#AsktheBouch: Slow start

[Gaikoku-hito 2,081]

 

Here we are at the start of Season 80 in the VHL and once again his mother is paying for another article in #AsktheBouch so we will once again ask Robert Bouchard; Star forward? for the Prague Phantoms about his off-season, the fallout of Free Agency, possible new GM and his season to date. With much more waffling about lets get into the interview:

 

Off-season seemed really short this year so what did you actually get up to this off season?

 

RB: “Well, It might have seemed like a short off season but the fact that we once again go eliminated early from the playoff meant that we actually had a long off season. I did manage to go swimming at the beach and focused on trying to maintain my shape as I am starting to get older now.”

 

During Free agency we seen a team mate sign a contract with Seattle; which seemed to surprise many; Did this signing surprise you and what are your overall thoughts about players leaving during free agency period?

 

RB: “Well, It actually didn’t surprise me that much that Thightraps decided to sign else where due to the fact that until a contract is signed then nothing is confirmed. When I seen that they didn’t sign before the end of the season it was actually assumed that she would be leaving during free agency.”

 

Okay, So you didn’t touch on the fact that seeing Thightraps sign with Seattle has caused your General Manager decided to step away from the team after this season; so what is your thoughts?

 

RB: “Disappointing that he has decided to walk away from the team but not overall surprised either due to activities away from the team taking more and more of his time. It will be a different feeling in the locker room and I actually think that we have already seen a huge change in the locker room already.  All I can do is wish him the best and hope the new guy tries to keep the core intact.”

 

In the end Thightrap ended up re-joining the team with a trade for a fourth rounder being sent the other way; what are your overall thoughts on the trade?

 

RB: “Well, It is never good to question choices of the GM as my role is to play on the team and help the team win as many games regardless of whom my team mate are but I would have liked to see a top defender be collected rather then bring back a player that clearly didn’t see themselves as part of our team this season when they signed during free agency with another team. We also ended up losing a long-term loyal player in LeClair II; Who was a big part of my success since I joined the VHL. Now I am sort of lost again between being either a first line center or second line center with new line mates again. It will be a tough transition period.” 

 

Season has started and the team struggled to start the season but more importantly you also struggled; what do you think was the reason for your struggles and do you think it contributed to the teams struggles?

 

RB: “Yeah, I really struggled at the start of the season with like one point over the first four games and this was clearly down to trying to adjust being with new team mates. I did really well playing with LeClair II and Baillie last season on the second line but we stacked our first line to start the season with Thightrap, Gobeil and myself. In the past few season this has never worked as I think Gobeil and myself are very similar players and cannot feed off of each other like we do with other players. I started producing once the line got changed a bit but staying on the first line with Gobeil it was pretty much the same. Thightraps took off while being placed on the second line; which was nice to see but in the last few games they finally decided to place Gobeil and Thightraps back together on the first while dropping me back to the second with Mariani & Lambert. This has resulted in my production going back to the end of last season standards as I have good chemistry with these two new linemates. More impressive is the fact that I am now back over a point per game after doing nothing in the first four game and still only a point per game after the first changes. Hopefully that continues and the team starts winning more often.”

 

Last question of the interview; What do you think Prague will be the rest of the season?

 

RB: “Well, at the start of the season I thought we were going to be at least a playoff team. That could surprise teams from time to time but at the moment we are going to be in a tough battle to make the playoffs this season. I think we can still make them but I cannot see us doing too much damage even if we make the playoffs as other team simply have more depth then we do up and down their line-up. Riga, Moscow and Malmo are going to be top of the class in the conference this season simply followed by the rest.”

 

Once again thank you for your time and we will most likely catch up with you once again (as you mother will pay for another one of these) as the season progresses in the series we like to call #AsktheBouch.

Edited September 29, 2021 by Gaikoku-hito