Cardiff Devils Confirmed Signings & Departures 2023/24
- Thread starter Chris
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I do think that Crawford needs to work on his actual defending. Even Hotham, and Gleason were good defenders. But we are a great place for him to develop like that and then he can really kick on. He also needs to get his PP sorted, quicker one time passes etc
But given his age, if he can be retained I would keep him.
But given his age, if he can be retained I would keep him.
Wish Blake all the best at the Blaze. Whilst there will be incoming players who might be more suited to the style and ethics of next season's Devils' team, Thompson was the least of our worries last season. There were many others ahead of him who were responsible for the shambolic performances and that includes the coaching team.
Danny Stewart has a reputation for getting the best out of his players. You can bet that Blake will be paired with the right player to compliment him at Blaze.
Devils games against the Blaze are going to be interesting!
Danny Stewart has a reputation for getting the best out of his players. You can bet that Blake will be paired with the right player to compliment him at Blaze.
Devils games against the Blaze are going to be interesting!
Not sure I agree…what about G Fournier, Hotham, Register (age wise, Register is probably the anomaly there)? That’s the calibre I’m referring to. Not NHL standard. Why do we have to have someone that, in my opinion (and solely my opinion that counts for nothing) has so many flaws and development? Let him progress and develop elsewhere. We simply aren’t that club, or at least I didn’t think we were.
So based solely on stats I can find, rather than opinion (I loved Gleason, I’m not too bothered about Crow) Gleason during his entire time here, 0.97 points per game, game breaker, and was a big fish in a small pond after a while. Crawford - first season, 1.06 points per game, needs some work on hockey IQ, and learning not to take silly penalties. Also, based on their ECHL stints, Gleason - 5 years, 155 games, 60 points.
Crawford - 4 years, 212 games, 129 points.
Hotham - it’s widely known that the guy would have been in MUCH higher leagues, if he didn’t hate practicing and had trained a little more.
Register - came to us at 32 years old, not 25, and stuck around for one year. Which was my point regarding age.
Don’t get me wrong here, I’m not arguing that Crawford is some talisman we should be keeping a hold of at all costs, but he wouldn’t be here if he didn’t need work is my point.
Crawford - 4 years, 212 games, 129 points.
Hotham - it’s widely known that the guy would have been in MUCH higher leagues, if he didn’t hate practicing and had trained a little more.
Register - came to us at 32 years old, not 25, and stuck around for one year. Which was my point regarding age.
Don’t get me wrong here, I’m not arguing that Crawford is some talisman we should be keeping a hold of at all costs, but he wouldn’t be here if he didn’t need work is my point.
I suspect that the answer to that is to do with the eihl's place in hockey's pecking order and how much we can pay. The better players will go to better leagues. Almost everyone who comes here is a compromise in some regard - young and developing, older and winding down to retirement, some sort of disciplinary problems - take your pick.
My thanks to various posters who have covered the question about why the EIHL teams can only attract either: not the best players; players who have a problem (training/attitude/injury/age etc)...or
As the man himself said to me, when Gleason signed for the Devils he had fallen out of love with the game. He found a home here (hence he has been back every season for a game when he can, I think??) and importantly he fell back in love with hockey. Gleason came in as an offensive D-man on the 2nd line D (IIRC) with Hoth being the main guy. Then we all know what happened when Hoth left, after a season or or two of learning the league...
Admittedly Gleason could defend, which is the main issue here. Looking at the guy's (Crawford) CV, his age and his potential - how could we not want someone like Crawford to be our SECOND offensive D-man. In the same mold as Gleason. A Crawford who can defend is a huge asset.
I'm not making excuses per se, but imagine if we had signed the Jardine we all thought we had got... On paper an ECHL All Star/Liiga skating Jardine as the 1st line offensive D Man (anchored by Mr Reliable) and then with the ECHL D man of the year or whatever he was Crawford...thats insane.
Regrettably we didn't get that Jardine, and when he was out injured a lot of the offensive responsibility (including virtually all of the PP quater-backing) ended up with Crawford, who may have simply been too young or not ready for it (especially without a coach to get him through it!). No idea...
I have no problem with the idea that we are not in the business of developing players for other sides. However, if whilst he develops he can contribute to Devils' success then great. OR sign the fella to a long term deal and when someone comes knocking (a la Blood) you make sure we make a profit on any deal. (Which admittedly is a more football way of looking at things, and appears to be a rarity at the Devils)
As the man himself said to me, when Gleason signed for the Devils he had fallen out of love with the game. He found a home here (hence he has been back every season for a game when he can, I think??) and importantly he fell back in love with hockey. Gleason came in as an offensive D-man on the 2nd line D (IIRC) with Hoth being the main guy. Then we all know what happened when Hoth left, after a season or or two of learning the league...
Admittedly Gleason could defend, which is the main issue here. Looking at the guy's (Crawford) CV, his age and his potential - how could we not want someone like Crawford to be our SECOND offensive D-man. In the same mold as Gleason. A Crawford who can defend is a huge asset.
I'm not making excuses per se, but imagine if we had signed the Jardine we all thought we had got... On paper an ECHL All Star/Liiga skating Jardine as the 1st line offensive D Man (anchored by Mr Reliable) and then with the ECHL D man of the year or whatever he was Crawford...thats insane.
Regrettably we didn't get that Jardine, and when he was out injured a lot of the offensive responsibility (including virtually all of the PP quater-backing) ended up with Crawford, who may have simply been too young or not ready for it (especially without a coach to get him through it!). No idea...
I have no problem with the idea that we are not in the business of developing players for other sides. However, if whilst he develops he can contribute to Devils' success then great. OR sign the fella to a long term deal and when someone comes knocking (a la Blood) you make sure we make a profit on any deal. (Which admittedly is a more football way of looking at things, and appears to be a rarity at the Devils)
Anyone suggesting that Fournier came here as the finished article is quite simply wrong.
Does this forum go back to the summer of 2016?
If so, I think you’ll find that the fans were very much split 50/50 on re-signing Fournier. He was exciting with the puck going forward but he was also making A LOT of mistakes defensively.
But Lordo dId re-sign him. He also that summer signed a certain Mark Louis. Lordo worked with Fourns, paired him with Louis and over the following seasons Fournier gradually became the best Dman in the league.
Fournier benefitted from the fact we had Hotham and Richardson as our 1st line D. He had time to learn and develop on the second line.
For a 25 year old I thought Crawford did very well for his first season in the EIHL. If we can stick him with someone who’s more defensively sound and reliable than Thompson was I think he will improve even more.
Does this forum go back to the summer of 2016?
If so, I think you’ll find that the fans were very much split 50/50 on re-signing Fournier. He was exciting with the puck going forward but he was also making A LOT of mistakes defensively.
But Lordo dId re-sign him. He also that summer signed a certain Mark Louis. Lordo worked with Fourns, paired him with Louis and over the following seasons Fournier gradually became the best Dman in the league.
Fournier benefitted from the fact we had Hotham and Richardson as our 1st line D. He had time to learn and develop on the second line.
For a 25 year old I thought Crawford did very well for his first season in the EIHL. If we can stick him with someone who’s more defensively sound and reliable than Thompson was I think he will improve even more.
Hang on a minute. It is exceptionally dangerous to sign players to very long term contracts, particularly when they're initially acquired. As you mentioned with jardine, you don't necessarily get what you expect. Also, if a player is ambitious and sees us a stepping stone, they might not choose to sign at all. I think it'd be risky to offer anyone more than two years.