Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXIII: A Fanbase Gets Smarter When All The Idiots Jump Ship

[solovsfett]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXIII: A Fanbase Gets Smarter When All The Idiots Jump Shi

See Athletic Department, you can win with freshman. They don't have to be puppies crapping on the carpet. I bet UNO fans aren't idiots either.

"Omaha’s a big surprise story, too. The Mavericks were carrying 11 freshmen heading into this season and were picked to finish sixth in the NCHC, and I don’t think anyone saw coming back in October what Omaha has done thus far in this tournament."

Read more: http://www.uscho.com/2015/03/31/tmq-...#ixzz3VzElO0VR

Just shows this year was a complete joke and the coaches should be fired.

Wait...what? you can win games with 11 freshman? You don't say?!?!?

In all seriousness though, if Barry has someone monitoring this site they must be relaying how angry, despondent, apathetic, all by turns each of us have become. It's got to be at least somewhat surprising to that lunkhead that so many are ditching their season tickets.

You'd think it would be simple math on his part. Retain Eaves, win about 12 games next year and lose another 1/4 to 1/3 of the base after a season in which you were lucky to see 7,000+ people in the KC for hockey. Or...Can Eaves, make a smart and *informed* hire and give the fanbase (old and new) some hope, not to mention firing up the alumni.

just imagine the scenario whereby Eaves is here and the team wins about 12-14 games next season, misses the playoffs but...but..."hey, there's hope, we'll have upperclassmen the following year so we could win it all!!! He's retained again. At that point you'd have to think the cycle will NOT end until Barry Alvarez has helped preside over the grounding of the hockey team.

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXIII: A Fanbase Gets Smarter When All The Idiots Jump Shi

At that point you'd have to think the cycle will NOT end until Barry Alvarez has helped preside over the grounding of the hockey team.

Oh, we're halfway there.

[Wisko McBadgerton]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXIII: A Fanbase Gets Smarter When All The Idiots Jump Shi

Anybody know what's up with Nic Kerdiles? Appears he was injured in mid February and hasn't played since. I saw "upper body injury" in one press snippet but that's all I've seen on him?

[UWisco]

Anybody know what's up with Nic Kerdiles? Appears he was injured in mid February and hasn't played since. I saw "upper body injury" in one press snippet but that's all I've seen on him?

All I know is that he should have stayed another year in Madison. The Ducks are stacked right now and I don't see him cracking the lineup anyway.

[bucky15]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXIII: A Fanbase Gets Smarter When All The Idiots Jump Shi

All I know is that he should have stayed another year in Madison. The Ducks are stacked right now and I don't see him cracking the lineup anyway.

I could see the Ducks making some moves at the draft to move some of these young F to fill a void on D.

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXIII: A Fanbase Gets Smarter When All The Idiots Jump Shi

All I know is that he should have stayed another year in Madison. The Ducks are stacked right now and I don't see him cracking the lineup anyway.

We could've used him another season to help balance classes a hell of a lot more than he needed us. I don't care what Anaheim's forward situation is.

[Wisko McBadgerton]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXIII: A Fanbase Gets Smarter When All The Idiots Jump Shi

We could've used him another season to help balance classes a hell of a lot more than he needed us. I don't care what Anaheim's forward situation is.

I said at the time it would have been better for Nic to come back as I didn't think he was NHL ready and at 20, I thought "Why go to the AHL and slug it out with those guys for an extra year?" when he could have stayed, gotten bigger and stronger, and had time to develop into an All American player. And probably now in retrospect it would have been good for him to stay as this year hasn't worked out very well at Norfolk. I'm sure the Ducks told him he had a great chance to make the big club and that's why he went... but they probably didn't tell him they were going to sign Kesler and a couple more forwards above him right after he signed...

But I agree that the impact he could have had here is pretty large. Beyond his roster spot, with Kerdiles scoring 20+ goals, playing on the PP, and PK, the Badgers are probably winners of several more games if still not very good overall. Probably as important is what he'd have brought to practice everyday in terms of competition and skill improvement for the other guys. They would have been better, won more, had more confidence down the stretch and regardless of the season outcome would have been better prepared for next year. Normally one guy isn't a huge difference maker but a guy with Kerdiles ability would have made a huge difference this year and going forward as well.

[IndianaBadger1995]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXIII: A Fanbase Gets Smarter When All The Idiots Jump Shi

Kerdiles and McCabe... What this team could have been. Were they Osiecki recruits?

[Chuck Schwartz]

Kerdiles and McCabe... What this team could have been.

I don't like playing this game.

[markwojo]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXIII: A Fanbase Gets Smarter When All The Idiots Jump Shi

I said at the time it would have been better for Nic to come back as I didn't think he was NHL ready and at 20, I thought "Why go to the AHL and slug it out with those guys for an extra year?" when he could have stayed, gotten bigger and stronger, and had time to develop into an All American player. And probably now in retrospect it would have been good for him to stay as this year hasn't worked out very well at Norfolk. I'm sure the Ducks told him he had a great chance to make the big club and that's why he went... but they probably didn't tell him they were going to sign Kesler and a couple more forwards above him right after he signed...

But I agree that the impact he could have had here is pretty large. Beyond his roster spot, with Kerdiles scoring 20+ goals, playing on the PP, and PK, the Badgers are probably winners of several more games if still not very good overall. Probably as important is what he'd have brought to practice everyday in terms of competition and skill improvement for the other guys. They would have been better, won more, had more confidence down the stretch and regardless of the season outcome would have been better prepared for next year. Normally one guy isn't a huge difference maker but a guy with Kerdiles ability would have made a huge difference this year and going forward as well.

