How good is the DEL?

[Sanderson]

I can't really think of any team that has just one skilled line. Maybe the very bottom is top-heavy with its lineup, but I wouldn't see that as standard for the league. As a matter of fact, I'd say the top-teams have loaded up with talent, München, Mannheim, etc have so much talent that some good players even have to sit when everyone is healthy.

That obviously doesn't mean that the best players are a match for the best players of better European leagues.

 

[Albatros]

Those are the richest two, München operates with a budget of 12 million euros a year while teams in the other end have 4 million or even less at their disposal. So the noteworthy German talent can be found in a couple of cities with only a few individuals calling home elsewhere. Instead many teams still resort to importing busloads of no-name North American journeymen and hope to get lucky.

 

[HPsauce]

How much are players salaries in the DEL? I'm curious what a top line point producer would make, as well as how much a bottom six grinder, with little offense to give.

 

[Albatros]

Broadly speaking DEL players earn 80 000 - 150 000 € netto per season, a big star could make more still. In DEL2 it's 10 000 - 60 000 €. Players are also looked after much more than is typical in North America, things like apartments and cars are usually provided by the club.

Contracts are typically just 9 months long, so that players are officially unemployed 3 months each year and get additional social money from the government based on their previous high salary before "unemployment", sometimes these sums too are in five digits. Although legal, it is of course a very dubious arrangement morally speaking.

 

[alko]

Im surprised, why so few Slovak players are (were) there playing. Is there any reason?

I mean, it is good league with good paychecks. Why in Czech league we have about 50 players and in DEL only 1! ?

 

[LemmyUlanov55]

Im surprised, why so few Slovak players are (were) there playing. Is there any reason?

I mean, it is good league with good paychecks. Why in Czech league we have about 50 players and in DEL only 1! ?

Guess it's a mixture between DEL teams favoring NA players with NHL/AHL experience for their foreign roster spots and language. No need to speak english in CZ, not sure if salaries are a reason aswell, I have no clue about how much players earn in the Czech league.

 

[Albatros]

In the past there were more, but maybe now the best are likely to play in the KHL and the rest not really good enough to make their way minding the lack of contacts and language skills.

 

[Ducks76]

The Liiga has without a doubt worsened significantly after Jokerit left for the KHL, but unfortunately the DEL still isn't anywhere near that good. The level of talent just isn't good enough in Germany compared to the leading hockey countries or even Switzerland. Too often German teams still have one scoring line consisting of fairly decent imports, and three grinding lines that may cheerfully have some local boys in them but are pain to watch for any other reason.

In terms of wins and losses the DEL teams were down 2-6 against Finnish opponents in the CHL last season, likewise 3-4 against Swedish and 3-7 against Swiss.

Against Czech league teams there was a 2-2 parity and Orli Znojmo of the Austrian league was thrashed by the Eisbären. I guess that's pretty much representative of the current situation.

One could say that ignoring the occasional bankruptcy the situation has stayed pretty stable for years already and in some ways that's a good thing, the DEL still has awesome fan bases second only to soccer in Germany, but at the same time the lack of growth is remarkable when other medium-sized sports like handball and especially basketball have been booming and have caught up the lead hockey used to have still some years ago.

Overall I don't want to be too negative, the DEL is not a horrible league in itself and the potential is there like it always was, but German hockey definitely would need new impulses in order to be able to compete with the established powerhouses in European hockey and at the moment I can't see that happening.

But my impression is that the DEL is growing better in last 2 Years. I was suprised as i saw a game Ingolstadt vs Cologne. The level in this league seems like better. Or do i only imagine ?

 

[Albatros]

If you say so, but I personally haven't registered such trend at all. Earlier I used to go to games mostly in Frankfurt (when the Lions were still a thing, sometimes watched Mannheim) and more recently in Berlin. I hope there are cases with good winds too.

 

[Name Nameless]

Andreas Martinsen, now AHL, played three seasons in DEL fairly recently. I think it would be interesting to hear how big star he was there, given I think we know how he was considered as an NHL-player?

 

[Tuoppi]

Olympic final quality.

 

[Ducks76]

Olympic final quality.

Which is better? DEL or Liiga?

 

[Tuoppi]

I have to say Liiga based on CHL-success and homegrown players.

 

[Eye of Ra]

Pietta and M.Mueller 2 star players in DEL where signed by Leksand (SHL-2).

