Minnesota Gopher 2012 offseason thread

[mnstate0fhockey]

I assume Chris Student decided to hang up the skates?

Transferred to a DIII school. Not sure which one.

 

[RockTheWhit]

Transferred to a DIII school. Not sure which one.

Thanks for the info. Too bad it didn't work out for him at the U. Watching him skate for Bsm and then at northeastern I always liked his game.
It'll be a tough balancing act for Lucia and Guentzel on the backend (albeit a problem every coach wants to have). Not too many 1st/2nd round picks come into school and wind up watching games from the stands, but with the abundance of talent, that is now a certainty. Hopefully guys can keep their egos in check and this could be a really special team.

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

Thanks for the info. Too bad it didn't work out for him at the U. Watching him skate for Bsm and then at northeastern I always liked his game.
It'll be a tough balancing act for Lucia and Guentzel on the backend (albeit a problem every coach wants to have). Not too many 1st/2nd round picks come into school and wind up watching games from the stands, but with the abundance of talent, that is now a certainty. Hopefully guys can keep their egos in check and this could be a really special team.

Agree with everything you said.

 

[jerryj]

Re: Minnesota Gopher 2012 offseason thread

http://tapingthestick.wordpress.com/2012/07/12/hockey-city-classic-can-lead-to-nhl-winter-classic/

cool artist rendition there of what the outdoor game in Chicago could look like- but do they actually expect to get anywhere near filling that place up? Im not even sure if they will fill the lower bowl- with it being 4 college hockey teams from outside Illinois..

 

[HarleyMC]

Re: Minnesota Gopher 2012 offseason thread

I doubt it happens too. I'd like to see it though. I agee, he has great offensive skills, and that this is valuable on the back-end. Mike Reilly has similar skills, and I think will be even better. Brady Skjei is a first round draft pick and has tremendous upside. I think moving Marshall to forward, where I do believe he could succeed, would maximize the skill we put on the ice because I think he has more skill than some of the forwards we'd otherwise have in our bottom 6.

I think it's best to wait and see with Mike Reilly and the other guys coming in from the BCHL. Players coming into the WCHA from the BCHL have been known to struggle in recent years. Do they even teach D in the BCHL!!??

Jordy Christian comes to mind. He had about the same point totals as Reilly in the BCHL (84), but avg. only about 9 pts./season in 4 yrs. with SCSU. Even Joey Laleggia (Defense-DU), named the 2011-12 WCHA Rookie of the Year, recorded a 50% drop in all scoring categories in his WCHA pt. totals from the BCHL. The extreme example might be Matt Francis. He also had basically the same pt. totals as Reilly in the BCHL. He played over 40 games for SCSU, but never scored a goal in the WCHA.

Marshall had a decent season and has a year of experience in D1. Unless a player really bombs their first year, Lucia's style is to honor their previous season's hard work and commitment and give them selection priority over incoming frosh. It's hard to determine how well Marshall might perform at forward. With the demand for speed, skill and hockey intelligence in the WCHA, the transition from D to F is a helluva lot more difficult than how it looks on TV.

...but do they actually expect to get anywhere near filling that place up? Im not even sure if they will fill the lower bowl- with it being 4 college hockey teams from outside Illinois..

This quote by the Park District Superintendent seems ambitious. They'd better match that with an equally ambitious media marketing campaign or I can't see it either. According to Kelly, Soldier Field will be mobbed with college hockey fans:

“Do I think this could pave the way to a future NHL (Winter Classic)? I certainly think so,” Park District general superintendent and CEO Michael Kelly said. “I think we’re going to pack this place. I think this, at least for one day, will rival a Bears game. I could easily see 57,000, 62,000 people in this stadium going nuts...I’d put us up against anybody in the country — one, as a hockey town; two, as the proper venue for hockey in Chicago.”

 

[5mn_Major]

Re: Minnesota Gopher 2012 offseason thread

I think it's best to wait and see with Mike Reilly and the other guys coming in from the BCHL. Players coming into the WCHA from the BCHL have been known to struggle in recent years. Do they even teach D in the BCHL!!??

We've seen a few slow starts out of the BCHL. Other teams have had different experiences...Travis Zajac and Brady Murray each moved up to the NHL after just two extremely prolific years with UND. So I think it depends on the guy. Of the three Reilly's, Mike seems to be the one with the most star potential. We'll see.

At times, Marshall did have his share of breakdowns. But unless I'm forgetting someone, he had the second most talent (after Rau) of any Gopher frosh last year. I was truly dazzled by some of his moves. I bet we see him qback the second pplay this year and he could be groomed to fill in for Schmidt next year.

