or the player is too good for our league yet these teams that are meant to be our comparisons can? I’ve tried hard in recent years to lower my expectations with regards to winning silverware each season, but if I’m being honest it’s boiling my piss a club the size of ours can’t compete with these clubs taking the cheaper European route of signing multiple players, we must be the only supposedly high end club that does this both Devils and Giants source predominantly from the North American market with only a handful of European players signed every blue moon.
Another example was we were interested in Hammond now this lad is a offer you can’t refuse yet if rumours prove correct we’ve been out bidded by our nearest and dearest. I really hope our last signings are top draw otherwise yet again we will go another season without picking up silverware

Barry Brust rumour (NO COMMENT)!!!!!!

[kgw]

What concerns me is who the other top teams are capable of signing and we don’t seem to be anywhere close for all the hype of last season finishing second, Belfast and Cardiff still picked up the silverware! Besko, Carruth, Register, Brodie Reid, if these players were rumoured to be coming to our club most people would say that their CVS are too expensive or the player is too good for our league yet these teams that are meant to be our comparisons can? I’ve tried hard in recent years to lower my expectations with regards to winning silverware each season, but if I’m being honest it’s boiling my piss a club the size of ours can’t compete with these clubs taking the cheaper European route of signing multiple players, we must be the only supposedly high end club that does this both Devils and Giants source predominantly from the North American market with only a handful of European players signed every blue moon.
Another example was we were interested in Hammond now this lad is a offer you can’t refuse yet if rumours prove correct we’ve been out bidded by our nearest and dearest. I really hope our last signings are top draw otherwise yet again we will go another season without picking up silverware

Barry Brust rumour (NO COMMENT)!!!!!!

How do you know players coming from European leagues (that pay well) are cheaper than players coming from the ECHL or AHL?

You mention Mike Hammond, but he's been playing in Europe for years.

You mentioned Mac Carruth, who was also playing in Europe prior to Cardiff.

You mentioned Brodie Reid who spent 5 years in Austria before coming to Cardiff.

Beskorowany also featured in various European legaues before going to Belfast.

Is your issue the players' nationality or where they have played?

The only new Steelers player who has "only" European experience is Adam Raska.

[Doom]

I'm not sure I get the negativity with our roster, but I guess we all see different things.

I look at Cardiff and think they've signed some very fine players like Coughler, Reid and Jardine, but apart from Jardine I don't particularly see a star studded defence which is mainly made up of seasoned ECHL players and Brits.

Up front they have Brandt who managed 2 goals in 27 games last season and he's an import. Looking at his USports career I would expect a lot more and maybe he was injured, but he hardly looks a world beater.

Crandall gets a lot of assists, but 12 goals in 53 games is hardly earth shattering.

This is not a criticism of Cardiff, I think they look very competitive, but some of our supporters seem to be focusing only on the quality they've signed and miss some of the other signings which are made to balance the budget.

I can do exactly the same with Nottingham. Which Brit pack would you prefer:

Moore, Hazeldine, Ferrara, Hopkins, Kelsall and Myers

or

Phillips, Jones, Dowd, Phillips and Whistle (possibly Graham?)

I know which one I'd take.

The point is you can find strength and weaknesses in all teams, but our supporters seem to be concentrating on the strengths of the opposition and the weaknesses of our team.

I personally don't think there will be much to choose between Cardiff, Sheffield and Nottingham with all three capable of challenging for silverware this season, which has to be a positive for the league.

I still think the Belfast will be the team to beat, because their roster looks like it has more goals in it than any of the others.

Final signings may well be key, let's hope we have a quality netminder lined up.

Regards

Doom

[JoeySlats#13]

I'm not sure I get the negativity with our roster, but I guess we all see different things.

I look at Cardiff and think they've signed some very fine players like Coughler, Reid and Jardine, but apart from Jardine I don't particularly see a star studded defence which is mainly made up of seasoned ECHL players and Brits.

Up front they have Brandt who managed 2 goals in 27 games last season and he's an import. Looking at his USports career I would expect a lot more and maybe he was injured, but he hardly looks a world beater.

Crandall gets a lot of assists, but 12 goals in 53 games is hardly earth shattering.

This is not a criticism of Cardiff, I think they look very competitive, but some of our supporters seem to be focusing only on the quality they've signed and miss some of the other signings which are made to balance the budget.

I can do exactly the same with Nottingham. Which Brit pack would you prefer:

Moore, Hazeldine, Ferrara, Hopkins, Kelsall and Myers

or

Phillips, Jones, Dowd, Phillips and Whistle (possibly Graham?)

I know which one I'd take.

The point is you can find strength and weaknesses in all teams, but our supporters seem to be concentrating on the strengths of the opposition and the weaknesses of our team.

