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

[Chuck Murray]

Walt, you are sorely missed. Fantastic post over with the Island of Misfit Toys BTW.

As Jacques might say ... "Plus ca change, plus c'est the same thingie, eh" ... ;-)

[NCAA watcher]

If anyone gathers any insight from that "interview" into where things stand with the "AD search" after listening to that total mish-mash of buzzwords and concepts, you're a better man than I ...

1. Still in the process of soliciting candidates
2. Uneven performance of teams from where they want... (hmm, hmm)
3. New AD should have a plan for the first 100 days that will include metrics to evaluate the people
4. Plan should include how to achieve success on the field.
5. Hiring new AD to make "hard decisions"
6. Will not micromanage the new AD's performance.

So, new hire in June, will meet with all coaches by start of school year to learn where they are and what their plan is for success.

Making an assumption here, but if the new AD has any ability to read W/L/T records, and financial losses, I see no reason why the new AD would be overwhelmed by the raw numbers of the mens and womens hockey programs.
As an outsider, I also do not see why the new AD would have any reason for maintaining the status quo that will simply attribute Marty's mess to the new AD. Instead, there is every reason to believe that the AD would have an incentive to put his or her stamp on the programs to claim the very likely improvement, with little chance of making things worse. Basically, the risk/reward is asymmetric -- buying stock at $1, and at worst the stock will go to .50 cents so you look slightly bad, but you have a chance the stock will go to $15, and you get the huge upside.

[Dan]

Eric Esposito (9-9-18 in 116 games) transfers to Mercyhurst, as another Wildcat regular drops down a level to Atlantic Hockey...

For posterity's sake - and perhaps for future reference - Esposito was a 4* prospect according to Neutral Zone. If anything good comes from the last few years, maybe its realizing those rankings are entirely irrelevant and nothing more than a marketing tool to attract and keep membership/favor from the players/families themselves. Not that it was ever a real mystery...

[Scott]

Eric Esposito (9-9-18 in 116 games) transfers to Mercyhurst, as another Wildcat regular drops down a level to Atlantic Hockey...

For posterity's sake - and perhaps for future reference - Esposito was a 4* prospect according to Neutral Zone. If anything good comes from the last few years, maybe its realizing those rankings are entirely irrelevant and nothing more than a marketing tool to attract and keep membership/favor from the players/families themselves. Not that it was ever a real mystery...

Either that, or he simply wasn't "the right fit" in the so-called mysterious "SouzaSystem", much like Evans and Ardanaz. :-)

[HockeyRef]

Either that, or he simply wasn't "the right fit" in the so-called mysterious "SouzaSystem", much like Evans and Ardanaz. :-)

Bet thats more of the case here if you ask me. And Benton Maass' coach wins the Penrose....how fitting hope the "Benton Mavs" (credit to ATW) win it all! Will be in attendance Sat nite! Hope they are in it...EDIT: HR is going tomorrow night toooooo! Let's go Mavs!

[Chuck Murray]

1. Still in the process of soliciting candidates
2. Uneven performance of teams from where they want... (hmm, hmm)
3. New AD should have a plan for the first 100 days that will include metrics to evaluate the people
4. Plan should include how to achieve success on the field.
5. Hiring new AD to make "hard decisions"
6. Will not micromanage the new AD's performance.

So, new hire in June, will meet with all coaches by start of school year to learn where they are and what their plan is for success.

There's really not a shred of insight contained in any of that, Watcher. Most is pure boilerplate "How to Hire an Exec in Academia 2022", with a little bit of you reading some tea leaves on progress to date and timeline for the decision. I mean, I do appreciate your effort and all, but when the most revealing bit of the "interview" (and Dean Dean does give us all a funny peek into a process where he gets all the questions in advance) is that DD played Varsity soccer, and really admires Coach Hubbard's work in the sport, I didn't learn a thing (other than *maybe* my WAG about Hubbard for AD may not be as wild as I thought). In short, a total puff piece that any one of us on here could have done (hopefully far better), if given the access.

Making an assumption here, but if the new AD has any ability to read W/L/T records, and financial losses, I see no reason why the new AD would be overwhelmed by the raw numbers of the mens and womens hockey programs.

As an outsider, I also do not see why the new AD would have any reason for maintaining the status quo that will simply attribute Marty's mess to the new AD. Instead, there is every reason to believe that the AD would have an incentive to put his or her stamp on the programs to claim the very likely improvement, with little chance of making things worse. Basically, the risk/reward is asymmetric -- buying stock at $1, and at worst the stock will go to .50 cents so you look slightly bad, but you have a chance the stock will go to $15, and you get the huge upside.

I like the editorial version of 'Watcher much better. :-) Putting Hockey at the top of the new UNH AD's to-do list would make all of us pretty happy, I'd think. And it's logical, to boot.

Wish I was as sold on the "outsider" thing as you are, but I keep hearing nagging little things that suggest the solution may be "found" not all that long ago & far away.

