Devils host then hit the road vs Steelers this weekend in a contest that will provide at least some substance for the roster and how the new players will adapt against their closest competition for the season ahead.
This will be the first week for the men from Yorkshire, who have completely rebuilt their team following a flat, uninspiring campaign last time, ultimately losing to the Devils in the final game of the season at the playoffs.
A lot of resources have been pulled from the ICEHL, as well as the DEL, putting their business level at a very high cost. The question is whether it would pan out.
Unlike Odesne and Angers, Steelers know all about the style of play the Devils will bring and the type of game that is played in this league.
Last weekend saw MacDonald put up a hatty to lead his team toward a 4:2 dub against a stubborn Angers team, that dealt with Devils pressure pretty well.
The wheels didn’t seem too greased and the effort levels seemed to be fatigued, as expected so early in training camp.
16 goals have been scored so far from the Devils, 6 of which from Martin and McDonald, split respectfully, with Kontos (6) leading the way on points.
Crucially, they have conceded 8 in total across three home games.
Early Aims
It would be beneficial to see different line combinations, as after 3 home games, there seems to be a disjointed spread of attack, even this early on.
This is evident in terms of production, as the top line lags behind by 5 compared to the rest of the bottom nine, of which the third, like the top line, only increased output by a single point.
The second line, mainly thanks to MacDonald gained the highest jump in points, respectfully.
The way the roster behaved have seen the top line become an elite grinding unit, with the 2nd and 3rd applying offensive pressure, then the 4th of course, lifting the energy and momentum.
Not the classic genealogy of line structures for ice hockey systems.
Oligny is yet to get on the board, as well as Olischefski, both behind Bowns, who grabbed a secondary assist last weekend.
Also, only Richardson (3) has points from the Brit core – with Duggan sidelined for a couple of months, this heaps more pressure on Davies and his compatriots to add to the scoring depth.
The blue line has combined for 10 points so far, as many as the top line (which factors in the D1 unit).
With the Saturday game played at home, Devils would want to hit their pre-season with a 4-0-0 of home dubs before hitting the road for the first time.
Yes, the majority of the squad know Sheffield – however, for three players, this will be a first.
That will be a major stress test for them, who have so far, shown very good glimpses, but nothing that can turn a game on its head, for two of the forwards, certainly not top line calibre and barely top 6.
The team have battled through a gong show win, professionally managed a played down follow up fixture against a short benched team and seen off a stubborn, but skilled visiting team who just embarked on their own warm ups for their own domestic affairs.
This might be week one for Steelers, however, if history is to go by anything, this was the set up for last season, with Steelers claiming both games.
They aren’t important of course, but they do provide key insights of what to expect – Steelers went on to dominate Devils domestically, which in turn, may have had an impact, not discussed, on the league outcome.
Thankfully, when the final game called, Devils answered and got the job done.
Key Players to Watch
As mentioned, Steelers invested big time across good leagues for stellar recruitments.
Adam Rockwood; Center, 5’11, 30 years old
The forward from British Columbia, Canada, has an impressive CV, from NCAA to ECHL then to Europe.
Playing from Finland to Slovakia, he brings a highly productive value to any team, not to mention in post-season as well.
Never dropping below 0.70 ppg at any level, league or team, he knows how to contribute. Not a natural goal scorer, but effective offensively, which would be a dangerous addition for Mitchell Balmas to utilise.
Tim Gettinger; LW/Center, 6’6, 28 years old
The height alone is daunting enough, his age is the best side of 30 and he has spent the majority of his pro career in the AHL, with 16 games in the show (NHL).
From his time in the AHL, he hit 0.50 ppg from nearly 350GP. That is some pedigree.
Devils fans delighted in Andrew MacWilliam, here is a younger counterpart that would provide immense reliabiltiy for the forwards group in Sheffield.
He can drop the mitts and loves to get to net, so will be a handful for any defence, who knows, perhaps a tilt with Oligny at some point this weekend or season.
Macoy Erkamps; RHD, 6’0, 31 years old
Another from BC, Canada, Erkamps brings a simialr pedigree to Gettinger, especially in recent seasons playing in the Swedish second tier, Slovakia with HK Nitra and the DEL.
He is very well known to Devils fans, or should be, after lifting the Continental Cup with HK Nitra in 2023. Another who isn’t afraid to drop the mitts, had some spirited tilts with the likes of Sam Ruopp and Cody Sylvestre in his youth days.
He will bring a competitiveness, that will help their transition and offensive support, whilst shutting down the DZ for his team.
Ideal Lines for Week 3
MacDonald – Kontos – Barrow
Caron – Martin – Olischefski
Yaremko – Mieho – Brandt
Sacratini – Davies – Harewood
Estes – Oligny
Fournier – Welsh
Richardson – Mosey
Bowns
Thomas
Pre-season doesn’t have to factor too much into homegrown utility with imports, however, with Pitbulls facing off vs Flames, it is fair to guess that the 2-ways there will be gaining game time experience instead of waiting on the bench for the Devils.
That being said, Stoever could return early from his illness, but is highly expected to start against Panthers to round off the pre-season build up.
The line options I have gone for provides a balanced top 9, with threats from each unit, prioritising the scoring ability of players who have produced already, with a thunderous rough housing third line.
That group could even be wholesale flipped with the second to provide counter punches every other shift. There has been no hard evidence or demonstration yet, that for the new ‘top’ forwards deserve to live in the top 6, let alone occupy the top line.
This weekend will go from half way point to the start of concluding this phase of pre-season, so if there are no intentions to experiment now, then this team would be scouted very early on, which might be a self made obstacle as the season gets under way.
If one or two (hopefully not, but perhaps more) injuries happen, then where is the contingency?
The squad size is limited so far, already a body down on top of Helgesen out, though not for long.
One achilles heel for the club has been coaching stubbornness, which in one respect is fine, as the buck stops with them. If they fail to make changes, problems persist, habits continue.
Case in point was the power play last season – it was known to be ineffective and why. Yet, no changes made until two thirds of the season was played, then the fortunes for the club changed with it.
Out of lessons to learn from season one, that is the most important footnote on the campaign as a whole. To fall back onto the same process, might be a one step forward, one step backward outcome, which isn’t what the club needs.
So, the hope will be to see line up changes with greater utility of the squad in the games ahead until the first EIHL game proper.
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