Marshall and Watson have solid size for goal, but this guy is huge. Is it just a coincidence that Coach Smith just visited with one of the most successful tall goalies in RPI history at the same time that he was getting a commitment of one even taller? Aslanidis history reads like a highly regarded prospect that hasn't quite developed as expected. If he becomes a breakout player that would be great for us, but it's also a relatively low-risk bet since Watson showed that he has #1 goaltender skills. He'll compete with Miller for #2 minutes and we'll see where he can take it from there.
Defense looks relatively set with three good prospects (Smolinski, Ardanaz and Strom) joining Hallbauer, Klee, Sertti, Agnew and Davies. Eight used to be the normal number but Smith likes to use a defenseman as the extra skater so I think we'll add another, possibly from the portal to try and balance classes (to the extent that's even possible any more).
Up front we seem to have some interesting talent (new and returning) on the wings, but I'm really concerned down the middle. I still wonder why Dubinsky passed on a chance to be the undisputed #1 center. I think Beaton will continue improving and establish himself as a first or second line center. Similarly Herrman seems to a good fit as a 3rd or 4th line center. The other two slots are a big question mark.
P.S. I just noticed that Linden has played several games in the AHL with good results. Congratulations to him. This reinforces that he was a quality goaltender. He was a real team player and handled the shift to potentially even better players like Savory and Watson with class.
