2021/22 Roster - Rumours/Predictions
- Thread starter jenks33
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#585
Off topic but I’m impressed with Manchester signing Curtis Hamilton. Underachieved slightly in Belfast but I think he will enjoy being the big fish in Manchester. Good stats in the Liiga and Ebel and I think he will enjoy the smaller ice pad in Altrincham
Mikkelson 131 NHL games v Fournier loved Fournier but upgrade to Mikkelson for me.
Register v Jardine tough call Jardine improved as the season went on, but for me slight edge to Register.
O’Connor v McMonagle/ Reddick O’Connor pips it for me and being a Brit brings other advantages with him.
Louis v Louis
Batch v Batch
Ritchie v Ritchie
My opinion no downgrading going on there.
Register v Jardine tough call Jardine improved as the season went on, but for me slight edge to Register.
O’Connor v McMonagle/ Reddick O’Connor pips it for me and being a Brit brings other advantages with him.
Louis v Louis
Batch v Batch
Ritchie v Ritchie
My opinion no downgrading going on there.
First time in a while where our D pairings don’t jump out at me.
Usually it’s “Well this guy is our star Dman so we play him with Richardson.” And then the rest fits in after.
Mikkelson should be one of if not the best all-round Dmen in league. But he’s never been a particularly offensive player so that might not be needed.
Louis was at his best when he played alongside Fournier. But I’m not sure how speedy Register is.
One possibility is:
Mikkelson - O’Connor
Register - Louis
Batch - Richardson
This would allow O’Connor to focus on getting forward with Mikkelson playing deeper and making the first out-pass. Louis can look after Register and Richie/Batch have already played with each other. Batch is quite good at carrying the puck forward, knowing that Richardson is backing him up.
Or...
EliteProspects has a comment about Mikkelson not being physical. In which case perhaps:
Mikkelson - Louis
Richardson - O’Connor
Batch - Register
Or do we swap Batch and Richardson......so many options....
Usually it’s “Well this guy is our star Dman so we play him with Richardson.” And then the rest fits in after.
Mikkelson should be one of if not the best all-round Dmen in league. But he’s never been a particularly offensive player so that might not be needed.
Louis was at his best when he played alongside Fournier. But I’m not sure how speedy Register is.
One possibility is:
Mikkelson - O’Connor
Register - Louis
Batch - Richardson
This would allow O’Connor to focus on getting forward with Mikkelson playing deeper and making the first out-pass. Louis can look after Register and Richie/Batch have already played with each other. Batch is quite good at carrying the puck forward, knowing that Richardson is backing him up.
Or...
EliteProspects has a comment about Mikkelson not being physical. In which case perhaps:
Mikkelson - Louis
Richardson - O’Connor
Batch - Register
Or do we swap Batch and Richardson......so many options....
Comparing the D this year to what we had 2 seasons ago is an impossible comparison. The whole set up, and with it tactics, of the team has changed completely. Players who might previously of been stars in our team might not have been in this team.
Look at Fournier, he actually had a quite poor season last year. Maybe he wouldn’t be suited to a Skalde team like he would a Lord team - we will never know. So to say is player X better than player Y is impossible. More than in previous years it’s more about the right player than necessarily the ‘best’ player.
Also worth considering the standard in the league might take a dip this year. With a wage cap in place and also less players being available it might not be the level we had in 19/20. That’ll mean the players we have signed might end up having better years than you think.
Look at Fournier, he actually had a quite poor season last year. Maybe he wouldn’t be suited to a Skalde team like he would a Lord team - we will never know. So to say is player X better than player Y is impossible. More than in previous years it’s more about the right player than necessarily the ‘best’ player.
Also worth considering the standard in the league might take a dip this year. With a wage cap in place and also less players being available it might not be the level we had in 19/20. That’ll mean the players we have signed might end up having better years than you think.
Obviously it’s hard to tell without seeing the new players on the ice, but I too don’t see how we have downgraded our D.
For me, if I was to criticise Lord’s recruitment during his time here it would be the D the last two seasons. He never got back to the level of our Championship seasons, although they were very high standards to match.
I wonder if Lord felt the same as that was the area we seemed to change and mixup the most. In our league winning seasons I was always confident that if we took the lead in the final period we’d win. In those last two seasons I was never that confident.
When we were at our best we had an offensive D threat on our 1st line from Hotham and our 2nd from Fournier. Once Hotham retired we never managed to get that second threat from D. Had he not been injured so often Mosey could well have provided it. McMonagle was great on the PP but teams quickly worked out he could be beaten by speed. Jardine improved over the season but ultimately I was expecting more from him.
With O’Connor and Register we now have two offensive Dmen that IMO we’ve desperately lacked.
Mickkelson should finally be the all-round Dman we had with Scott Hotham and Strachan but never quite repeated with No Show/ Blood/ Jardine.
For me, if I was to criticise Lord’s recruitment during his time here it would be the D the last two seasons. He never got back to the level of our Championship seasons, although they were very high standards to match.
I wonder if Lord felt the same as that was the area we seemed to change and mixup the most. In our league winning seasons I was always confident that if we took the lead in the final period we’d win. In those last two seasons I was never that confident.
When we were at our best we had an offensive D threat on our 1st line from Hotham and our 2nd from Fournier. Once Hotham retired we never managed to get that second threat from D. Had he not been injured so often Mosey could well have provided it. McMonagle was great on the PP but teams quickly worked out he could be beaten by speed. Jardine improved over the season but ultimately I was expecting more from him.
With O’Connor and Register we now have two offensive Dmen that IMO we’ve desperately lacked.
Mickkelson should finally be the all-round Dman we had with Scott Hotham and Strachan but never quite repeated with No Show/ Blood/ Jardine.
