I think they're saying we're in the top 20 in quality players out of the portal. You know me David, I like to highlight the positive!!!
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RPI 2025 Off-Season: HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Thread starter Ralph Baer
- Start date
I hope Eric got the 325k. He's got a huge lift in front of him.
If I recall correctly didn't he basically let go all of the soph class last summer. I don't believe these two were in it. They honored scholarships though. Thanks Dave!
The 22-23 freshman class had Cherepak, Smolinski, Ardanaz, Evans, Muzzatti, Ciccarello, and Brown. They were in it. Not sure why it matters that the rest were cut with regards to Lang; they weren't good players and Lang wouldn't have kept them either. Once the 5 best returning players entered the portal, this was always going to be a heavy lift. That's what happens with most coaching changes. It'll take some time but we've got the right guy to do it
I'm actually glad it's going down to the studs. I guess what I'm getting at is those spots if recruited properly could have been occupied by D1 level players. For context, Reilly, Burgess stayed, cupboard was not bare...thanks Dave!The 22-23 freshman class had Cherepak, Smolinski, Ardanaz, Evans, Muzzatti, Ciccarello, and Brown. They were in it. Not sure why it matters that the rest were cut with regards to Lang; they weren't good players and Lang wouldn't have kept them either. Once the 5 best returning players entered the portal, this was always going to be a heavy lift. That's what happens with most coaching changes. It'll take some time but we've got the right guy to do it
I was told by an insider with first hand knowledge that on the recruiting trail at showcase tournaments or games with several high profile recruits the other recruiters would giggle amongst themselves at the players we were looking at this goes back several years This is someone I respect and highly thought of in the College Hockey Community I knew then that this was a train wreck waiting to happen but couldn't get anyone to listen here !
Start from the studs! This roster was left a shit show by Dave. Lang will build a winner. No doubt
When Dan jewell left that was it. They haven’t had a good recruiter since. Moser was ok but the past few seasons it’s been terrible. Example Janus, oakenfold, lavierier are D3 players. Shaw and ziliotto are borderline D3. Lang looked at the recruiting class and said oh hell nah….
Based on what the coach has said and portal moves I believe Lang is going to live or die with players that he approved, I wouldn`t be surprised if every recruit on ralphs list got a call saying I would love to have you if you still want to come to RPI or you are free to look else where offer is recinded.
When coaches are fired they often don’t leave behind a lot of talent. Let’s not rewrite history. On Seth’s last day as coach this was Ralph’s recruit list for 2017 and 2018;
Cory Babichuk, Jonathan Bendorf, Matt Cameron, Austin Cho, Bailey Conger, Mat Harris, Linden Marshall, Jacob Modry, Emil Ohrvall, Gavin Payne, Owen Stout and Atte Tuliara.
Ugghhh….that list includes at most 3 D1 players (Babichuk being the best and he was a one dimensional player), at least 3 that literally did drop down to D3, a couple to Usports and some that never made it to college hockey at all. I’d be willing to bet that Dave’s list, while hardly stellar, will have better careers than this group.
And if the portal existed in 2017 you can be sure that several of Seth’s better carry-overs would have bailed too. That’s the new world of college hockey.
Cory Babichuk, Jonathan Bendorf, Matt Cameron, Austin Cho, Bailey Conger, Mat Harris, Linden Marshall, Jacob Modry, Emil Ohrvall, Gavin Payne, Owen Stout and Atte Tuliara.
Ugghhh….that list includes at most 3 D1 players (Babichuk being the best and he was a one dimensional player), at least 3 that literally did drop down to D3, a couple to Usports and some that never made it to college hockey at all. I’d be willing to bet that Dave’s list, while hardly stellar, will have better careers than this group.
And if the portal existed in 2017 you can be sure that several of Seth’s better carry-overs would have bailed too. That’s the new world of college hockey.
Huhhhh !!!
Haggerty, Zaliewski, Reilly, Foss, Bergin, Kasdorf, York, Burgess. Dave never recruited a kid in that caliber. Cupboard is bare and you can thank Dave. The great Nolan Graham recruited Babs when he was 15. Dave couldn't hold him.
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The transfer portal didn't exist back then to be fair. Those guys all would have had to sit out a year. I don't think they would have stayed either if the portal existed back then
I agree. Eric was the right guy!
A couple of new players in the portal that intrigue me:
Tanner Komzak, dman from Nodak, it was reported that RPI was also pursuing him back a couple years ago when he committed there, looks like he's got good size!
Trevor Russell, dman from MTU, wore the A for them this year but was out with injury
Tanner Komzak, dman from Nodak, it was reported that RPI was also pursuing him back a couple years ago when he committed there, looks like he's got good size!
Trevor Russell, dman from MTU, wore the A for them this year but was out with injury
Wicked Slappaahs
I miss Tie Domi
It's water under the bridge at this point folks. We're tearing it down to the foundation and building it back up. No rearview. I'd be willing to bet that we'll land a few more guys that will make us a bit happier, but there will be more questions than answers heading in the Fall.
We're gonna take our lumps, but its part of the process. We'll come out the other side with a better upside IMO.
We're gonna take our lumps, but its part of the process. We'll come out the other side with a better upside IMO.
Wicked Slappaahs
I miss Tie Domi
He was in the car when Wyland had him on the show.... hopefully he was somewhere north of the border trying to seal the deal on some goal scorers....
Perhaps, but the better players just finished showcasing themselves during the regular season. Most of the guys we or other D1 teams would want wouldn't be going to what amounts to a tryout camp. It will help if a player was injured or, perhaps, a few that were on the end of top 10 team rosters and don't have much college tape to show. However, even in those cases they must have had some pretty good tape from juniors to even be recruited by those teams.
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