Mml 79. Thanks for your summary as you see it. I can understand your reasoning especially regarding Seitz, Gentile, and Neilson. Though of course we will never be told what , if anything , caused their exits. Obviously something did.
I can also see the view that those players left behind seemed happy together although sometimes not dedicated enough to stand up for each other in bad challenges or aggression against us on the ice. (. Maybe Heard excluded, but he left it late ).
I suppose these things happen in most teams.
Steelers signings and departures
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Doom
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I think Fox got his recruitment wrong last season and when you release players for performance issues, that's bound to have some impact on morale because those players will have forged bonds with other members of the squad.
I'd exclude Pu from the above, because after what he did, I think every member of the squad would have been pleased to see the back of him.
In terms of recruitment and using the benefit of hindsight:
Our top two centers weren't of the quality required for a title challenging team. Pu was an average recruit whom I was never really sold on, but tried to convince myself he'd be OK. His point production and +/- were poor for a top line center.
Harper actually put up decent points, but his +/- suggest his two way game wasn't very strong, which I'm sure most would agree with based on the evidence of their eyes.
Based on his previous season in our league, I think we all thought Seitz would put up decent numbers. The one niggle in the back of my mind with Seitz was that his Coventry season was a bit of an outlier. Prior to that his numbers in NCAA were quite poor. Clearly in Coventry he had a coach and line mates who could get the best out of him. Fox and Dixon at Guildford couldn't.
Gentile appears to be a failure of proper research. His numbers in USports were very good, although his +/- had always been a bit iffy. To my mind he was poor defensively and not physically strong enough for our league.
I think Seitz, Pu and Gentile were all failures in Fox's recruitment. Harper less so, because he did OK for us.
Neilson was slightly different, although warning signs should have perhaps been in place after the way he left Nottingham. I suspect Neilson was probably a bit of a panic signing after Whistle left. With the Whistle decision being quite late and with few Brit options available, the signing of Neilson was quite logical, because he appeared to be the best available.
For the most part Fox got his recruitment wrong last season.
Is this season going to be any better? - I can't say I'm convinced by the new import signings to date (mainly on the downward curve), although I do like our Brits and think we're probably the strongest in the league in this department.
Regards
Doom
I'd exclude Pu from the above, because after what he did, I think every member of the squad would have been pleased to see the back of him.
In terms of recruitment and using the benefit of hindsight:
Our top two centers weren't of the quality required for a title challenging team. Pu was an average recruit whom I was never really sold on, but tried to convince myself he'd be OK. His point production and +/- were poor for a top line center.
Harper actually put up decent points, but his +/- suggest his two way game wasn't very strong, which I'm sure most would agree with based on the evidence of their eyes.
Based on his previous season in our league, I think we all thought Seitz would put up decent numbers. The one niggle in the back of my mind with Seitz was that his Coventry season was a bit of an outlier. Prior to that his numbers in NCAA were quite poor. Clearly in Coventry he had a coach and line mates who could get the best out of him. Fox and Dixon at Guildford couldn't.
Gentile appears to be a failure of proper research. His numbers in USports were very good, although his +/- had always been a bit iffy. To my mind he was poor defensively and not physically strong enough for our league.
I think Seitz, Pu and Gentile were all failures in Fox's recruitment. Harper less so, because he did OK for us.
Neilson was slightly different, although warning signs should have perhaps been in place after the way he left Nottingham. I suspect Neilson was probably a bit of a panic signing after Whistle left. With the Whistle decision being quite late and with few Brit options available, the signing of Neilson was quite logical, because he appeared to be the best available.
For the most part Fox got his recruitment wrong last season.
Is this season going to be any better? - I can't say I'm convinced by the new import signings to date (mainly on the downward curve), although I do like our Brits and think we're probably the strongest in the league in this department.
Regards
Doom
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MLL79
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It was one of the stranger seasons I’ve witnessed last year. Departure wise, to have a full lines worth of forwards leave, one quarter of your attacking lineup, was something I don’t think any of us expected.
Full credit to the guys that fought out the last half of the year, they so nearly did it at the end in the playoffs - truly monumental efforts at the weekend.
One of my biggest curiosities this year is who the tempo guys will be. Thinking back to last year, I felt like there was an absolutely tangible difference when Tremblay was absent. Tansey will be a similar void to fill, let’s hope Roe can fill it.
Full credit to the guys that fought out the last half of the year, they so nearly did it at the end in the playoffs - truly monumental efforts at the weekend.
One of my biggest curiosities this year is who the tempo guys will be. Thinking back to last year, I felt like there was an absolutely tangible difference when Tremblay was absent. Tansey will be a similar void to fill, let’s hope Roe can fill it.
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ginger
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Always easy to say bad recruitment after a season. Before last season most had a rizla paper between Belfast/Nottingham/Sheffield.
Had we not essentially been down to 2 and a half lines for the final 40 mins of the playoff final, we could easily be sat here discussing a trophy winning season. The point being that there's so many variables that go in to success/failure that to point to bad recruitment when pre season it looked good is an easy answer to a complex question.