Never, ever have I hoped so much to be so wrong.

[Robert Balin]

The coach has been in over his head since the day he was hired as an assistant/recruiter. So determined to build the most dependable and predictable 10/11th place team - if he thinks that will save his job than he either lacks perspective or knows that there is no expectation for actual success within the department. Its not my preferred way to team-build, but he has had his chance and the best course would now be dramatic decision making...

There are players on this roster that should be looking elsewhere, in order to facilitate as much accumulation of talent as possible. Assuming his job is actually in jeopardy, the best way to save it would be to prove your recruiting chops and put a young, talented team on the ice with an obvious and bright future. He just doesn't get it.

Does anyone have any real insight that Sardariyan is coming this fall? He makes Watcher's list (We should be so lucky for Watcher to make these decisions), but is listed as a '23 by many other sources. I am prepared for his deferral as well, putting another true talent's matriculation at risk for the sake of more local, hard workers who's development has already maximized, but we shall see...

--

I have no faith in them hitting the portal for actual impact - but if they did, they'd need to build an entire first line if they want to have any sustained success next season. I can't see them with any shot at a kid like Shlaine, and even if they added him, Gresock, Primeau and brought Pierson back, Id still need convincing to think they were a top-half HE club...

The Calverley kid from RIT looks like he might be a good fit 91 points in 4 years. I'm also going on a limb and saying Cy Leclerc will be UNH's best freshman forward next year he'll be a keeper.

[HockeyRef]

The Calverley kid from RIT looks like he might be a good fit 91 points in 4 years. I'm also going on a limb and saying Cy Leclerc will be UNH's best freshman forward next year he'll be a keeper.

Cy is having a monster year and I'm excited to see him come and join the likes of Liam Devlin/Robert Cronin. This could be our best group of forwards (I'm going out on a big limb but...trusting my instincts) since the Matt Willows, Kevin Goumas, and Nick Sorkin group. Sure, those guys put up big points (I wince when I look at their stats in a given year comparatively speaking...) and I'm not saying these guys are the same but it's still our best group coming in. We'll see. Add the RIT player in and we could be onto something. Bottom line you can't go anywhere but UP after this season's miserable goal production.

[NCAA watcher]

Bottom line you can't go anywhere but UP after this season's miserable goal production.

UNH graduated its top three scorers and half (38/76) of its scoring from last year.

The question is whether the returners, Cronin and Devlin, benefitted from playing with the top scorers -- will they improve, or will their production suffer from not having Pierson/Ward/Engaras next to them.

[Walt Poddubny]

UNH graduated its top three scorers and half (38/76) of its scoring from last year.

Perhaps, but if the team is as devoid of talent as you claim--and I have no reason or desire to argue that point--will it be difficult to replace that talent, such as it is.

[HockeyRef]

UNH graduated its top three scorers and half (38/76) of its scoring from last year.

The question is whether the returners, Cronin and Devlin, benefitted from playing with the top scorers -- will they improve, or will their production suffer from not having Pierson/Ward/Engaras next to them.

Well that's an excellent point and remains to be seen. Who will UNH be looking to as 'playmaker'? Has been obviously missing from the Kelleher brothers days. Key thing is to bring in a firestarter forward who can do this job (as well as score a boatload of points as well). Otherwise, hmmm going to see more of the same (eek)

[Dan]

The Calverley kid from RIT looks like he might be a good fit 91 points in 4 years. I'm also going on a limb and saying Cy Leclerc will be UNH's best freshman forward next year he'll be a keeper.

Maybe - who knows at this point, but Will Margel scored at a better rate (PPG) than LeClerc in the NAHL and look at how difficult his initial adjustment has been. Id typically look at the NAHL kids as players who will need to grow and develop within a program, while the USHLers are more likely to give you exactly what theyve shown in aggregate across their time in juniors.

Which is why they're more likely to make an impact - but if brought in as they age out, sometimes the immediate impact is simply a higher floor without regard for ceiling. Devlin and Cronin will be steady and solid, but whether they can be more than that (or drive play on their own) is a significant question as Watcher points out...

Goal scoring is a real concern for next season, UNH will need to shine in goal and on the blueline to have success (IMO).

[NCAA watcher]

Goal scoring is a real concern for next season, UNH will need to shine in goal and on the blueline to have success (IMO).

I'd agree. I think Leclerc's play has always been ahead of Margel's so am looking forward to having him hit the ice.... but freshman production is always the hardest. Collin Graff, anyone? (though he may not want to step downward from his 7th place Union team :wink

They also will rely upon a freshman goalie, which will be challenging no matter how highly regarded that kid is.

It will be a hard slog for Souza to bring these guys to home ice for the play-in games.

The one area of strength will be defense.

[HockeyRef]

Benton Maass the wrap around!

[After the Whistle]

Bennnntonnn Mavs!