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

I think it's best to wait and see with Mike Reilly and the other guys coming in from the BCHL. Players coming into the WCHA from the BCHL have been known to struggle in recent years. Do they even teach D in the BCHL!!??

Jordy Christian comes to mind. He had about the same point totals as Reilly in the BCHL (84), but avg. only about 9 pts./season in 4 yrs. with SCSU. Even Joey Laleggia (Defense-DU), named the 2011-12 WCHA Rookie of the Year, recorded a 50% drop in all scoring categories in his WCHA pt. totals from the BCHL. The extreme example might be Matt Francis. He also had basically the same pt. totals as Reilly in the BCHL. He played over 40 games for SCSU, but never scored a goal in the WCHA.

Marshall had a decent season and has a year of experience in D1. Unless a player really bombs their first year, Lucia's style is to honor their previous season's hard work and commitment and give them selection priority over incoming frosh. It's hard to determine how well Marshall might perform at forward. With the demand for speed, skill and hockey intelligence in the WCHA, the transition from D to F is a helluva lot more difficult than how it looks on TV.



This quote by the Park District Superintendent seems ambitious. They'd better match that with an equally ambitious media marketing campaign or I can't see it either. According to Kelly, Soldier Field will be mobbed with college hockey fans:

I'd take LaLeggia's numbers out of Reilly in a heart beat . Or Justin Schultz's numbers. I don't think Reilly's numbers were a complete mirage. But I agree with your general point that the numbers put up in the BCHL don't always translate.

And I think the transition from D to forward is much easier than you think (vice versa not so much), but it's a moot point as I don't see Lucia moving him to forward right away either.

However, if both Reilly and Skjei make compelling cases to be in the lineup (and as incoming freshman defensemen that is always a big if), I think it's a very intriguing idea.

 

[gopher wes]

Re: Minnesota Gopher 2012 offseason thread

Late the the thread title discussion, but this would be my suggestion:

"Minnesota Golden Gophers Season Thread: There IS such a thing as the Bjugey Man!"

 

[goldy_331]

Re: Minnesota Gopher 2012 offseason thread

I assume Chris Student decided to hang up the skates?

I'll have to have my kid ask him if he is back at BSM camp this week. My kid is in the BSM summer camp and Chris was there last week.

 

[Hammy]

Re: Minnesota Gopher 2012 offseason thread

Obviously numbers are going to drop a healthy amount given the BCHL plays 50% more games during the season and it is about a step and a half down from the WCHA. But if Reilly is capable of beating LaLeggia's numbers from a year before, I don't see any reason to be too concerned about him. He's done well two years in a row at the Columbus prospect camp as well.

If Holl doesn't really step it up this off-season, I think he is going to be losing minutes in a big way to a kid like Reilly. Reilly is a better player and more ready for college than Holl ever was. Reilly isn't a bruiser either but he seems to make smarter choices and I think he plays with more confidence than what Holl does. I know MG could get frustrated by Holl's play last season and I'd bet he'll have a quick hook if the same stuff happens this season.

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

Obviously numbers are going to drop a healthy amount given the BCHL plays 50% more games during the season and it is about a step and a half down from the WCHA. But if Reilly is capable of beating LaLeggia's numbers from a year before, I don't see any reason to be too concerned about him. He's done well two years in a row at the Columbus prospect camp as well.

If Holl doesn't really step it up this off-season, I think he is going to be losing minutes in a big way to a kid like Reilly. Reilly is a better player and more ready for college than Holl ever was. Reilly isn't a bruiser either but he seems to make smarter choices and I think he plays with more confidence than what Holl does. I know MG could get frustrated by Holl's play last season and I'd bet he'll have a quick hook if the same stuff happens this season.

Agree on all accounts. It wouldn't surprise me either to see Reilly take a lot of minutes from Holl. The real question is, who does Skjei take time from if he really makes a case for playing time (which I think he'll do as well)?

 

[jerryj]

Re: Minnesota Gopher 2012 offseason thread

i think hammy is right about marshall maybe being best off at forward this year. skjei plays every night and holl/reilly split the 6th spot 50/50

 

[ski]

Re: Minnesota Gopher 2012 offseason thread

http://tapingthestick.wordpress.com/2012/07/12/hockey-city-classic-can-lead-to-nhl-winter-classic/

cool artist rendition there of what the outdoor game in Chicago could look like- but do they actually expect to get anywhere near filling that place up? Im not even sure if they will fill the lower bowl- with it being 4 college hockey teams from outside Illinois..

Has this been discussed before? Anyone else kinda bummed that our first outdoor game is so far away, and to make it worse, almost a home game for Becky?

Anyone going?

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

Obviously numbers are going to drop a healthy amount given the BCHL plays 50% more games during the season and it is about a step and a half down from the WCHA. But if Reilly is capable of beating LaLeggia's numbers from a year before, I don't see any reason to be too concerned about him. He's done well two years in a row at the Columbus prospect camp as well.