A point on profile of new signings - they need to be taken in context of those that have stayed. Cormier, Balmas, Juusola, Tait, IBN, Steele all under 30 (Tait just turned 30). Aarnio and Teissala, Brine, Whistle all added and under 30 (Aarnio and Teissala under 27). Diffley/Erkamps/Greenfield are 31. Dowd we know has no issues even at 37. Jasper also proven as good quality in the league. So the only 3 older signings (so far, granted) are Roe at 34, Archambault at 33 and Collins at 37. Given their CVs, they all look like numerous solid signings at this level - so whilst no guarantees (because there never are), I don't think they are bad signings on paper. All fill roles we lacked at times last season (creative winger on Balmas' level, 2nd offensive D to take pressure off Cormier, face off winning centre).
Overall I have no issue with how the team currently looks on paper. The two centres to come are key though. Get those right and on paper it's a challenging for the league team
Had we not essentially been down to 2 and a half lines for the final 40 mins of the playoff final, we could easily be sat here discussing a trophy winning season. The point being that there's so many variables that go in to success/failure that to point to bad recruitment when pre season it looked good is an easy answer to a complex question.
A point on profile of new signings - they need to be taken in context of those that have stayed. Cormier, Balmas, Juusola, Tait, IBN, Steele all under 30 (Tait just turned 30). Aarnio and Teissala, Brine, Whistle all added and under 30 (Aarnio and Teissala under 27). Diffley/Erkamps/Greenfield are 31. Dowd we know has no issues even at 37. Jasper also proven as good quality in the league. So the only 3 older signings (so far, granted) are Roe at 34, Archambault at 33 and Collins at 37. Given their CVs, they all look like numerous solid signings at this level - so whilst no guarantees (because there never are), I don't think they are bad signings on paper. All fill roles we lacked at times last season (creative winger on Balmas' level, 2nd offensive D to take pressure off Cormier, face off winning centre).
Overall I have no issue with how the team currently looks on paper. The two centres to come are key though. Get those right and on paper it's a challenging for the league team
Hard to know based on stats, but we seem to have made solid signings compared to the exceptional signings Belfast have made.ginger wrote:A point on profile of new signings - they need to be taken in context of those that have stayed. Cormier, Balmas, Juusola, Tait, IBN, Steele all under 30 (Tait just turned 30). Aarnio and Teissala, Brine, Whistle all added and under 30 (Aarnio and Teissala under 27). Diffley/Erkamps/Greenfield are 31. Dowd we know has no issues even at 37. Jasper also proven as good quality in the league. So the only 3 older signings (so far, granted) are Roe at 34, Archambault at 33 and Collins at 37.
However the game isn't played on eliteprospects so we'll see what happens come September!
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Doom
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I thought we were well short of Belfast last season, especially post Christmas.
Look at the two double headers against them, the away one we lost 12 - 2 on aggregate and the home one we lost 8 - 1.....it wasn't even close.
Yes we could have won the playoffs and I thought we played very well, but that's a 4 game series, not the 54 game grind of the league which is our bread and butter.
I like our British group this coming season, a nice mix of reliable experience and future potential, but the new import signings don't bridge the gap with Belfast as far as I'm concerned. If we want to close the gap, the two centers need to be very good......more Watling (season 1) than Pu......I fear it will be the latter though.
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Doom
Look at the two double headers against them, the away one we lost 12 - 2 on aggregate and the home one we lost 8 - 1.....it wasn't even close.
Yes we could have won the playoffs and I thought we played very well, but that's a 4 game series, not the 54 game grind of the league which is our bread and butter.
I like our British group this coming season, a nice mix of reliable experience and future potential, but the new import signings don't bridge the gap with Belfast as far as I'm concerned. If we want to close the gap, the two centers need to be very good......more Watling (season 1) than Pu......I fear it will be the latter though.
Regards
Doom
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MLL79
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A David Booth-alike à la Fife last year (in the scoring department that is…) would be great.
Although… they took the age/injury risk with him, and it didn’t pay off in the end. Scary sniper when fit though.. I guess they don’t exactly grow on trees
Although… they took the age/injury risk with him, and it didn’t pay off in the end. Scary sniper when fit though.. I guess they don’t exactly grow on trees
What's the thoughts on the centres? Do y'all think they're signed yet or contracts offered or we're waiting for the end of the market and see what's left after bigger leagues have completed their rosters?
All speculation I know, but what else do we have to do
All speculation I know, but what else do we have to do
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Doom
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I've just had a look and Booth was 2nd top scorer for Fife and only played 11 games.....that's ridiculous.
He was also +3, whilst the rest were mainly heavy minuses.
Someone with that sort of scoring record would be very nice, although I do recall some controversy regarding Booth, so hopefully we don't get anybody with the baggage.
I've also just noticed that Neilson managed 10 goals from 37 games. Clearly the coach in Fife got more of a tune out of him, although with their lack of depth they would have had to give him more responsibility.
Regards
Doom