This is who all Sheffield Steelers’ new boys are effectively replacing – Bob Westerdale

With one skater left to name, along with two goalies, Sheffield’s future locker room has well and truly started to take shape.

The team looks like it will be feistier, more defensively mobile, while bearing at least the same goal punch, compared with last year.

So let’s look at some specifics of who has come in – and who they have effectively replaced on the forward lines.

For the purposes of this hypothetical exercise, we’ll class Brendan Connolly as a newcomer as he only played nine league games for Sheffield last season before his knee injury saw him scratched from the line-up.

Some of the ‘swaps’ are clearly not like-for-like. But here we go:

IN: Daniel Ciampini – possibly the marquee signing of the summer. OUT: Marco Vallerand – a huge loss and a player who coach Aaron Fox would have had back had that option been in his gift. Much will depend on whether Ciampini can replicate Vallerand’s dominating form in the EIHL.

IN: Mason Mitchell, a player who plays on the wing but can adapt to roles elsewhere and is defensively astute. OUT: John Armstrong, a 274-game Steeler veteran who Fox routinely relied on during key situations.

IN: Brendan Connolly – as stated above, ‘Conns’ is a welcome returnee of course but still has some work to do to be fully fit after his ACL injury. He brings fire to the ice. OUT: Justin Hodgman, an enterprising forward who could turn matches with an intelligent pass few others could see coming.

IN: Scott Allen, a big-bodied presence who will make it tough for goaltenders and d-men around the crease. OUT: Tanner Eberle – another busy player that Fox would have taken back had his martial status not changed.

IN: Adam Raska, at 27 years old the Czech player should bring vitality to his line. OUT: Vojtech Polak, he is 10 years older but brought stability and experience in his 41 games for Steelers.

IN: Brett Neumann; he is even younger at 23 yet has played in the AHL, ECHL and ICEHL leagues, and is both a shooter and a passer. OUT: Matias Sointu, reliable and contributed 43 points in 57 games for Sheffield.

IN: Brandon McNally – arch enemy of any fan of the opposing team, which tells you something of his ‘rink rat’ style. OUT: Tomasso Traversa, a similarly waspish player but one that never looked likely to return after 34 outings in orange.

On top of the new guys, of course, are returnees Robert…