Minnesota Gopher Season Thread: 2014-15 (Continued)

[Darius]

Re: Minnesota Gopher Season Thread: 2014-15 (Continued)

He didn't even win the Walter Brown.

As a freshman, is he in the same class with Johnny Hockey? I'd bet large sums of money against that.

Freshman stats:

GM G A PTS

44 21 23 44 - JG

36 24 42 66 - JE

Eichel is 6' 2" 192 lbs. The Flames currently list JG at 5' 9" 150 lbs. I'd pick JG in a race especially a short one, but it would be close. I've seen Eichel hit people. I never noticed JG doing that. Even if he did, the player he hit probably didn't notice.

[5mn_Major]

Re: Minnesota Gopher Season Thread: 2014-15 (Continued)

Freshman stats:

GM G A PTS

44 21 23 44 - JG

36 24 42 66 - JE

Eichel is 6' 2" 192 lbs. the Flames currently list JG at 5' 9" 150 lbs. I'd pick JG in a race especially a short one, but it would be close. I've seen Eichel hit people. I never noticed JG doing that. Even if he did, the player he hit probably didn't notice.

So Eichel is on target to win the Hobey as a junior. Maybe he'll be around to get it. Neither have been deserving as freshmen.

[HarleyMC]

Re: Minnesota Gopher Season Thread: 2014-15 (Continued)

Doesn't seem to be on anyone's radar here...and IMO some on GPL would jump out a window, but here's my opinion:

I can't say I've seen much BU hockey. But I'd say its very likely that Eichel's a fairly one dimensional player. He can score. No knock against him, because scoring in hockey is critical. But as a freshman, very few play 200 foot games. That's why it doesn't surprise me that Vesey got the Walter Brown.

At the end of the day, we always seem to have top scoring forwards getting the Hobey...with an occasional shut down D sprinkled in. Frankly, we haven't had a D of any type for awhile. Not since Gilroy. As an unbiased observer, I think its got to be Mike Reilly. He integrates with forwards like nobody's business, can instantly make the game 200 feet, and play very advanced D as needed (a serious upgrade to his game from LY). But if scoring is your thing, he's not only the top scoring D in the nation, but he's the top scoring player on a team with the most prolific senior class in hockey (and he's put up more points than Hobey winner Gilroy). You've got to go back 3 years to find a defenseman putting up the points (and four years if Reilly comes up with 2 more). Eichel? Go back to last year and you'll someone who was several times the Hobey forward. No offense, but Eichel doesn't deserve the Hobey.

There's little question whether Mike Reilly is definitely the most talented offensive/defenseman in the NCAA. But I think his 6 goals so far is not dominant enough for the Hobey. Reilly's main asset is playmaking, but not goal scoring. Leopold, a similar offensive D was 20-28-48 when he won it. What Eichel has done this season as a freshman is phenom status and he'll end up with Vanek type numbers by season end.

Another reason Reilly won't win it is the Hobey typically favors forwards. Only 6 D have ever won the Hobey in 34 years.

Hobey Baker winners by the numbers.

By team

5 — Minnesota-Duluth
4 — Minnesota
3 — Harvard, Boston College
2 — Boston University, Bowling Green, Colorado College, Maine, Michigan, Michigan State, North Dakota
1 — Denver, Miami, New Hampshire, St. Cloud State, Wisconsin

By position

Forward — 26
Defenseman — 6
Goaltender — 2

[chickod]

Re: Minnesota Gopher Season Thread: 2014-15 (Continued)

OK...so the answer is no, Eichel is not nearly as good as last year's Hobey winner.

Being a #2 pick says nothing about the Hobey. EJ was a #1 pick...and no, he wasn't deserving of the Hobey either.

And I have to be honest...I really don't care. All I care about is the game! I was just responding to someone who says he had "hardly seen him play" but then makes all these evaluations...

[Bonin21]

Re: Minnesota Gopher Season Thread: 2014-15 (Continued)

Eichel will win the Hobey, and is in the same class as Gaudreau. He'll be in the NHL next year full time, just like Johnny.

[HarleyMC]

Re: Minnesota Gopher Season Thread: 2014-15 (Continued)

Eichel will win the Hobey, go 1st or 2nd in the first round on June 26th, hold up an NHL jersey, smile for the camera and begin his NHL career immediately afterwards. There's a few NHL scouts today that believe Eichel could be a no. 1 center this season in the NHL.

[5mn_Major]

Re: Minnesota Gopher Season Thread: 2014-15 (Continued)

JG was a much, much better all around player and had a whopping 50% more goals. Eichel will probably win and for all the wrong reasons.

[chickod]

Re: Minnesota Gopher Season Thread: 2014-15 (Continued)

JG was a much, much better all around player and had a whopping 50% more goals. Eichel will probably win and for all the wrong reasons.