 

[Albatros]

Krefeld is terrible, and saves some money by letting their most expensive players go somewhere else for a few months once they've missed the playoffs. They should bring relegation back and let the ship sink on the ice instead of an inevitable and humiliating bankruptcy ending it sooner or later.

 

[Rcknrollkillnmachine]

I'm watching Nurenberg v Köln for some Sunday play-off hockey entertainment and it's been quite a good level along with the great fans. Watched a few DEL games this year and always enjoyed them.

Would love to get over to Berlin to see Eisbaren (I keep telling my brother who lives there to go to game).

 

[Reindl87]

I don't think DEL is a very entertaining or good leauge at all. Way too many North American imports who have little skill but mainly live of their athletic ability. When I compare DEL to NHL it's night and day really. I often go to the Czech Republique to watch Extra League games. So much more enjoyable to watch. So much more skill, so much more Finesse. Sure, DEL is faster and harder, but if you want to see good hockey, in my opinion DEL is not your first choice.
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[Rcknrollkillnmachine]

I don't think DEL is a very entertaining or good leauge at all. Way too many North American imports who have little skill but mainly live of their athletic ability. When I compare DEL to NHL it's night and day really. I often go to the Czech Republique to watch Extra League games. So much more enjoyable to watch. So much more skill, so much more Finesse. Sure, DEL is faster and harder, but if you want to see good hockey, in my opinion DEL is not your first choice.
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Agree that I think Czech hockey is more entertaining (I catch a few games of that when I can) but I enjoy what I catch from DEL all the same.

 

[Bluesguru]

Agreed.

1: NHL
2: KHL
3: SHL/NLA
4: DEL/Liiga/Czech league

Actually the AHL is the 2nd best league in the World. KHL is overrated.

Look at defenseman Kevin Dallman and the numbers he's put up over there. They're better than the numbers he put up at Providence in the AHL.

 

[Eye of Ra]

Actually the AHL is the 2nd best league in the World. KHL is overrated.

Look at defenseman Kevin Dallman and the numbers he's put up over there. They're better than the numbers he put up at Providence in the AHL.

Lol, there is other examples which shows ahl star players struggling in khl but ofc you ignore that.

 

[Ciccarelli]

Actually the AHL is the 2nd best league in the World. KHL is overrated.

Look at defenseman Kevin Dallman and the numbers he's put up over there. They're better than the numbers he put up at Providence in the AHL.

For every Kevin Dallman there are ten guys who scored more in the AHL than in the KHL. Hint: you won't find them in the top of the scoring, you need to do some actual research

I can't think of any good argument to put the NLA over Liiga. And - no offense, it's a bit of an insult to put DEL on the same tier despite the Olympic silver and yesterday's upset. There's just nothing suggesting so, CHL performance, national team performances, development of players to the next step (NHL and KHL), even looking at rosters...Nothing.

 

[Eye of Ra]

For every Kevin Dallman there are ten guys who scored more in the AHL than in the KHL. Hint: you won't find them in the top of the scoring, you need to do some actual research

I can't think of any good argument to put the NLA over Liiga. And - no offense, it's a bit of an insult to put DEL on the same tier despite the Olympic silver and yesterday's upset. There's just nothing suggesting so, CHL performance, national team performances, development of players to the next step (NHL and KHL), even looking at rosters...Nothing.

really? nla for sure have better players than liiga. just compare the rosters.

 

[Ciccarelli]

really? nla for sure have better players than liiga. just compare the rosters.

Well then again, if you only look at the top guys the NLA is better than the SHL even. But they can only play five foreigners per game and that's not alot. Top swiss guys are good I'm not saying they aren't but IMHO Sweden and Finland are a couple of steps ahead still when it comes to the level of domestic players and player development, and that makes the difference. The CHL competition is something I give alot of value here, otherwise it's pretty hard to determine and compare the level of those domestic guys who spend their entire career in their homelands. Who am I to say that Jarkko Malinen, Jere Karjalainen and Jarno Kärki are better players than Ted Brithen, Joakim Nygård and Joel Kellman and who are you to say that they aren't? CHL is a good and actually the only way to compare.

 

[OskarOskarius]

Do Red Bull München in your opinion have a realistic chance in a CHL final against Frölunda Indians?

 

[kalle wirsch]

It is only one game so everything can happen,Munich has some really good german players like Hager Wolf Seidenberg + probably the best coach in the DEL.Nevertheless Frölunda is the big favorite. I would say 70:30