Re: BU 2011-2012 Season: The bar is low, boys!
MacGregor looks like a new player. He's skating well, hits hard, and doesn't turn the puck over. Also has a surprisingly improved shot. I think he needs to stay in there.
MacGregor is certainly an early candidate for Most Improved Player. The biggest thing is that he seems so much more confident. He is more composed in his own end, and his distribution is much better.
He has size, will play physical (without Grybra-like penalties), is a decent skater and has a cannon of a shot. The improvement on his shot is not velocity - he's always had that. It is that he is getting on net.
That is a reason he is getting some time on the powerplay, although the BU pointmen still don't shoot enough - and that, IMO, is one of the main reasons that the powerplay is so frustrating. More shots and less passing, please.
Clendening and Nicastro sometimes get a bad rap because they aren't the second and third comings of Kevin Shattenkirk. Clendening has all-america potential, but needs to be more consistent. Nicastro is very good when he plays within himself and remains composed.
Escobedo is an enigma. I thought he would be a Brian Strait-type. He skates well enough. He's physical. But he just makes too many bad decisions for a player that could be so much effective if he played within his limitations.
Rosen did an excellent job as a fourth line center a year ago. He doesn't seem physically strong enough defensively, although he reads the game fine and has some skills.
Ruikka will really help when he's healthy if he returns to his first half form of last season.
I have liked Privitera more and more with each game. I expected him to do big things right away, and was a little disappointed when he didn't stand out. But seening more of him, he does so many of the little things well that the big things will come.
I haven't mentioned Garret Noonan yet. He has been consistently BU's most solid all-around blueliner.