Re: UMaine Black Bears Recruiting
I also like the definition. The issue as your post above clearly shows is that Maine doesn’t have enough quality players.
Which is exactly what my depth thesis previously stated. Quality players = depth. However I will certainly add, as others like Drew have pointed out, there was a top 6 talent issue at one position as well! Here are this seasons predominant line combos. Three glaring weaknesses. Which highlight both a depth issue ANDa top 6 issue. Which, statistically speaking, is likely how you get an average hockey team like Maine LOL!
Fossier JR 28.6
Pearson JR 26
Tralmaks SO 21
75.6 pts
Robbins SR 16.25
Doherty SO 20
JSS FR 14
50.25 pts (ideal is 18 x 3 = 54 pts)
Shea JR 14.6
Smith JR 8.3
Westerlund SO 11
33.9 pts (shooting for 12 x 3 = 36 pts)
Perez SR 4.75
Quinlivan SO 2
Dawe FR 14 (7 actual pts; multiplied by 2 to project if he played full season instead of half season
20.75 pts (shooting for 8 x 3 = 24 pts)
1) 2nd line LW: a senior averaging 16 pts across his 4 years would be an above average 3rd liner vs. below average 2nd liner. As a freshmen JSS gets a pass for falling below the 18 point requirement of a second liner our metrics focus on career average and first year production is typically, though not always, your lowest career production. Overall i think consensus amongst fans is this line did not have a good year.
2) 3rd line RW: As it was our 3rd line often outperformed opposing teams 3rd line and was often a strength. However I like to focus on maximizing productivity. let me state that this is not a knock on Ryan Smith rather a, in my book a line combo strategy critique. Smith is an exceptional 4th line RW and PKer. He had arguably his best season at Maine. However he doesn't create offense. you need offense from your third line and pairing up Adam Dawe's playmaking vision with Shea's speed and Westerlund's one-timer would have likely led to more production from 3rd line. In fact these guys shifted on a couple of occassions this year and the dynamic potential was visible but resulted in near misses and no points. With some more time together I believe more production was inevitable. All rendered moot was Dawezy was knocked senseless against Northeastern.
3) 4th line production: This has been critiqued a million times across all Maine threads. The data backs it up. Nothing more to be said other than a healthy Pieper would have been immensely beneficial here.
Hindsight is 20/20 but to have corrected these weaknessess Red & Co would either have to:
A) Have recruited a more talented player than Robbins to fill the 2nd line LW spot - what I am now referring to as the "top 6 issue thesis" - which
possibly would have been rectified had the Ben Meyers debacle been avoided and he arrived in Orono this past season. (a quick aside - recently the Meyers situation was replicated with Craig Needham and Red & Co has set themselves up once again next winter to have the situation resurface!!!! another example of the roster management weakness early mentioned). This would have allowed for slotting Robbins in as 3rd line LW and Westerlund as 4th line LW. Do this and Maine is improved.
or
B) Have recruited more production at 4th line LW or C than Perez or Quinlivan. Misfortune with Pieper injury did not help here either but also highlights the importance of depth. This route is certainly more easy and cheaper than luring top 6 talent. Do this and Maine improves.
or
C) Ideally we want to see both A & B be true. Which is obviously what championship teams do and what all of us UMaine fans want to see happen.... we can only hope
Thanks for all the great conversation, insight, and activity on the thread today. Lots of fun
