UNH Men's Hockey 2022 Off Season Thread- Goodbye Lake Whitt!

[Chuck Murray]

Since as UNH fans, we're now officially in the NCAA offseason, and the NHL trade deadline is looming tomorrow, it's not a bad time to revisit the current situation with old pal James van Riemsdyk, who'll be turning 33 in just over a month. On the good side, he's been injury free this season, and is the 3rd leading goal scorer with an abysmal Flyers team that's circling the drain, and is likely on the precipice of a major rebuild in the coming seasons. JvR is wrapping up Year 4 of a 5 year deal with Philly, and his -27 plus/minus is only "exceeded" by fellow has-been Keith Yandle, at a truly stunning -35.

This hasn't happened overnight for JvR. The two links that follow are from the same Flyers' website a year or so apart, in which his contract was deemed the club's worst (prior to 2020/2021 season), and more recently describes JvR has possibly being a target for cellar-dwellers to meet next year's salary "floor", and if not, being a prime candidate for a Flyers' buyout:

Philadelphia Flyers' 3 Worst Contracts for 2020-21 (thehockeywriters.com)

Which Flyers Players Should Be Moved Before the 2022 Trade Deadline (thehockeywriters.com)

If not for that contract, I could see JvR as an interesting possibility for a contending team that's either looking for a power play specialist on their second unit, with possible 3rd or 4th line depth otherwise. I guess I wouldn't be shocked if JvR was headed back to Toronto as a depth guy for the PP etc. given his best NHL days were there (before they started winning at least in the regular season anyway). Hard to believe he's going to be 33 - time flies, eh? Thoughts??

[Robert Balin]

Maybe UNH should have brought him in last year when he was suppose to come. I know his stock has dropped a bit but would he done any worst than what they had?

[wildcatdc]

Version 2. I imagine there will be several other changes

So.Will Margel (18-1-3-4)--------Sr.Harrison Blaisdell-(25-2-6-8)------So.Robert Cronin (30-7-5-12)
So.Liam Devlin-(34-9-7-16)-----Fr.Stiven Sardarian--(NA)-------------Fr.Kristap Skrastins (NA)
Fr.Cy Leclerc-(NA)----------------Sr.Chase Stevenson-(33-4-1-5)------Jr.Nick Cafarelli (15-3-4-7)
Fr.Jake Dunlap-(NA)--------------Fr.Morgan Winters-(NA)---------------So.Conor Lovett
Jr.Carsen Richels-(13-0-0-0)-----Jr.Cam Gendron-(19-1-1-2)-----------Fr._____/transfer
So.Connor Sweeney-(22-0-0-0)--Sr.Joe Hankinson (1-0-0-0)


Sr.Kalle Eriksson-(32-0-12-12)----So.Colton Huard (28-6-10-16)
So.Alex Gagne-(33-1-7-8)---------Jr.Luke Reid 34-3-5-8)
Fr.Nick Ardanaz-(NA)---------------Fr.Damien Carfagna (NA)
Jr.Nikolai Jenson-(30-1-5-6)-------Fr.Cade Penney (NA)

Fr.Tyler Muszelik----------Sr.David Fessenden------------Jr.Jeremy Forman

I’d asked earlier about you having Margel on 1st and Devlin on 2nd. What is your thinking there, given Devlin’s performance this year arguably making him the best returning forward? I don’t have an opinion one way or another on this one.

[wildcatdc]

https://www.unionleader.com/sports/c...4f2192c0a.html

Interesting read.

[NCAA watcher]

I’d asked earlier about you having Margel on 1st and Devlin on 2nd. What is your thinking there, given Devlin’s performance this year arguably making him the best returning forward? I don’t have an opinion one way or another on this one.

I could easily flip them, and they may (I think Devlin even played RW some last year). I have a belief that Devlin's offense this year is a bit more than one can expect, based on his USHL play (36 points in two years) and even at St.Sebs, where he was not really a first line player. Of course, you could point out that Margel couldn't stick in the USHL, but his NAHL totals suggest more offensive prowess than Devlin. I would have said the same last offseason about Cafarelli, and look how that played out. Leclerc has also produced well so can compete for a spot. Basically, its a bunch of equal unknowns on the top 9 spots. Not the fully-formed lineup I'd want to have my career riding on if I were Coach.

I'd also note on the lines that Saradarian is not really a center in the USHL and isn't the physical guy UNH likes down the middle, so he's unlikely to be a second line center. Pierson is not in the portal and has not signed, so perhaps he is returning.

