UNH 2024/2025 Goldberg Edition

[Dan]

Will be very interesting to follow the three CHL recruits. We've come to understand how numbers translate from the USHL, BCHL and other junior leagues - but what does a PPG scorer from the CHL mean in terms of future NCAA Hockey production? Will there be a difference in transition between OHL and QMJHL prospects? Fascinating to watch, if nothing else...

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Personally, Ive come to the conclusion UNH needs more playmaking skill up front. So, I hope that is next on the shopping list.

Most of UNH's best offensive forwards are straight-ahead 'score first' types with more goals than assists in their careers. Devlin has 36 goals at UNH, against only 30 assists. Winters is 16-14--30. LeClerc is a bit better with 26-29--55. Turner is 6-6--12. Cronin has better balance, but despite coming in as an accomplished USHL scorer only has 14-24--38 in three plus seasons.

IMO, Conmy is one of just two UNH forwards capable of creating for himself or others at a high-HE level. And even he is better at creating his own chance than producing opportunities for teammates. He's 20-22-24 early in his sophomore season.

The one pure playmaker on the roster - or at least the only one getting regular playing time - is Nick Ring. Unfortunately, he still has a ways to go getting up to speed as an NCAA scorer with just 4-11--15 to date. He did post lines of 10-26--36 in the NAHL and 12-30--42 in the USHL prior to arriving in Durham. Those are rare junior scoring lines for UNH forwards lately...

To sum it all up - UNH has scoring forwards, but just OK scoring forwards, and few capable of moving pucks at a high level.

The Defense has only chipped in 12 assists over ten games this season. Fewer than I would have expected.

The result: 2.2 GPG.

They're going to have to get greasy at net front to improve their scoring in the second half...

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I'm not sure what shortcomings they may show in practice, but this is an area where the MacPherson twins could potentially help quite a bit. Connor was 11-31--42 in the BCHL last season and came to UNH on the heels of three-straight 30+ assist seasons. Ryan had a 16-22--38 line a year ago, and 96 assists over his last three seasons.

 

[Potluck]

Dan: Goal scorers are on everyone's wish list. But I really want a defenseman that consistently brings the puck from behind the net, get through the neutral zone, keep puck possession into the offensive zone, and be the point man of the power play. I'm talking Jayme Filopowicz, Garrett Stafford.... But than again every team wants that guy. It's been a long time since UNH has had that guy.

 

[StillKIA2]

Dan: Goal scorers are on everyone's wish list. But I really want a defenseman that consistently brings the puck from behind the net, get through the neutral zone, keep puck possession into the offensive zone, and be the point man of the power play. I'm talking Jayme Filopowicz, Garrett Stafford.... But than again every team wants that guy. It's been a long time since UNH has had that guy.

You had Max Gildon…a very Cale Makar puck carrier and you broke him

that might be why you cannot have nice things

 

[Dan]

It's not about needing goal scorers. They need creators. It's a very different UNH offense if the top-six just looked like this...

Devlin - (Playmaking Center) - Conmy
Winters - Ring - LeClerc

We'd all love another Tyler Kelleher, but even an upperclass Michael McNicholas would have a HUGE impact. Besides - maybe/eventually - Nick Ring, there isnt one other player like that on the roster...

 

[Snively65]

Here is the line chart for our 5-2 and 6-2 wins over Maine at the Whitt last season:

Devlin-LeClerc-Conmy
Winters-Lavins-Skrastins
Blaisell-Cronin-Turner
Sweeny-Ring-Lovett

Assuming that LeClerc has recovered from his early-season injury, why not return to these lines now, as all the pieces are still there except for Blaisdell, whom could be replaced by Siedem or one of the first-year forwards?

 

[HockeyRef]

Happy Thanksgiving WildCat fans near and wide! Good luck to the football team and here's hoping a 'sweep' weekend for those ice 'Cats.

 

[HockeyRef]

It's not about needing goal scorers. They need creators. It's a very different UNH offense if the top-six just looked like this...

Devlin - (Playmaking Center) - Conmy
Winters - Ring - LeClerc

We'd all love another Tyler Kelleher, but even an upperclass Michael McNicholas would have a HUGE impact. Besides - maybe/eventually - Nick Ring, there isnt one other player like that on the roster...

Hey Dan! Am kind of surprised you don't see Conmy as a 'creator'? He set up a few goals that I've seen and his last for Devlin at NU was slick. Now, that said, consistency is
everything and alot depends on your linemates abilities. Just my thought on him.

And Snively, agree with your line comments..

 

[Dan]

I do see Conmy as a creator, one of few (two?) on the roster.

The point I was making - well or otherwise - is that he’s not a pure playmaker but more of an offensive creator.

He creates plenty of chances, but I feel he creates more for himself than for others (not a complaint, just an observation) and, as the team’s best player, would benefit greatly from a linemate who could share the load and create FOR him…

While Conmy would benefit from a pure playmaking teammate, there are other key Wildcat’s who NEED that type of teammate. UNH doesn’t really have that answer right now. It puts a lot of pressure on Conmy and (I believe) makes an accelerated development for Nick Ring (or a MacPherson emergence) very important the rest of the way…

 

[Snively65]

You had Max Gildon…a very Cale Makar puck carrier and you broke him

that might be why you cannot have nice things

How did we “break” Max Gildon? No question that he was the best player on the team during his three years at UNH, and everyone knew it. His third year was MS7’s only non-losing record until this past season. And the following year when Max had left for the AHL was MS7’s worst record. I think that Gildon could have benefited by staying for his senior year, as he did not stick with either the Charlotte Checkers or the Bakersfield Condors and is now playing in Europe where maybe the style of play is more compatible with his skill sets.

