Northeastern 2022-23: Unfinished Business - Great Expectations

[J.D.]

https://twitter.com/hkmac11/status/1...t4PsRFcQQ&s=19

I would recommend looking at this account name and then reading their tweets. You'll come to a conclusion or two.

[PullTheGoalie]

15 players moving on. 9 graduating or doing post grad elsewhere. 3 looking for playing time. 1 to the NHL. So, reason #3 applies to the majority of the group. SC I can understand. Sort of a square peg/round hole with his strengths applied to the NU system over three years. JH is the one you wonder about. First year vs Second year, what happened?

[TheRevengeance]

I don't have or pretend to have any insider knowledge on the younger Hughes, other than that the program seems to have been cleared out of any signs of their entire family. I did look back at the past three years out of morbid curiousity if nothing else. A time period that covers the entire time he went from being a potential top 10 pick to a late second rounder to his current state, and I noticed that his individual analytics were also negative in his U18 season at the NTDP despite him putting up points. There were perhaps warning signs there and more contributions to his draft slide than we realized at the time. Hindsight is 20/20 I suppose.

However what I will say is that this article was posted in January and when I read it at the time of publication it really, really, and I mean really, rubbed me the wrong way.

https://www.collegehockeynews.com/ne...ack-Hughes.php

"I guess the elephant in the room, that I knew and (the coaching staff) knew, was that I could do a lot more and that they expected more of me,” he said. “At this point in the season, they probably still do."

“I had a lot of conversations and did a lot of video with the coaching staff, and that was kind of a mutual agreement that I have to get back to doing the things that I was doing last year: competing harder, being more intense, getting on the forecheck, things like that."

"I think when I'm playing hard, and I'm playing intense, I'm winning a lot more draws,” he said. “Over the course of the year, I've been very streaky on faceoffs. One game, I'll be at 60 percent or higher, and then other games, below 40 (percent) or even 30."

"But yeah, when I'm playing harder, more intense, that's when I'm winning more draws and more battles,”

Those are... not good quotes. I don't have an ounce of media training or personality and I would never let a kid on my team go out and say that kind of stuff. And this wasn't in a hit piece, it was in an article meant to spotlight him and praise him. The best fluff article of Jack Hughes money can buy on one of two national college hockey websites is littered with quotes that, if you read just barely into the subtext, all break down to "If I tried harder and exerted effort more often things would probably go better for me and my team, maybe I'll improve at that."

It's been two full months and I still cannot believe anyone approved this to go out into the world.

[Split-N]

Some movement on the incoming side of the portal:

• Pito Walton D 6-2-195 | 7-14-21 in 32 games with Princeton. Seen by some as the second coming of Tommy Miller.
• Alex Cdmpbell F 5-11-174 | 14-12-26 in 34 games with Clarkson. NSH 3rd rounder. Hope that this is someone who can put the puck in the twine.

[PullTheGoalie]

Well, it's good to see Western Michigan sent packing even if it was BU beating them.

[OnePack]

Well, it's good to see Western Michigan sent packing even if it was BU beating them.

Love to see it. I don’t think they’ll go all the way, but nice to see some hockey East demonstrate they’re capable. Pulling hard for Merrimack tomorrow.

[RossiRules]

I paid $40 to watch Levi's debut in Buffalo v a tired Rangers team on Sling. He played awesome and did NU proud. Highlight of the season.

[Thiessen'sBetter]

Devon doing Devon things. What a gem of a player and person he is. Good night for the program.

[Split-N]

...What a gem of a player and person he is...

It's Devon's world and we were privileged to be able to live in it for the couple of seasons he wore red and black. And to top it off, Aiden McDonough scores his first goal for Vancouver.

Looks like I'll be using my ESPN+ subscription to look in on some remaining Buffalo and Vancouver games.

[SkinsFan09]

As long as prospects see players from this program going into the NHL we'll be fine. The recent departures - no impact players if we're being honest.

[mookie1995]

is goalie set between Riley and the Whitehead kid coming in??? or will y'all be looking for a transfer too?

[Split-N]

is goalie set between Riley and the Whitehead kid coming in??? or will y'all be looking for a transfer too?

AFAIK, Whitehead is the presumptive No. 1. We'll see.

[Split-N]

Per the Northeastern Hockey Blog, NU has plucked Minnesota defenseman Matt Staudacher from the portal. Red-shirted last year because of injury. Given the loss of Jeremie Bucheler to UVM and Jaden Struble, Staudacher and Princeton transfer Pito Walton give a veteran presence to a promising young defense corps and would seem to build on the "defense first" style we've seen under Jerry Keefe.

[RossiRules]

Can we start a new thread yet?

[Split-N]

Stay tuned...