Give it up...while you're still behind. You don't know what you're talking about...

[5mn_Major]

Re: Minnesota Gopher Season Thread: 2014-15 (Continued)

Give it up...while you're still behind. You don't know what you're talking about...

Gets some facts...and let's talk.

So I've got WatchESPN loaded in multiscreen mode (its cool, hook this up if you can)...and have it up on my 101" screen. Ready for some puck.

[HarleyMC]

Re: Minnesota Gopher Season Thread: 2014-15 (Continued)

JG was a much, much better all around player and had a whopping 50% more goals. Eichel will probably win and for all the wrong reasons.

I expect the quality and style of play of the Hobey winners to vary from year to year. But Eichel is arguably the best college hockey player THIS year.

[5mn_Major]

Re: Minnesota Gopher Season Thread: 2014-15 (Continued)

But Eichel is arguably the best college hockey player THIS year.

I'm not so sure of that. I don't know that he's the best college forward in Boston right now. Vesey is very close in points and certainly would have passed him had he had nearly the support.

Nation’s top goal scorer Vesey is Harvard’s first Walter Brown winner since 2005

The Gridiron Club of Greater Boston announced Tuesday that Harvard junior forward Jimmy Vesey is the winner of the 63rd Walter Brown Award, presented annually to the best American-born college hockey player in New England.

I also think folks here discount M. Reilly, who likely can't win only due to Connolly and Leblanc.

[D2D]

Re: Minnesota Gopher Season Thread: 2014-15 (Continued)

I also think folks here discount M. Reilly, who likely can't win only due to Connolly and Leblanc.

Strib article about M. Reilly just posted leaves a glimmer of hope for next season:

“There’s probably no real chance that [leaving school immediately to play in the NHL] will happen. I’m worried about finishing my degree. That’s more important to my family.”

http://www.startribune.com/sports/go...tml?page=1&c=y

[The Rube]

Re: Minnesota Gopher Season Thread: 2014-15 (Continued)

So no more "shine the turd" comments? Watched a bit of the B1G Tourney Championship game again last night. I will say this, the Gophers are playing at a much different level now than at any time in the season. Question is, can they plow through the stiffer competition from ranked teams in a one and done? B1G litmus test this weekend.

I saw half of the last period of Fri's game (was at the Tech game at the X, went up to the X bar to see the game) and then the whole game on Sat (1st 2 periods at the X bar; again, was at the Tech game which started an hour earlier; then sprinted to the Liffey to finish watching the MN game.

They are indeed playing on another level, including TWOCOX.

[HarleyMC]

Re: Minnesota Gopher Season Thread: 2014-15 (Continued)

I'm not so sure of that. I don't know that he's the best college forward in Boston right now. Vesey is very close in points and certainly would have passed him had he had nearly the support.

Nation’s top goal scorer Vesey is Harvard’s first Walter Brown winner since 2005

The Gridiron Club of Greater Boston announced Tuesday that Harvard junior forward Jimmy Vesey is the winner of the 63rd Walter Brown Award, presented annually to the best American-born college hockey player in New England.

I also think folks here discount M. Reilly, who likely can't win only due to Connolly and Leblanc.

I can see your point with Vesey and he's definitely a major reason the Crimson are one of the hottest teams in the tourney dropping only one game since Feb. 28th and avg. 3.75 Gs/game. He's leading Eichel in Gs by 7, but not in some of the other important stats that represent the committee's list of salient criteria. Some of the major criteria the selection committee investigates in addition to outstanding individual numbers is team support and on and off ice leadership.

Hobey winners are typically complete two-way team players with elite skill sets that allow them to carry a team on their back when needed. Eichel appears to be a very unselfish player leading the nation in assists, he's a strong two way guy with an amazing nation leading +46, and is one of the major reasons BU went from being an irrelevant 10-21-4 last season to being an NCAA title contender today. He also possesses major wattage in full ice vision, lower body strength, speed, and playmaking ability. I think Vesey is an outstanding talent, but Eichel appears to be a more complete player.

However, one could argue that Eichel's also on the most productive line in college hockey...with Rodrigues and O'Regan. Rodrigues has more points than any player in the nation this half (41). So there's no question Eichel's linemates make him a better player, thus invoking some inherent bias in his individual numbers. But as a freshman to step into D1 with a command performance like he has, Eichel's clearly one of those special players that possesses an elite talent currency.

[JoeGopher]

Re: Minnesota Gopher Season Thread: 2014-15 (Continued)

Hobey winners are typically complete two-way team players with elite skill sets that allow them to carry a team on their back when needed.

The only dent in that armor would be Paul Kariya. Clearly a one way player in college that I think never saw the defensive side of the blue line. As well as being the only Freshman to ever win the award.