BU 2020-21 Season: The Road to … Nowhere?

[defkit]

Wise and DeBoer in transfer portal.

I think all teams are going to see an inordinate number of transfers this year given the unusually high number of players available next year due to extra year.

I imagine at least one or two more may enter, simply because the roster space next year isn't there. Removing Wise and DeBoer we now have 14 forwards without the incoming freshmen.

Interesting. DeBoer certainly isn't surprising - he just wasn't cracking the line-up. Wise was given plenty of chances, and really only ended up sitting due to lack of production. Maybe a change of scenery will be what he needs.

[brassbonanza]

Wise and DeBoer in transfer portal.

I think all teams are going to see an inordinate number of transfers this year given the unusually high number of players available next year due to extra year.

I imagine at least one or two more may enter, simply because the roster space next year isn't there. Removing Wise and DeBoer we now have 14 forwards without the incoming freshmen.

[meauxmo]

We could see this coming. The Peter principle is now at work: good recruiter and not a good coach.

[J.D.]

The thing to watch is didn't all these junior leagues barely play at all? I think you're gonna see a lot of guys pushed back a year in general and a lot of portal activity.

[cridge]

Going to be interesting with Cockerill and Kaufman returning. BU currently has 25 roster spots taken (if no one else leaves). BU was expected to have 8 incoming freshmen. I can only account for 4 of them signing their NLI via twitter (F:Boucher, Wilmer, Greene and D: Schmidt... all 03 birth year). The other 4 are (F:Amonte 00, Carrabes 01 and Doyle 01, Legault 03). I HOPE they manage to bring the older commits in because we NEED to be older. Wilmer is 5'6... I don't know how that adjustment will be but what I've seen is he's fragile. Doyle was supposed to come this year but decided not to.

Overall, this is going to be interesting to see how it plays out. Just hoping Carrabes and Doyle come because they look like great 4 year players. Would not be surprised if Legault goes to Omaha (book it). Oh, and Greene would be playing for his draft year.... will be one of youngest in NCAA, but he looks like he can actually help BU at center. Sorry about this post, I know we just finished the season, but something to look forward to I guess. Biggest recruit would potentially be a new COACH who may actually make this team look semi decent.

[cridge]

Yeah, it's going to be a crazy offseason. The transfer portal has huge numbers, way more than ever before. Lots of hard conversations to be had. And yes, we have recruits coming, so we absolutely don't need to find anyone else. that being said, if some high talented players are available, I guess you have to consider them.

I would take Zabaneh before Quercia. The latter is a valuable penalty killer and has a good head on his shoulders. But Zabaneh has the potential (I know, potential) to be a very good college player.

Possibility of a BU player entering the portal? I would not be surprised if Deboer and potentially Wise want to go somewhere else for more opportunity.

[Cross Check]

As a follow on to this - who will win number 6 first? I think the team who recruits the best 20 year olds, not the best 17 or 18 year olds available.

I don't think the two are mutually exclusive. I think both BC and BU need to do both, a mix of top flight high draft pick talent and older, more physically mature players. But it's become quite clear that the two of them being the youngest teams in the NCAAs just isn't working come tournament time against teams loaded with older, more physically mature, and experienced players. Times are a changin'.

[defkit]

As a follow on to this - who will win number 6 first? I think the team who recruits the best 20 year olds, not the best 17 or 18 year olds available.

Another way perhaps to look at it, oddly, is to not find the best available regardless of age, but the very good that are smart, highly coachable, not highly drafted, and looking to play 3-4 years of college hockey. Guys like Steve Thornton, Dave Tomlinson, Chris Kelleher. I know it's hard to imagine turning down a USNTDP player if they want to come to BU, and maybe that isn't the answer. And I know we have already been mixing in USHL, BCHL, heck, even NAHL-type guys. But it seems like the recruiting scene has transitioned to the point where the programs that can recruit from the USNTDP start there, get as many as they can, and then fill in the gaps. BU, BC, Minnesota, Michigan, Harvard, and lately, Providence.

Maybe it is a development issue (again, coaching). Mastrosimone looked like Shawn Bates / Peter MacArthur-type of offensive player. But he doesn't seem to have improved at all. I don't mean to pick on him, there are many others.

[BU93]

I would like to formally welcome BC to the modern college hockey era. No HE or National championships in 9 years (heck, we have 2 HE since then). To have young teams like ours, even with the young guns and top goalies, it takes a very special group to pull it off. I think we’re both trying to change, but neither of us has put it together yet.

As a follow on to this - who will win number 6 first? I think the team who recruits the best 20 year olds, not the best 17 or 18 year olds available.

[BU93]

I would like to formally welcome BC to the modern college hockey era. No HE or National championships in 9 years (heck, we have 2 HE since then). To have young teams like ours, even with the young guns and top goalies, it takes a very special group to pull it off. I think we’re both trying to change, but neither of us has put it together yet.

[Lemonade]

It’s about age and experience. BU/BC are the youngest rosters in NCAA. That’s fine for regular season but when you get to heavy, hard hitting, clog the middle older teams playing playoff hockey it’s going to be tough to win. Teams like SC are men.

[buoldtimer]

As it turns out, SCSU won by "no contest", too.

We'll see how they fare tomorrow playing a team that's actually coached.

The hallmark of Albie's teams is how easy they are to play against.

Godawful in their own end of the ice.

Wrong again. Frequently in error, but never in doubt.

[Carmine Scarpaglia]

I think we need a new coaching staff worse than BU. Who gets a new coach first?

[Rover]

Well, it was nice of SCSU to crush BC tonight! Well coached team.

[OldAlum]

On another topic, I was one who thought Albie should be given a shot as a head coach. I was wrong, sadly. This hasn't been pretty and shows no glimmer of improving. As I watched his presser (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qm1htMU-E2E)
pre-HE playoffs, I knew we were done. The team is not a team - it's just a collection of talented players without a leader. I was at the game in Albany. We were horrible in our defensive zone below the dots, couldn't get past the opponent's blue line carrying the puck and, whenever we dumped and chased, the chase was over before we got there. Disheartening, and a squandered opportunity.