Steelers signings and departures

[ginger]

Erkamps looks decent, although for the role he's likely to perform I would have liked to have kept Dougherty instead.

All the other 4 import d are lefties, so it's good to get a right shot on board.

The defence looks decent to me, but a lot will rest on the development of Steele. Based on his size and skill set he has a high bar, but can he reach his full potential? - time will tell.

The netminding does worry me though. Greenfield had his worst season last year (statistically) and Brine is yet to have a 90% season. If you think of netminding in terms of 0.3 goals extra conceded per 1%, then a 93% netminder conceded nearly 1 goal a game less than a 90% netminder.

Regards

Doom

Always feel Brine got hung out to dry a bit in Glasgow - always seemed to get games when the whole team was playing poorly. It's a risk for sure, but then there's always some you have to take.

On paper I think the D looks good. Cormier and Diffley are excellent, Roe was a high scoring D in the ICEHL whilst playing on a poor team last year, Aarnio is a young solid looking D from a higher league and Erkamps looks very good

Steele will make a few errors, but his standard of play at the worlds suggests he's more than capable of being a success in our league. Potentially the best British Dman of his generation so again a little risk, but potentially very high reward

[Keith Sheppard]

The netminding does worry me though. Greenfield had his worst season last year (statistically) and Brine is yet to have a 90% season. If you think of netminding in terms of 0.3 goals extra conceded per 1%, then a 93% netminder concedes nearly 1 goal a game less than a 90% netminder.

Regards

Doom

I don’t think Matt’s stats for last season tell the whole story. I believe our D last year wasn’t as ‘solid’ as we have seen in previous seasons. There’s only so many times a netminder can win his team a game on his own, sometimes he gets pummelled. This was painfully true on the Belfast weekend last year when he shipped 12 goals in two games. The rest of the team were more culpable that weekend than Matt was in my opinion. I suspect those 12 goals put a sizeable dint in his stats. I bet every other EIHL team wishes they had Matt in their squad.. Build a solid defence around him and we’ll be fine.

[Doom]

Although his numbers are down, I agree, Greenfield isn't really a concern.

With a decent defence in front of him he should be a 92%+ netminder.

When I was looking at his stats, I did also work out the number of shots/game we've been giving up since Greenfield arrived.

25/26 - 1604/54 = 29.70
24/25 - 1666/54 = 30.85
23/24 - 1488/54 = 27.56
22/23 - 1505/54 = 27.87

The first two seasons it was less than 28/game, but the last two seasons it's nearer 30.

I'm not sure if there is a general increase across the league these last two seasons or whether it's just us giving up more shots.

Greenfield's stats are:

25/26 - 91.64 2.44
24/25 - 92.76 2.24
23/24 - 92.96 1.93
22/23 - 92.01 2.22

Regards

Doom

[MLL79]

For me it’s a tricky one with Greenfield, I must admit, and I know this isn’t a particularly popular view, but I do struggle with him at times.

He pulls off some wonder stops, and playoffs he was outstanding. But…. I do feel he isn’t particularly good when he’s low and the shots come in around the shoulders, and I have no confidence when it comes to penalty shots.

Just my opinion, and it’s difficult not to sound like nonsense when he’s just set the record as shut-out leader for the club

I did find it interesting (/confusing) when he was in second place for much of the season on save %, yet was the default choice. When we suffered with so much apparent bad feeling in the camp for much of the year, I can’t help thinking some of these selection decisions affected team morale. Anyway, separate topic lol

[Brian]

Bad feeling? Please elucidate. I think I have missed something .

[steeler pete]

Bad feeling? Please elucidate. I think I have missed something .

I wondered about that too.

[MLL79]

Hi Brian and Steeler Pete,,

My perception of a lot of last years issues, as I do genuinely think we were capable of beating any of the teams last year, was we were suffering morale issues.

Obviously Pu was nothing to do with selections/rotations etc. But the the other departures and the manner of them - Gentile, Sietz, Nielson, (apologies if I’m off with some of the spelling lol) etc.. and how some of the guys have left in the off season. Shudra etc. The constant line editing..

I felt it at the time, but the more I look back at last year, I just feel like we were an unhappy bench. I would say I felt things began to turn when Mitchell and Brett came in, not just on a skill/performance front, but that morale “lift” factor too.

I think we felt so much better that last 1/3 of the year, but towards the end of the first half of the season I thought we felt like a very unhappy team.

Sorry for the essay

[MLL79]

Sorry all, I’ve probably taken (/created lol) a somewhat irrelevant to the thread topic distraction

Relevant to the thread, I do hope we have a more settled bench this year.

Obviously it’s impossible to tell/speculate from the stats side of things, but I am hoping with the veteran element we have recruited some locker room characters and leaders.

[Jayboy]

Hi Brian and Steeler Pete,,

My perception of a lot of last years issues, as I do genuinely think we were capable of beating any of the teams last year, was we were suffering morale issues.

Obviously Pu was nothing to do with selections/rotations etc. But the the other departures and the manner of them - Gentile, Sietz, Nielson, (apologies if I’m off with some of the spelling lol) etc.. and how some of the guys have left in the off season. Shudra etc. The constant line editing..

I felt it at the time, but the more I look back at last year, I just feel like we were an unhappy bench. I would say I felt things began to turn when Mitchell and Brett came in, not just on a skill/performance front, but that morale “lift” factor too.

I think we felt so much better that last 1/3 of the year, but towards the end of the first half of the season I thought we felt like a very unhappy team.

Sorry for the essay

Actually I somewhat agree with that... I think we certainly lacked chemistry for long periods of time and that tends to spread really quickly... and morale can nosedive also all it takes is one bad apple to spoil the barrel so to speak.. and reading between the lines I think maybe we had more than one of them... or very least players not willing or unable to play the systems Foxy demanded if them... but to me thats firmly on Aaron's recruiting...

Jayboy

[Clear The Zone]

Honestly having watched and listened to every single post-match interview with both the coach and the players all season, and all the re-signing ones for this year, I've not detected anything whatsoever to suggest there was any morale issues, "bad apples" or "losing the room" last season. Christ knows where you guys are buying your crystal balls to be knowing this stuff.