Polei, Simšič, Kapel and Sabolič

POLEI AND MEYER: 

OLIMPIJA'S NEW THUNDER AND LIGHTNING?

OLL Sign Evan Polei (29, LW, CAN)

I think Polei is who the team wished Tomaževič would have been last season. He's late 20s, 188cm (6'2'') and 104kg (229lbs). He is a prototypical net-front forward, which the team has already been at pains to point out. This guy is no joke - he played in the AHL for seven seasons after coming through the WHL with flying colours (69-33-29-62 for the Red Deer Rebels with the A on his chest). Last year, he played in Norway, scoring 19 goals and assisting 13 times for 32 points in 41 games. If he can translate those points to the ICE League, all the while causing chaos with his heavy physical presence in front of goal for his teammates, he will be a very valuable addition indeed.

The thunder and lightning comparison above is something that is used often in American Football when talking about running backs. You have one that is a bigger, bruising player and one that is smaller and speedier. I feel that Polei and Meyer could be that for us (think Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman from what became the infamous Atlanta Falcons failed Super Bowl run in 2016, or LeGarrette Blount and James White on the Patriots' side that year). They may not be on the same line together, but they'll most definitely be on PP1 together. The ability to both stretch with speed/skill (Meyer) and punish opponents with brute force (Polei) is key to offensive success in most contact sports, and hockey is no different. I look forward to seeing what new HC Ben Cooper can cook up for these guys.

EDIT: As ZG pointed out to me previously, last season saw us with so many forwards of highly similar body type. Signing guys like Meyer and Polei, who offer something different, is exactly what we needed to do. Now, as hockey players always seem to say, 'let's keep 'er going' and sign more impact forwards.

OLL Re-sign Kapel, Simšič and Sabolič

I've already discussed Sabolič - I think I was overly harsh in my Season Review and believe he can do a good job for us on the 2nd line.

Kapel and Simšič were both players I said 'no thanks' to in the same Season Review. There's a key pivot point here. If they are signed for depth (i.e. 13th forward, 3rd/4th line), that is fine. If they are signed to be 2nd line/1st line players, as they were for stretches of last season, that is not fine. Even with a new coach, I do not think they are of the requisite quality to seriously challenge for automatic playoffs (or to win a pre-playoff round). It will be interesting to see how the squad shapes up in August. We still need a first-line centre to replace Kale Kerbashian, and I have an idea of who that might be. I won't be posting anything on it - not because of the club's wishes, but because of my own decision not to.

What's next after OLL cancelled my meeting with the club?

Talking of the club's wishes, whilst I remain pretty bitterly disappointed, I have decided not to air any 'sour grapes' on here. I'm quite sure that there's a Promethean urge to 'burn bridges' in every human being, but our job is to transcend that and move on to better things. In that vein, I have acknowledged their decision and initiated my backup plan, which I will be discussing with some of the OHB inner circle over the next couple of weeks. Suffice to say, the net will be cast a bit wider than just Olimpija...