[HockeyRef]

I could easily flip them, and they may (I think Devlin even played RW some last year). I have a belief that Devlin's offense this year is a bit more than one can expect, based on his USHL play (36 points in two years) and even at St.Sebs, where he was not really a first line player. Of course, you could point out that Margel couldn't stick in the USHL, but his NAHL totals suggest more offensive prowess than Devlin. I would have said the same last offseason about Cafarelli, and look how that played out. Leclerc has also produced well so can compete for a spot. Basically, its a bunch of equal unknowns on the top 9 spots. Not the fully-formed lineup I'd want to have my career riding on if I were Coach.

I'd also note on the lines that Saradarian is not really a center in the USHL and isn't the physical guy UNH likes down the middle, so he's unlikely to be a second line center. Pierson is not in the portal and has not signed, so perhaps he is returning.

Things that make you go hmmmm....Norbert has thought this all along...and I too have wondered since he (Pierson) hasn't left as of yet? Would love to see him return...As per Devlin, he had a great season and I dubbed him the new "Kevin Goumas" but of course as you point out, he's not a center.

[wildcatdc]

I could easily flip them, and they may (I think Devlin even played RW some last year). I have a belief that Devlin's offense this year is a bit more than one can expect, based on his USHL play (36 points in two years) and even at St.Sebs, where he was not really a first line player. Of course, you could point out that Margel couldn't stick in the USHL, but his NAHL totals suggest more offensive prowess than Devlin. I would have said the same last offseason about Cafarelli, and look how that played out. Leclerc has also produced well so can compete for a spot. Basically, its a bunch of equal unknowns on the top 9 spots. Not the fully-formed lineup I'd want to have my career riding on if I were Coach.

I'd also note on the lines that Saradarian is not really a center in the USHL and isn't the physical guy UNH likes down the middle, so he's unlikely to be a second line center. Pierson is not in the portal and has not signed, so perhaps he is returning.

Thanks, Watcher.

[Chuck Murray]

https://www.unionleader.com/sports/c...4f2192c0a.html

Interesting read.

Thanks for sharing, 'dc. Gotta say, Coach Herrion seems to be a pragmatic realist on the life of an NCAA coach in the portal era. His initial quotes after the Binghamton loss seemed on the whiny side, but it looks like he's gotten past it, and is ready to go back into battle to restock his roster.

You gotta think the diminished focus on HS recruiting at many schools is an unintended consequence.

[NCAA watcher]

Per the BCHL website John Evans is no longer committed to UNH.

https://bchl.ca/stats/player/5633/46/nicolas-ardanaz
You can add Ardanaz to that too.

Nicolas Ardanaz
@NickArdanaz
WK

Was

Nicolas Ardanaz. @NickArdanaz. UNH commit | WK

[HockeyRef]

https://bchl.ca/stats/player/5633/46/nicolas-ardanaz
You can add Ardanaz to that too.





Was

What? SMDH....

[Spirit of UNH Hockey]

NCAA Watcher, do you know what the status of JP Turner is?

[HockeyRef]

NCAA Watcher, do you know what the status of JP Turner is?

FWIW dept he still has "UNH" on his Twitter page...

[HockeyRef]

Ummm...Looking at CHC's blog posts Ardanaz Evans and Turner have signed NLI's...please correct me if I'm wrong but thought when this happened players are "in" ?

[Dan]

Maybe UNH should have brought him in last year when he was suppose to come. I know his stock has dropped a bit but would he done any worst than what they had?

I expected they might - a coach operating under a sense of urgency would want to get young talent into the program and spark optimism (if not immediate production). UNH went a different direction and here we are...

I'm not sure the staff (or existing admin) thinks theyre on any sort of hot seat. Which is why I wouldn't be surprised to see some of the more talented (yet not especially productive) recruits on Watcher's projected lines deferred. UNH hasn't learned yet, why would they learn now...?

[Dan]

Ummm...Looking at CHC's blog posts Ardanaz Evans and Turner have signed NLI's...please correct me if I'm wrong but thought when this happened players are "in" ?

UNH lost Mike Vecchione by deferring him an extra year in the USHL. When he went on to flourish at Union, the coaching staff began employing the tactic of signing prospects and THEN deferring them. Under old NLI rules, that would essentially lock a player into Durham - the NLI was enforceable the next season, should UNH choose to offer the previously agreed upon scholarship amount.

I'm not sure what UNH would gain by fighting a player's attempt to break an NLI - but its moot now anyway, without a transfer penalty on the books. UNH could threaten to hold Evans to his NLI, but he would simply 'transfer' to his preferred destination with no penalty of sitting.

I argued UNH should go all in on youth last year and play for the future - An inexperienced roster could hardly do worse I posited. UNH seemed to think going older would make them more competitive than a ninth place finisher.

Whether any of this eventually facilitates a change in strategy (or staff) remains to be seen, but I expect Ill believe (any of) it when I see it...