With all the chopping and changing in the last week or so you would be forgiven for not having a clue what our actual current roster is or at least how many import players were now on our books. I didn’t know the exact number before making a count and it turns out it’s twelve. The league limit is ten but with three of our imports currently sidelined by injury we’re actually only icing nine imports.

Of course with Kelman ready to step out of the line-up the minute one of the injured three becomes available again it means just one player is likely to be cut come a healthy Giants squad. It’s raised questions about who that player may be and so it’s worth taking a look and doing a little speculating.

Scott Cameron is the only forward on the current injury list and will probably return without someone leaving the line-up now that McKenzie has already been released. It will give us seven import forwards and therefore some depth down on the third line. It did make me wonder why the young and very talented McKenzie was cut from the team this past weekend with Cameron not yet ready to return but I can only speculate that it came down to housing arrangements that the Giants have for their players and with new arrivals it lead to some over crowding.

The return of Gavalier and Trevor Johnson will mean be a lot more interesting to watch however to see what way Ed Courtenay decides to go about things. One defenseman will have to be released with the incoming two off the injury list to bring our import players to the league maximum of ten.

OPTION 1

Campbell - Cameron - Courtenay
Sutter - Dutiaume - Awada
Lewis - Moran - Morrison

Gavalier - S.Johnson
T.Johnson - Walton
Jamieson - Christie

Cut: Neuemier

Right now the consensus is that the extra pair of league that will be expendable goes to Troy Neumeier, a talented player no doubt but one whom at times is showing his age on the blue-line. A defensive defenseman to the end Neumeier will rarely get forward and rarely contribute offensively. Of course a player of that kind is necessary when you have a group ready to jump into the rush at any given opportunity. That stay-at-home defenseman is a roll that rarely comes with praise, a possible reason for Troy’s status as the ‘most likely to be cut’ prediction, though it’s hard seeing Ed choosing any other import defenseman like either Johnson or Gavalier ahead of Troy.

OPTION 2

Sutter - Cameron - Courtenay
Campbell - Dutiaume - Awada
Jamieson - Moran - Morrison

Gavalier - S.Johnson
T.Johnson - Neuemier
Walton - Christie

Cut: Lewis

Of course Ed may will have seen a defense that continues to give up an un-healthy number of shots against and wish to keep as much depth there as he can and cut one of the forwards, but with the Giants finding some form in front of goal lately and everyone of the import forwards contributing it would be a hard choice to select one. Some may point to Carlyle Lewis but two offensive weekends in a row have helped his case to remain with the team. He’s also the teams police man on the ice allowing the more skilled guys the space to do their stuff and losing a guy who provides the muscle may hurt the entire teams ability to play against a more intimidating opposition.

OPTION 3

Sutter - Cameron - Courtenay
Lewis - Campbell - Awada
Jamieson - Moran - Morrison

Gavalier - S.Johnson
T.Johnson - Dutiaume
Walton - Christie

Cut: Neuemier

The other option for Ed would be to keep Jamieson on the third line wing and retain Mark Dutiaume on defense for the rest of the season were he has been outstanding, throwing big hits and joining the rush forward. Again it would be hard to see Troy holding down a spot ahead of the top four in defense above.

OPTION 4

Let’s not even talk lines . . .

The final scenario is that injuries never clear, there is still no word on when Roman Gavalier or Trevor Johnson but I don’t want to even think about going into the second half of the season without someone like Gavalier who last year showed himself to be the teams best player as well as one of the best defensemen in the Elite League.

For the poor start to the season there is a small light at the end of the tunnel now that the Giants have put together back-to-back wins for the first time. Looking at the Giants line-up it’s easy to see why fans can be excited about a healthy Giants line-up. It does indeed look strong and of course we’ve yet to play with a completely healthy line-up yet this season. One step at a time.

Category: Stories » |

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