I would venture a guess that part of the decision process was knowing the suck that was imminent. Losing Zengerle, McCabe, Mersch, Barnes, and Siminolli and replacing them without much offensive firepower wasn't going to leave a potent offensive roster even if Kerdelies stayed.

As far as Anaheim goes...they really only added Heatley as a forward in free agency and Kessler was not a net sum gain of a forward (they sent Bonino the other way in the trade) while they parted ways with Koivu, Selanne, Winnik, and Perreault. I'm sure their pitch was he could potentially earn a spot in the NHL....but at worst several guys would earn a spot and there would be top end roles to fill in the AHL.

.5 points/game as a 20 year old in the A is not a bad first step as a pro, especially dealing with some injury problems

Had he stayed....yeah we probably win a few more games but still are beyond brutal and an absolutely inexcusable bad roster.

[bucky15]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXIII: A Fanbase Gets Smarter When All The Idiots Jump Shi

I said at the time it would have been better for Nic to come back as I didn't think he was NHL ready and at 20, I thought "Why go to the AHL and slug it out with those guys for an extra year?" when he could have stayed, gotten bigger and stronger, and had time to develop into an All American player. And probably now in retrospect it would have been good for him to stay as this year hasn't worked out very well at Norfolk. I'm sure the Ducks told him he had a great chance to make the big club and that's why he went... but they probably didn't tell him they were going to sign Kesler and a couple more forwards above him right after he signed...

But I agree that the impact he could have had here is pretty large. Beyond his roster spot, with Kerdiles scoring 20+ goals, playing on the PP, and PK, the Badgers are probably winners of several more games if still not very good overall. Probably as important is what he'd have brought to practice everyday in terms of competition and skill improvement for the other guys. They would have been better, won more, had more confidence down the stretch and regardless of the season outcome would have been better prepared for next year. Normally one guy isn't a huge difference maker but a guy with Kerdiles ability would have made a huge difference this year and going forward as well.

Nic made a wise move in his personal development to leave last year. To be part of this sinking ship this year would have set him back. He made a good personal business move to bolt.

[vizoroo]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXIII: A Fanbase Gets Smarter When All The Idiots Jump Shi

My wife grew up in International Falls and became a UND fan because of Blais' connection to the Falls. She is also a Badger fan, since she is married to me, but cheers for UND whenever the two play (we have been on the screen for Boo!-YEAH! segment many times for those games in Madison.)

So, long story short, she'll be cheering for UND (and UNO,) but I'll be pulling for UNO since it is their first trip (and disliking UND is just in my blood.)

Totally understand. Goes against the grain to▼cheer for the sioux.

[Wisko McBadgerton]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXIII: A Fanbase Gets Smarter When All The Idiots Jump Shi

I would venture a guess that part of the decision process was knowing the suck that was imminent. Losing Zengerle, McCabe, Mersch, Barnes, and Siminolli and replacing them without much offensive firepower wasn't going to leave a potent offensive roster even if Kerdelies stayed.

As far as Anaheim goes...they really only added Heatley as a forward in free agency and Kessler was not a net sum gain of a forward (they sent Bonino the other way in the trade) while they parted ways with Koivu, Selanne, Winnik, and Perreault. I'm sure their pitch was he could potentially earn a spot in the NHL....but at worst several guys would earn a spot and there would be top end roles to fill in the AHL.

.5 points/game as a 20 year old in the A is not a bad first step as a pro, especially dealing with some injury problems

Had he stayed....yeah we probably win a few more games but still are beyond brutal and an absolutely inexcusable bad roster.

It's all moot but I'd guess he'd have centered LaBate and Besse which would have been a pretty good line, and he'd have probably had a pretty good year individually. Agree that the team probably wouldn't have though. He'd also very likely end up close to a degree that he could easily finish.

I was thinking the Ducks also added Nate Thomas at C and I had it in my mind that Rakell wasn't a Duck, but he was of course. In my mind I think of Kerdiles as the most complete player here since the Big Pavelski, but Pavelski was 2 years older after his sophomore season and he barely needed a cup of coffee in the A. That's the trajectory I would have envisioned/wanted for Kerdiles whenever he went. (also much like Rakell or Sekac's trajectory, who are both a year or two older.) I think any guy only has so many 80 game seasons in him at the top levels so you want to spend as many as you can at the very top and not get banged around too long in the A with guys trying to make a name for themselves at your expense if you're a genuine thoroughbred. Kerdiles is the real thing but right now he's a couple guys away from the big club and is on the second worst team in the AHL. (So he was playing on a bad team either way.) He's injured and out for the last six or seven weeks so he's got rehab and is looking at another full AHL year unless there's a shakeup or something changes quite a lot. He's played fairly well but I don't see how he's in a better position now, career-wise, than he would have been had he stayed and went pro a year older and wiser. But again, it's all moot. I hope he recovers nicely and makes the Ducks out of camp this summer.

[Wisko McBadgerton]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXIII: A Fanbase Gets Smarter When All The Idiots Jump Shi

Also since I was thinking about AHL stuff, it appears the ol' Heater isn't quite dead yet.

After just 2g in 25 games with Norfolk, he has 6 in 13 with the San Antonio Rampage. The Rampage are 12-1 since acquiring Dany Heatly in early March and have won a franchise record 9 straight and clinched their playoff spot. They trail only Mike Mersch's (18g 20a +14) Manchester Monarchs by 4 for most points in the AHL. Also Heater is being centered right now by much hated little guy, Rocco Grimaldi.

[WiscDC]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXIII: A Fanbase Gets Smarter When All The Idiots Jump Shi

Eaves and Shuchuck are at the Saints-Capitols game, for anyone who cares.

Also, I brought a giant banner that says, "Et tu, Keegan?" At the very least, the Saints players noticed it. Some Saints fans didn't get it.