Where will Philip Wittrich go?

Langnau's sporting director Pascal Müller and Embry's sporting director Paul Duca now know the price tag. First we swallowed everything. SCB's three-year contract is a so-called “backload contract”. The employment structure is such that Philip Wüthrich earns the most in his third year (a full 400,000 francs).

The average earnings per season over three years was just over 350,000 francs. Neither SCL Tigers nor Ambri are prepared to pay that much. This means: If Philipp Wittrich wants to further develop sports in Emmental or Leventina, he will have to give up money. It can be said that the original Bernese are in SCB's “salary trap”. If he renews, only Standard Chartered will offer him the same amount, if not more. After all, Philip Wüthrich's catch rate in Saturday's 3-2 win over Kloten was 90.91%, better than Adam Reideborn's (87.50) in Zurich on Sunday %) is even better.

• 7

  A leader who can decide games and make his team better on and off the ice.

• 6-7

  A talented player who can decide a game on a good night and is a leader.

• 5-6

  A good NL player: usually a rainbow butterfly of talent, sometimes a serious worker who brings out a lot of talent.

• 4-5

  Players on the third or fourth block, veterans or newcomers.

• 3-4

  The future is still ahead of you, or the future is already behind you.

• The rating is based on the North American Hockey Grading Scale, ranging from 1 (lowest) to 7 (highest). There are no levels below level 3 because those who play in the top leagues are at least barely adequate.

This starting point inspires the courage to try. In the summer of 2022, the Runnauers risked everything and bet on a moody, lazy talent. Stefan Charlin (24) is now the best goalkeeper in the league and will be called up by Patrick Fisher for this week's Four Nations Championship in Helsinki. As number 1.

Bald Natty goalie? Stephen Charling.Image: trapezoid

Stefan Challin's experiment turned out to be a winning lottery ticket. He will leave Emmental at the end of the season for Geneva or North America. Can Philipp Wittrich believe in the prospects for further growth in sport rather than money? With Swede Willem Lahm, Langnauer almost certainly has the most capable goalkeeping coach in the league.

But this also means: If the worst happens, is it possible for Willem Lahm to once again turn a prodigy into a national goalkeeper? Is there talent that is being overlooked? ZSC Lions defeated SC Bern (4:3 nV) in goal on Sunday afternoon. But not Simon Hrubek. The main goalkeeper had to rest due to illness. Robin Zumbühl (25) led the team to victory with a defensive rating of 93.02% and was named best player.

He is a forgotten talent who has not played a single youth national team game. His contract is about to expire. He spent less than half as much as Philipp Weithrich. He can't play poker. ZSC sporting director Sven Leuenberger said it was conceivable that he would extend his No. 2 jersey. But it wouldn't be bad luck if he went. There are enough other talents and farm teams in the ZSC universe.

At SCB, it's not just “Causa Wüthrich” that keeps senior sports director Martin Plüss and junior sports director Patrik Bärtschi on their toes. There is also a very politically sensitive transfer business: Simon Moser. He turns 36 in March and because of a back injury he suffered in the summer, head coach Yossi Tapora relieved him of his captaincy but gave him a quarter-hour of playing time per game. Anyone with cult status in SCB usually stays. Simon Moser remains a charismatic leader and, with any luck, has two more good years ahead of him.

What will happen to Simon Moser?Image: trapezoid

Langnau's sporting director Pascal Müller has a clear line: if possible, he will move players who have a future rather than a past. Canadian Chris DiDomenico, an admirer of Gotron, who turns 36 in February, suspects his contract may not be renewed. As a result, he is already cautiously exploring the possibility of returning to the Emmental River. But Pascal Müller has decided not to bring back the flamboyant Canadian. Canadian rock star misfits Finnish Philharmonic Orchestra.

But what about Simon Moser? His agent, George Mueller, is one of the smartest and most cautious men in the business. He confirmed that he was in talks with Pascal Müller in Langnau, but immediately put things into perspective: “I speak to him from time to time…” There was therefore no official confirmation of the talks.

Tea Langnau sporting director Pascal Müller is not a fan of dinosaurs.Image: trapezoid

One thing is clear: good agents develop markets. This is his duty. Even if a return to Langnau is unlikely (Simon Moser left the SCL Tigers in 2013) and aging giants tend to stay: this transfer will be in the true spirit of hockey romance. If there is an alternative to SCB, negotiations with SCB Junior Sports Director Patrik Bärtschi will be easier (the Junior Sports Director conducts the first discussion, but Senior Sports Director Martin Pluss has the final say).

In addition to Simon Moser, Georges Müller has a second “lizard” in his catalog: Chris Baltisberger, who was born in October 32 years old. Now he may no longer be agile, no longer lightning fast. But the mighty wing roller still knows where the gate is. Against SCB on Sunday afternoon, he made it 3-0 on the power play. It was his third goal of the season and eight points, making him the third most prolific Swiss forward on the championship team behind Sven Andreto and Denis Malkin. His younger brother Phil Baltisberger (28) already plays defense for the SCL Tigers and not only Langauer but also Kloten will benefit from a bit of drainage on the attacking side.

There are several subtleties to follow.