O'connor leaves the Blaze
- Thread starter Gazza272
- Start date
It's reasons why this that I worry about future of players like Ben Davies. If a deal goes south for a British guy from another team, that would be more than willing to pay over the odds for the few remaining British players; a wage large enough that they couldn't refuse.
Lets hope Ben makes his mind up soon
Lets hope Ben makes his mind up soon
Several things strike me about this announcement.
1. I understand Thommo is angry,but O'Connor isn't the first player to leave a club mid-contract and won't be the last. He is angry that a player has decided to leave the club of his own volition (how dare he!) rather than the Blaze having control of the situation and making the announcement that he has been 'released'.
2. O'Connor has the right to consider his career prospects and development and he may not have been happy for other reasons - as someone else said on another thread that very often 'contracts are not worth the paper they are written on'.
3. If he wanted more than the 25% pay increase in his 2nd year, he surely must have accepted a poor contract in the first place. If, however, the pay increase meant he was earning better money and he still wasn't happy, it suggests to me he was very unhappy at the Blaze anyway. They weren't going to get the best out of him in that frame of mind.
4. As for Thommo's comments about having to release other players earlier in the Summer because O'Connor was on a 2 year contract, what a cheap shot at blaming that player for Thommo's (bad) decisions! :twisted: If Thommo felt those released players were that good, that valuable, that indispensable to the Club, why did he allow them to go in the first place? I'm sure there would have been a bit of leeway in the coffers to keep them...or were they asking for more money too?! :roll:
I salute the Giants' organisation for the professional way they acknowledged Stevie Lyle's move back to the Devils and his contribution to the Giants' success last season. What a difference.
1. I understand Thommo is angry,but O'Connor isn't the first player to leave a club mid-contract and won't be the last. He is angry that a player has decided to leave the club of his own volition (how dare he!) rather than the Blaze having control of the situation and making the announcement that he has been 'released'.
2. O'Connor has the right to consider his career prospects and development and he may not have been happy for other reasons - as someone else said on another thread that very often 'contracts are not worth the paper they are written on'.
3. If he wanted more than the 25% pay increase in his 2nd year, he surely must have accepted a poor contract in the first place. If, however, the pay increase meant he was earning better money and he still wasn't happy, it suggests to me he was very unhappy at the Blaze anyway. They weren't going to get the best out of him in that frame of mind.
4. As for Thommo's comments about having to release other players earlier in the Summer because O'Connor was on a 2 year contract, what a cheap shot at blaming that player for Thommo's (bad) decisions! :twisted: If Thommo felt those released players were that good, that valuable, that indispensable to the Club, why did he allow them to go in the first place? I'm sure there would have been a bit of leeway in the coffers to keep them...or were they asking for more money too?! :roll:
I salute the Giants' organisation for the professional way they acknowledged Stevie Lyle's move back to the Devils and his contribution to the Giants' success last season. What a difference.
On the positive side though JB will be pleased that another of their under-performing team from last year will be leaving them.
This could be a massive blow for the Blaze though. If we are to believe what is being said - sodastream was signed as a cheap 5th dman - with O'Connor going to be #4.
However, with no other good british defencemen available (that I can think of anyway) - assuming the Blaze continue with only 3 import D - Sodastream will now have to move up to #4 and Watkins a permanent #5.
Looks like their defence could be pretty weak again.
This could be a massive blow for the Blaze though. If we are to believe what is being said - sodastream was signed as a cheap 5th dman - with O'Connor going to be #4.
However, with no other good british defencemen available (that I can think of anyway) - assuming the Blaze continue with only 3 import D - Sodastream will now have to move up to #4 and Watkins a permanent #5.
Looks like their defence could be pretty weak again.
I'd imagine Thommo would have re-signed Greg Wood for the 3rd line with Watkins moving to defence. I wouldn't panic though, when you have Greg Owen and Russ Cowley plus 6 imports, the 9th forward doesn't need to be anything too special so I'm confident Thommo will find the right man for the job. Perhaps Sharp :lol:
In regard to O'Connor, he was OK and one of the few decent British defencemen, but he was part of the poor Blaze defence last season so he can't be that great. Whilst it is nice to have a strong 5th defenceman, he isn't going to be a game-breaker.
