National League Start – HC Davos: Forward “hui”, back “ugh”? – Sports

The HCD made an impressive comeback in 2019 after the Arno Del Curto era. What’s in it this season?

HC Davos was like a pile of broken glass in November 2018. The cult coach Arno del Curto had resigned after 22 years. The HCD skidded for the remainder of the season; after all, he decided the playout match against the Rapperswil-Jona Lakers for themselves.

Title contender at the end of February

Much has changed in Davos since then. Raëto Raffainer became the new sporting director and Christian Wohlwend the new coach. The duo managed to rebuild the team in no time.

At the beginning of the 19/20 season, a new wind was noticed at Landwassertal. The Bündner raced from one win to the next, narrowly missing the qualifying win in second place and were a contender for the title at the end of February. As is well known, the playoffs did not work out because of Corona.

Summary and speed

What can the record champions now expect next season? With Perttu Lindgren there is a player in the squad who regained his old strengths last season. The Finn is one of the best players in the league. He takes the Davos game up a notch with his overview and calm on the puck. With a Lindgren in top form and fast-paced Aaron Palushaj and Teemu Turunen, the Bündner Offensive can make many opponents dizzy.

The old hand is missing

So the front of the HCD is well prepared – the shoe pinches more on defense. Davos conceded 142 goals last season, making them one of the weakest teams defensively. At the start of the season, of all things, veteran Félicien Du Bois will be missing. The 36-year-old injured his Achilles tendon when he began training in late July and will be out for several months. With Magnus Nygren, HCD has a solid defender, but there is a bit of a lack of quality on the other lines.

What are the goalkeepers showing?

Then there’s the still-open question of how newcomer goalkeeper Robert Mayer will present himself. He is supposed to replace Joren van Pottelberghe, who has emigrated to Biel. Mayer has experience in his 30s, but it was always okay to make a mistake in Geneva. After all, Davos has a second good goalkeeper in Sandro Aeschlimann, who also has what it takes to be No. 1.

A total theft after the Del Curto era is no longer a problem in Davos. Rather, HCD has what it takes to get back to the forefront. However, for this, the rather weak defense must somehow compensate.