College Hockey Blog's "Extremely Early Preaseason Top 5"

[SanTropez]

Re: College Hockey Blog's "Extremely Early Preaseason Top 5"

J Dubbs has some sorta ranking system where the Gophers are tops?!? Who could have seen that coming?

...and no BC in the top 15.

[SCSU Euro]

Re: College Hockey Blog's "Extremely Early Preaseason Top 5"

J Dubbs has some sorta ranking system where the Gophers are tops?!? Who could have seen that coming?

[JDUBBS1280]

My Top 15

1. Minnesota
2. Notre Dame
3. North Dakota
4. Union
5. Cornell
6. Michigan
7. Miami
8. W. Michigan
9. SCSU
10. Denver
11. Ohio State
12. BU
13. UNO
14. UMass Lowell
15. Michigan State

[Dutchman]

Re: College Hockey Blog's "Extremely Early Preaseason Top 5"

While I am a UNION fan, I see Cornell as a well deserved top 5, if they can find the leadership. This year I thought they clearly had the "raw" talent to make the final 4 but lacked the player leadership. The embarrassing loses cost them the Cleary Cup and a shot at the ECAC Championship. They had the talent to beat Ferris State. Last year they seem to have come up short on "Will". Union only looses 5 but they were the team leaders. The ECAC will be very competitive next year as well and the teams that make it to the top will be in the low 30's. Brown, Princeton, RPI, Clarkson, Saint Lawrence, Dartmouth, QP, Harvard all improve. If some of the players on the Cornell team step up, I see them as a Frozen Four.

[alnike]

Re: College Hockey Blog's "Extremely Early Preaseason Top 5"

i'm not going to click that link because you are a fool, but here is my top 10 as of april 8th

my very premature preseason top 10

1- minnesota (assume haula, rau, bjustad stay)
2- notre dame
3- western michigan
4- Boston College (assume kreider, dumoulin leave)
5- Miami
6- Lowell
7- North Dakota
8- Michigan
9- Cornell
10- Union

As of now, the 16 teams I think will make the NCAA's...
1. Boston College
2. Minnesota
3. North Dakota
4. Union
5. Western MI
6. Cornell
7. Lowell
8. Michigan
9. Denver
10. Notre Dame
11. Miami
12. Wisconsin
13. UNO
14. BU
15. Ferris State
16. Air Force

With the NHL nipping at the Sophomores and Juniors and the CHL nipping at the college recruits, there are many question marks amongst these teams. It's going on about the 5th year of the NHL signing 25-30 players each spring/summer with eligibility remaining, and the teams above clearly reflect that with less star power than teams from the mid-2000's. That allows for teams like Ferris State and Lowell to retain experienced and mature upperclassmen to surprise and make big impacts.

[SteveF]

Re: College Hockey Blog's "Extremely Early Preaseason Top 5"

i'm not going to click that link because you are a fool, but here is my top 10 as of april 8th

my very premature preseason top 10

1- minnesota (assume haula, rau, bjustad stay)
2- notre dame
3- western michigan
4- Boston College (assume kreider, dumoulin leave)
5- Miami
6- Lowell
7- North Dakota
8- Michigan
9- Cornell
10- Union

[Tater]

Re: College Hockey Blog's "Extremely Early Preaseason Top 5"

1. Barry Melrose
2. Bruce McLeod
3. Northeastern
4. Multi-overtime college lacrosse games
5. Bubba Watson

You had me until here.

[A Shot and a Goal]

Re: College Hockey Blog's "Extremely Early Preaseason Top 5"

1. Barry Melrose
2. Bruce McLeod
3. Northeastern
4. Multi-overtime college lacrosse games
5. Bubba Watson

[mnstate0fhockey]

With months ahead of guys deciding to go pro or to the CHL, this is more useless then usual.

Agreed. But that doesn't mean it can't be interesting to speculate.

[bronconick]

Re: College Hockey Blog's "Extremely Early Preaseason Top 5"

With months ahead of guys deciding to go pro or to the CHL, this is more useless then usual.

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: College Hockey Blog's "Extremely Early Preaseason Top 5"

#26, without a doubt, Union.

[Onion Man]

Re: College Hockey Blog's "Extremely Early Preaseason Top 5"

Brown is obviously # 6.

[mnstate0fhockey]

BC loses quite a bit, but probably not as much as they lost last year and look how that worked out They bring in three real "blue chip" recruits in forwards Frank Vatrano (NTDP) and Evan Richardson (BCHL) and defenseman Michael Matheson (USHL), all of whom should be able to help plug the holes left in the wake of graduations and early departures. On paper, if nobody else leaves (which is a BIG if), my feeling though is that both MN and UND should be at or near the top come October.

Well said. I would probably have BC as my #1 too. Minnesota's ranking would depend on whether Bjugstad comes back. 80% of their scoring came from underclassmen, and they lose no one on the blue line while brining in two high-end defensive recruits. Goaltending is an unknown. I like UND's team even without Nelson and Kristo if he leaves. Besides, they always seem to contend.

[carltonbarrett]

Re: College Hockey Blog's "Extremely Early Preaseason Top 5"

BC loses quite a bit, but probably not as much as they lost last year and look how that worked out They bring in three real "blue chip" recruits in forwards Frank Vatrano (NTDP) and Evan Richardson (BCHL) and defenseman Michael Matheson (USHL), all of whom should be able to help plug the holes left in the wake of graduations and early departures. On paper, if nobody else leaves (which is a BIG if), my feeling though is that both MN and UND should be at or near the top come October.

[A Shot and a Goal]

Re: College Hockey Blog's "Extremely Early Preaseason Top 5"

1. Alabama-Huntsville
2. OKC Thunder
3. Texas Rangers
4. Buffalo Bills
5A. Wayne State
5B. NCHC