The Bratislava Watchen started the season off as one of the top teams while firing off on all cylinders. Numerous players were clicking and producing and they were seeing steady goaltending from Zhumbayev. Much positivity was seen on the ice, in the locker room and in the stands when it came to the atmosphere of their home building, however, shortly after their hot start they started to decline and fall in the standings. A team that was once on the radar for someone to watch had now fallen completely off and was heading in the wrong direction. Players on the organization made it known to management that they were not happy with the results of games and had great displeasure with where they were sitting in the standings. Multiple line changes and combinations of players were given a try but nothing seemed to be working. Management then knew that their was an issue that needed to be corrected.
"We started off the season on a fairly good note but it didn't last too long. We knew we had potential and some great pieces to go around, but at the time were unsure of the direction we wanted to take and what needed to be done in order to correct said situation if we wanted to make a strong run. We sat down with the boys and told them that changes were coming and that as their management we would do what's needed to keep the happy and successful. We took a long look at the organization and knew that their were holes that needed to be filled in order to truly compete in the league. We felt as though the short, successful run at the start was luck. We were weak on defense and weren't the strongest up front. We had great goaltending, but nothing to protect him. It's okay to have 30 shots against if few are quality changes, but we were allowing a lot of chances and were leaving Zhumby out to dry".
The Watchmen were in deep trouble and knew that in order to save the season, something needed to happen. Shortly after the team wide announcement was made, change started to come. They managed to pick up a waiver claim in Sean Connery, who although isn't the strongest player, adds some depth on defense and is much stronger than a 0 TPE player or computerized player. Following that, they managed to pick up one of the leagues highest scorers and dmen in Tanner Hynes, along with Bobby Boucher and Pavel Ovechkin from Moscow. This single moved already corrected a large gap in their defense and strengthened the organization up front as well. Not a day later, the team made a deal with the Royals which seen more defense coming in. Bratislava added Voss and Hackett on defense, while gaining Gribov on the wing. With things seeming to come together, Gm Banack noticed that they had too much on the blueline and could have more for forwards. With that, he sent Randy Savage (who afterwards retired) to Bern for Weaver (upgrade on Savage), Tumack and another winger in Holmstrom for depth.
These deals were huge for us. We went from having some Okay guys on the blueline, but few, to having a solid group of guys protecting the net and Zhumby. We added great depth on all parts of our organization that really strengthened our core and has corrected a lot of the issues we were having. Since the deals, we've really improved as a team and you can see that in the standings. Since the trades, we've essentially gone 10-3-0, which is obviously much stronger than what we were doing. The thing were aiming for now is helping our guys start producing more while also giving them a strong chance at the cup.
While making the deals, rumors of former Watchmen Alexander Davidson was also on the radar as whispers around the league and organization stated that he may be making a return. Sure enough, Davidson became a part of the team and truly pushed them over the top. Numerous moves have changed the outlook for fans, the players and management in Bratislava. Time will tell if the moves were enough and if the tram truly has what it takes to make a run for the Founders Cup.
@Pavel_Ovechkin @TheNextGreatOne @fever95 @ADwyer87 @BigTittySmitty @JHS @Splat @Austin @crutchfield @d3vilsfire
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