I personally don't think there will be much to choose between Cardiff, Sheffield and Nottingham with all three capable of challenging for silverware this season, which has to be a positive for the league.

I still think the Belfast will be the team to beat, because their roster looks like it has more goals in it than any of the others.

Final signings may well be key, let's hope we have a quality netminder lined up.

Regards

Doom

Couldn't agree more with you regarding assessing our roster compared to everyone else's definitely seems to be the trend to big up players signed or signing elsewhere and downplay and forget about the players we've got so far and that are incoming.

I think the top 4 will be extremely tight and Clan will be close by.

[House_of_Steel]

What concerns me is who the other top teams are capable of signing and we don’t seem to be anywhere close for all the hype of last season finishing second, Belfast and Cardiff still picked up the silverware! Besko, Carruth, Register, Brodie Reid, if these players were rumoured to be coming to our club most people would say that their CVS are too expensive or the player is too good for our league yet these teams that are meant to be our comparisons can? I’ve tried hard in recent years to lower my expectations with regards to winning silverware each season, but if I’m being honest it’s boiling my piss a club the size of ours can’t compete with these clubs taking the cheaper European route of signing multiple players, we must be the only supposedly high end club that does this both Devils and Giants source predominantly from the North American market with only a handful of European players signed every blue moon.
Another example was we were interested in Hammond now this lad is a offer you can’t refuse yet if rumours prove correct we’ve been out bidded by our nearest and dearest. I really hope our last signings are top draw otherwise yet again we will go another season without picking up silverware

Barry Brust rumour (NO COMMENT)!!!!!!

How do you know players coming from European leagues (that pay well) are cheaper than players coming from the ECHL or AHL?

You mention Mike Hammond, but he's been playing in Europe for years.

You mentioned Mac Carruth, who was also playing in Europe prior to Cardiff.

You mentioned Brodie Reid who spent 5 years in Austria before coming to Cardiff.

Beskorowany also featured in various European legaues before going to Belfast.

Is your issue the players' nationality or where they have played?

The only new Steelers player who has "only" European experience is Adam Raska.

Nothing against their nationality, using the Czech league has an example the average player is payed 2200 usd a month that’s at top level whilst in comparison the equivalent quality ECHL player will be 800-1000 usd a week you could say it’s good business sense which it is but Id sooner have North American players for the added physicality element to their game. Which suits the EIHL level and style of play

[kgw]

What concerns me is who the other top teams are capable of signing and we don’t seem to be anywhere close for all the hype of last season finishing second, Belfast and Cardiff still picked up the silverware! Besko, Carruth, Register, Brodie Reid, if these players were rumoured to be coming to our club most people would say that their CVS are too expensive or the player is too good for our league yet these teams that are meant to be our comparisons can? I’ve tried hard in recent years to lower my expectations with regards to winning silverware each season, but if I’m being honest it’s boiling my piss a club the size of ours can’t compete with these clubs taking the cheaper European route of signing multiple players, we must be the only supposedly high end club that does this both Devils and Giants source predominantly from the North American market with only a handful of European players signed every blue moon.
Another example was we were interested in Hammond now this lad is a offer you can’t refuse yet if rumours prove correct we’ve been out bidded by our nearest and dearest. I really hope our last signings are top draw otherwise yet again we will go another season without picking up silverware

Barry Brust rumour (NO COMMENT)!!!!!!

How do you know players coming from European leagues (that pay well) are cheaper than players coming from the ECHL or AHL?

You mention Mike Hammond, but he's been playing in Europe for years.

You mentioned Mac Carruth, who was also playing in Europe prior to Cardiff.

You mentioned Brodie Reid who spent 5 years in Austria before coming to Cardiff.

Beskorowany also featured in various European legaues before going to Belfast.

Is your issue the players' nationality or where they have played?

The only new Steelers player who has "only" European experience is Adam Raska.

Nothing against their nationality, using the Czech league has an example the average player is payed 2200 usd a month that’s at top level whilst in comparison the equivalent quality ECHL player will be 800-1000 usd a week you could say it’s good business sense which it is but Id sooner have North American players for the added physicality element to their game. Which suits the EIHL level and style of play

Of the 5 new signings, the majority are North American.

Petgrave
Allen
Mitchell

Nevaleinen
Raska

[kgw]

Also, there are only 3 European players on our team (excluding Brits).

[House_of_Steel]

Also, there are only 3 European players on our team (excluding Brits).

How many on Belfast Cardiff this season?

[kgw]

This upcoming season? Zero.

You seem to be insinuating that European players are inferior.

Are you saying Belfast and Cardiff were better last season because of the nationality of their players?

[kgw]

Wasn't Martin Latal one of the best players in the league last season or am I mistaken?