In regard to O'Connor, he was OK and one of the few decent British defencemen, but he was part of the poor Blaze defence last season so he can't be that great. Whilst it is nice to have a strong 5th defenceman, he isn't going to be a game-breaker.
No doubt that Thommo will use his influence and find someone, even at this stage.Whether this player will be the 'right' person remains to be seen. And will having quality British players like Cowley and Owen really be quite enough to compensate for what might be a weaker defence without O'Connor or another Brit dman? And whilst J.B. says that O'Connor was part of a 'poor Blaze defence last season', had he accepted year2 of his contract, Thommo was still prepared to keep him so he must have been ok! Seems it's easy to blame the player for lots of things now he's gone. :twisted:
I'm in two minds on this one ... Ben has brilliant potential, he showed that, some of the goals he scored were sublime, the only thing he didn't do was use his size more...so i'm saddened to see him go.
But ...
As Thommo said, if a player doesn't want to be around, then its best there gone! and if he's more interested in money than learning from Thommo and players like Weaver and whoever our big #1 D man will be then thats his choice!
I have faith in Thommo that he shall find a replacement, whether or not he'll be to Ben's standards i doubt it but who knows
But ...
As Thommo said, if a player doesn't want to be around, then its best there gone! and if he's more interested in money than learning from Thommo and players like Weaver and whoever our big #1 D man will be then thats his choice!
I have faith in Thommo that he shall find a replacement, whether or not he'll be to Ben's standards i doubt it but who knows
Maybe he's not just interested in money and wants to get more ice time and responsibility playing for the capitals.
I also think that the Coventry fans are going to be bitterly disappointed when their full squad is announced. I think they've already signed their top two defencemen, and would they really be able to afford Calder, Carson, Weaver, Wood, Cowley, Hirsch AND Fulghum? I wouldn't be surprised that 4 (maybe 5 players) out of that list would be in the top twelve earners in the league next year.
I also think that the Coventry fans are going to be bitterly disappointed when their full squad is announced. I think they've already signed their top two defencemen, and would they really be able to afford Calder, Carson, Weaver, Wood, Cowley, Hirsch AND Fulghum? I wouldn't be surprised that 4 (maybe 5 players) out of that list would be in the top twelve earners in the league next year.
Yep, it certainly is pretty upsetting to be able to afford good players :cry:
I think it is the same for all teams. Devils fans will probably be a little let down when your final 3 "big" signings are announced as you all have high hopes but in reality it is hard to persuade a really top player that their future lies in the EIHL, however much you offer them And it is the same for the Blaze. I agree that Lee and Weaver are our top 2 defencemen and we'll probably end up with the crap Derek Campbell and Danny Stewart up front rather than Fulghum and Crosby that certain Blaze fans are hoping/expecting but I think we've improved in areas where we need.
I think it is the same for all teams. Devils fans will probably be a little let down when your final 3 "big" signings are announced as you all have high hopes but in reality it is hard to persuade a really top player that their future lies in the EIHL, however much you offer them
And it is the same for the Blaze. I agree that Lee and Weaver are our top 2 defencemen and we'll probably end up with the crap Derek Campbell and Danny Stewart up front rather than Fulghum and Crosby that certain Blaze fans are hoping/expecting but I think we've improved in areas where we need.
J.B said:
Yep, it certainly is pretty upsetting to be able to afford good players :cry:
I think it is the same for all teams. Devils fans will probably be a little let down when your final 3 "big" signings are announced as you all have high hopes but in reality it is hard to persuade a really top player that their future lies in the EIHL, however much you offer them And it is the same for the Blaze. I agree that Lee and Weaver are our top 2 defencemen and we'll probably end up with the crap Derek Campbell and Danny Stewart up front rather than Fulghum and Crosby that certain Blaze fans are hoping/expecting but I think we've improved in areas where we need.
I think it is the same for all teams. Devils fans will probably be a little let down when your final 3 "big" signings are announced as you all have high hopes but in reality it is hard to persuade a really top player that their future lies in the EIHL, however much you offer them
And it is the same for the Blaze. I agree that Lee and Weaver are our top 2 defencemen and we'll probably end up with the crap Derek Campbell and Danny Stewart up front rather than Fulghum and Crosby that certain Blaze fans are hoping/expecting but I think we've improved in areas where we need.