Leadership takes a great many forms, most of them unofficial....it seems you are thinking in terms of Cs and As, and I'm not at all. Often the best leadership comes from those without position power, who just quietly go about their business and provide a positive example for others. That's even more important in a divisive atmosphere...the more players you can bring in without that old baggage of negativity--and know how to contribute to a college team on and off the ice, the better.
I'm making the assumption that if she was the leading scorer in her first 2 years, and her coach wanted to have her follow him, she likely has many desirable qualities not only in terms of her potential production, but also likely in terms of work ethic, positive attitude, confidence, etc. That makes her a potential positive role model for others. Not to mention the maturity that generally comes with being 3 years older than the other incoming players.
In addition to that, whether she ends up being a huge offensive threat for UNH isn't necessarily critical to her being a difference maker either--my point was that even as a third line player you would expect that her offensive contributions would likely be a significant improvement versus the record of the incumbents.
