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OK let's have a little fun, guys its not life or death or anything So let's just have fun with this..

We are all armchair coaches to some degree and everyone of us knows what they like and what they dont like.

lets run this Poll and find out the ONLY 6 players
we would absolutely without questions asked, sign in to next seasons squad no hesitation! and then discuss the rest.

It Will Be Hard but then again it is meant to be...

Have an opinion why some didn't make the cut, maybe then have the next 6 maybe players in your post that just missed out and why.

Why certain players would make your team without doubt, the first player you would re-sign etc.
Also players that we unfortunately would not have back and why, without resulting to insults of course. and of course what type of players we want in the team.
Any players Forwards, Defenders and of course Netminders.

Lets see from the continuing poll results who are our top six players and from discussions' and who we would rather moved on down the road!

The poll will run for a while with the ability for you to change your vote as you see fit, as we close out the season and players play there way in and out of your top 6

Remember it's a bit of fun, lets not give the disparaging voyeurs a chance to wail into the keyboards...

mine are Jones, Jono, Davey, Dowdy, Mosey, Vally I would bring Eberle back but that's 7

Mmmm … tricky, it depends whether you are choosing just for next season., Dowd, Mosey, Vallerand Phillips ( either ) or looking to the future as those already named are longish in the tooth. The younger brigade that need keeping in my opinion would be Jones, Whistle, Shudra, etc.

ASD, Eberle, Dowd, Whistle, Jones, Vallerand.

A tough one Jay this poll as you say.

Dowd gets in as captain replacing Jono, although I still think he has another season in him.

ASD is a tough D man and has played well for me this year.

I'd give Vallerand another season as he has been excellent.

Eberle just gets in over Mosey & Latal for me (who would have been my next 2 keeps if 8 were required) as he's just a bit younger and plays with a bit of an edge.

Jones & Whistle help inject youth to the side and are continual improvers.

I'd then be in the market for tougher players to allow Eberle to play with even more of an edge and balance that with a couple of snipers. Not sure whether I'd go for 2 x import goalies though.

Brian wrote:Mmmm … tricky, it depends whether you are choosing just for next season., Dowd, Mosey, Vallerand Phillips ( either ) or looking to the future as those already named are longish in the tooth. The younger brigade that need keeping in my opinion would be Jones, Whistle, Shudra, etc.

Well you're choosing for the next team, next season, but it's entirely valid to look to the future too, just like any coach would do, but if a coach has to pick his first 6 signings for next season that he 100% knows he must have in his team, then this is his 6 he/you would pick.. Everyone else goes on the wish list or the plane home

Jayboy

rnewbolt1 wrote: ↑

Mon Mar 14, 2022 3:13 pm

mine are Jones, Jono, Davey, Dowdy, Mosey, Vally I would bring Eberle back but that's 7

Wow, only one different to mine, I had Latal instead of Mosey

Mostly Brits, because they are the heartbeat and the continuity which makes the Steelers what they are, Jono doesn't get credit for what he brings to the work ethic of the Steelers, he leads by example and that makes the imports step up, OK he doesn't score much, rarely gets physical but he is respected by all.
Vally and Latal are pretty obvious, they know where the net is.

Then for the second bunch of 6 maybe's (as in JB's original post) I think Mosey, Whistle because we need the next generation of Brits to come good, surprisingly Polak, Todd since he was our best import defenceman until he was injured (maybe thats ASD now he's back) then the Eberle from the elite series if we can have him back please and I suppose Id have to choose Stojanovic as a goalie.

I would have included Connelly but we don't know if he will return or retire.

Tough choices, who'd be a coach? Mine were Latal, Whistle, Dowd, Vally, Jones & ASD.

Al Murrays Hairbrush wrote: ↑

Mon Mar 14, 2022 8:29 pm

Tough choices, who'd be a coach? Mine were Latal, Whistle, Dowd, Vally, Jones & ASD.

For this exercise I think the idea is you are the (armchair) coach.

DEFINITE:

I’d go with Vallerand & Látal as imports as I believe they have quality that’s almost impossible to replace at this level.

Also Mosey as he’s a high end EIHL player in any position which again is almost impossible to find elsewhere within budget.

Then Dowd, Jones, D. Phillips as the essential Brits.

Dowd brings scoring and heart, Jones probably the best D of his age range and David Phillips because there’s a huge shortage of Brit D so I don’t see how we’d replace him.

MAYBE:
Jonathan Phillips, may retire but I’d offer a deal in reality if he’s up for it.

Whistle & Graham would be in there as important to nail down younger Brits as the current market has a huge shortage.

Import wise I like what Polák brings and would be interested but he’ll be 37 by opening night and he is replaceable.

Also love what Kevin Schulze brings so would be interested in his services for 22/23. Again slightly more replaceable if he’s unnatainable as it’s on record both Cardiff & Belfast offered him deals after his EIHL Series performance.

DEFINITELY NOT:
The obvious choice here is Keaton Ellerby, no doubt he’s had an excellent career and was once better than anyone in this league but those days are long gone.

Justin Hodgman I can see retiring or heading home to play close to his family from the vibes I get from him, an okay playmaking centre at this level but nothing groundbreaking.

I think Todd & Connolly are retirement risks as both have had injury hit last few years and are mid thirties.

Torn on Saxrud-Danielsen as he’s not been great for me after such a good EIHL Series, but then he drops a +4 performance in Belfast. I do think there’s better available though at our price point.

Eberle
Mosey
Vallerand
Jones
Todd
Latal

Personally I have doubts about Connolly returning, Dowd looks shot to bits and Davey looks like he's about to fall apart. I'd love all 3 back though.

Hodgman, Ellerby and Armstrong all should retire.
All 3 have flattered to decieve.

Brust and Rok have me sat on the fence really.