If Holl doesn't really step it up this off-season, I think he is going to be losing minutes in a big way to a kid like Reilly. Reilly is a better player and more ready for college than Holl ever was. Reilly isn't a bruiser either but he seems to make smarter choices and I think he plays with more confidence than what Holl does. I know MG could get frustrated by Holl's play last season and I'd bet he'll have a quick hook if the same stuff happens this season.

Agree on all accounts. It wouldn't surprise me either to see Reilly take a lot of minutes from Holl. The real question is, who does Skjei take time from if he really makes a case for playing time (which I think he'll do as well)?

 

[gopher wes]

Re: Minnesota Gopher 2012 offseason thread

Has this been discussed before? Anyone else kinda bummed that our first outdoor game is so far away, and to make it worse, almost a home game for Becky?

Anyone going?

I'll be going with a group of three of us and meeting up with a buddy of ours who lives in Chicago.

 

[Stauber1]

Re: Minnesota Gopher 2012 offseason thread

Agree on all accounts. It wouldn't surprise me either to see Reilly take a lot of minutes from Holl. The real question is, who does Skjei take time from if he really makes a case for playing time (which I think he'll do as well)?

I'm expecting to see some very capable guys being healthy scratches at D throughout the course of the season. I agree with most others that Holl would be my early prediction as to who will see their playing time drastically decreased. I'm worried Parenteau may be next on the coaches' list. But I really expect to see guys like Marshall, Helgeson and Alt also perhaps sitting a couple games this season. This is all assuming that both Reilly and Skjei play well enough to earn ice time.

That being said, having that kind of competition for playing time can be a great thing; provided the kids take it on with the right attitude and the coaching staff is able to keep them hungry instead of frustrated.

EDIT: I should note (before anyone jumps down my throat) that I'm not saying that I want guys like Helgeson or Alt out of the line-up. But there is the potential for some serious depth at D, and there will be at least 1 capable player sitting every game. If that is spread around and predicated by work ethic and consistency, I don't think it's a bad thing for all the D to be considered as a potential scratch.

 

[Koho]

Re: Minnesota Gopher 2012 offseason thread

Agree on all accounts. It wouldn't surprise me either to see Reilly take a lot of minutes from Holl. The real question is, who does Skjei take time from if he really makes a case for playing time (which I think he'll do as well)?

A lot of people on here talk like there will be 6 D who play and the others will sit. I think it will be more like 4 or so play most games and the others play one game each a weekend. If they all play well, it might be more like 2 who play most games and the rest switch off. Regardless, one falters and they'll see less time. I also imagine some adjustments based on the team they play, speed versus size, for example.

 

[mnstate0fhockey]

A lot of people on here talk like there will be 6 D who play and the others will sit. I think it will be more like 4 or so play most games and the others play one game each a weekend. If they all play well, it might be more like 2 who play most games and the rest switch off. Regardless, one falters and they'll see less time. I also imagine some adjustments based on the team they play, speed versus size, for example.

Great points.

 

[HarleyMC]

Re: Minnesota Gopher 2012 offseason thread

Obviously numbers are going to drop a healthy amount given the BCHL plays 50% more games during the season and it is about a step and a half down from the WCHA. But if Reilly is capable of beating LaLeggia's numbers from a year before, I don't see any reason to be too concerned about him. He's done well two years in a row at the Columbus prospect camp as well.

If Holl doesn't really step it up this off-season, I think he is going to be losing minutes in a big way to a kid like Reilly. Reilly is a better player and more ready for college than Holl ever was. Reilly isn't a bruiser either but he seems to make smarter choices and I think he plays with more confidence than what Holl does. I know MG could get frustrated by Holl's play last season and I'd bet he'll have a quick hook if the same stuff happens this season.

Historically, it's always been a skill level jump from the BCHL to the WCHA. Don't get me wrong, I think Reilly has talent and potential, but "wait and see" mode...like every year when recruits come in from the USHL or wherever. Regarding Holl, IIRC Lucia has gone on record and stated he really likes Holl's vision and stick skills and let's not forget Holl has a little size advantage and two years experience in D1 over Reilly. If he can show more consistency and clean up the costly turnovers and penalties (e.g. DU Sat. game was horrible for Holl), I think he gets minutes. If not, I agree MG undoubtedly will tap the depth @ D.

On another note:

I bet this U of M policeman just loved his job yesterday! The Mac gets delivered to the John Mariucci Golf Open.

 

[state of hockey]

Re: Minnesota Gopher 2012 offseason thread

That is one hell of a moustache. Is he in a Village People cover band?