Big pressure on the last two D signings now to ensure we aren’t yet again an attack focused, diminutive (trying to avoid saying soft as hell) D-core who struggle to defend due to being bullied or caught out at the other end of the rink
Nevalainen - Import
Shulze - Import
Phillips - Jones
Import
McLaughlin
Whilst we’ve still got quite a few signings to announce, I can’t say I’m particularly excited by any of our recruitment so far. Let’s hope the Ellerby and Brust rumours are incorrect as two more import slots will be filled by has been players.
Bob fairytale in the star today pressing home a Deluca return why as a club do we always seek out the easy option it’s pure lazy recruitment and wouldn’t surprise me if a top line player is missing from the roster on the strength of his return, he’s plain and simply been caught with an illegal substance in his urine end of story, full stop, the end, that’s it!!!!they should be no return he’s been foolish enough as a professional hockey player to make that mistake and quite frankly there’s better players out there, (best Tony Smith voice but are they as cheap as Anthony Deluca forget the drugs let’s put some positive spin on it if he’s cheap enough).what an example this would set if he made a return embarrassing!!! (Rant over).
There have been a number of players rumoured to be returning, I don't really want any of them back, but if I was to put them in order of preference I'd probably go with:
1. Ellerby - I don't think this would be a bad signing, he's a decent player, but I expected a lot more from a player with his CV. Unless he's cheaper than I'd imagine, there must be better options out there.
2. Brust - Only as a number two and at the right price. The number one would have to be good.
3. DeLuca - The youngest of the 4 and therefore probably still able to improve. Down as 3rd choice because I really didn't see anything from him last season which suggested he was going to catch fire.
4. Connolly - Undoubtedly the player who has offered most to the club out of 4. He looked like his standards were starting to slip before his injury. Another year older and a year out with a serious injury makes him far too much of a risk for my liking.
Who knows, maybe he can do a Roy, but I wouldn't want us to risk it.
If we were to re-sign those 4 as part of our remaining signings then barring a HUGE turn around in Brust and Ellerby, due to knowing the league now and losing some rink rust after last year, then I feel our best hope for next season will be 3rd/4th and a run at a cup. Too big an injury to take such a gamble for a player of his age, deluca also a gamble for different reasons and in my opinion a gamble that wouldn’t be worth the risk. Brust is a fitness and focus issue and Ellerby would be ideal if he played to his CV and size rather than last year