I think that the guy UNH “broke,” if the word applies, was Warren Foegele, who sat on the pine fall semester of his sophomore season where he had to watch three incompetent senior teammates play every night ahead of him, which led to Foegele leaving for Canadian juniors after getting into only five games that season. Foegele is now in the top ten of NHL games played by UNH alums.

 

[Chuck Murray]

How did we “break” Max Gildon? No question that he was the best player on the team during his three years at UNH, and everyone knew it. His third year was MS7’s only non-losing record until this past season. And the following year when Max had left for the AHL was MS7’s worst record. I think that Gildon could have benefited by staying for his senior year, as he did not stick with either the Charlotte Checkers or the Bakersfield Condors and is now playing in Europe where maybe the style of play is more compatible with his skill sets.

I think that the guy UNH “broke,” if the word applies, was Warren Foegele, who sat on the pine fall semester of his sophomore season where he had to watch three incompetent senior teammates play every night ahead of him, which led to Foegele leaving for Canadian juniors after getting into only five games that season. Foegele is now in the top ten of NHL games played by UNH alums.

Snives, hate to disagree with you, but obviously there was nothing "broke" about Foegele, he believed in himself, got himself out of Dodge at the right time, and it's certainly worked out well for him.

Gildon, on the other hand, seemed to have all the skill, size and speed to be a legit NHL backliner ... injuries plus some of the stupidity with minor league hockey and the Wuhan Flu was really poorly timed for him, and it looks like something did "break". I'm not sure we can lay that entirely at MS7's feet, but one would think he would have benefitted far more with a Jim Tortorella (see TvR, Pesce, etc.) in the three seasons he spent here. Florida has given up on him at this point, and to think he's "washed up" professionally at age 25 is kind of incredible to me.

Poturalski will be 31 in a couple of months, and is still toiling a la Haydar as an AHL lifer. Ara Nazarian, who I think overlapped a little with Gildon's time, is back on this side of the pond as a developing 'Coast lifer, after trying things out in England/Ireland for a season last year.

Who will be the next UNH grad who makes a serious run at a career in The Show??? Let you folks start the predictions ...

 

[Snively65]

Snives, hate to disagree with you, but obviously there was nothing "broke" about Foegele, he believed in himself, got himself out of Dodge at the right time, and it's certainly worked out well for him.

Gildon, on the other hand, seemed to have all the skill, size and speed to be a legit NHL backliner ... injuries plus some of the stupidity with minor league hockey and the Wuhan Flu was really poorly timed for him, and it looks like something did "break". I'm not sure we can lay that entirely at MS7's feet, but one would think he would have benefitted far more with a Jim Tortorella (see TvR, Pesce, etc.) in the three seasons he spent here. Florida has given up on him at this point, and to think he's "washed up" professionally at age 25 is kind of incredible to me.

Poturalski will be 31 in a couple of months, and is still toiling a la Haydar as an AHL lifer. Ara Nazarian, who I think overlapped a little with Gildon's time, is back on this side of the pond as a developing 'Coast lifer, after trying things out in England/Ireland for a season last year.

Who will be the next UNH grad who makes a serious run at a career in The Show??? Let you folks start the predictions ...

I do not think that we disagree on Foegele, as I am interpreting that KIA’s use of the word “broke” was that UNH was not willing to invest in him, as they were with Gildon. If something “broke” for Gildon, I do not think that it was UNH that broke him as stated by KIA. I still do not understand why Foegele got so little ice time at the beginning of his sophomore season after getting into 34 games and showing some scoring prowess (5 goals, 11 assists, same as Tyler Kelleher his first year) during his first year at UNH.

 

[Scott]

I do not think that we disagree on Foegele, as I am interpreting that KIA’s use of the word “broke” was that UNH was not willing to invest in him, as they were with Gildon. If something “broke” for Gildon, I do not think that it was UNH that broke him as stated by KIA. I still do not understand why Foegele got so little ice time at the beginning of his sophomore season after getting into 34 games and showing some scoring prowess (5 goals, 11 assists, same as Tyler Kelleher his first year) during his first year at UNH.

From what I heard/read, he was homesick and just wanted to return to Canada.

 

[Snively65]

From what I heard/read, he was homesick and just wanted to return to Canada.

Interesting, as I had heard that he did not like sitting in the stands at the beginning of his sophomore year. After all, he played a full season (34 games) his first year without apparently getting homesick. Then he only got into five games his second year, but did not leave until late November, I think, unless I am misremembering the timeline.

 

[Scott]

Interesting, as I had heard that he did not like sitting in the stands at the beginning of his sophomore year. After all, he played a full season (34 games) his first year without apparently getting homesick. Then he only got into five games his second year, but did not leave until late November, I think, unless I am misremembering the timeline.

I could be wrong, but that's what I recalled. If his mind was elswhere and not focused on his game, then I can't think of any reason why Umile would have benched him at the start of the season. Clearly he was unhappy being in Durham.

 

[Snively65]

I could be wrong, but that's what I recalled. If his mind was elswhere and not focused on his game, then I can't think of any reason why Umile would have benched him at the start of the season. Clearly he was unhappy being in Durham.

I really like your explanation much better than the one that I had heard.

Hope that MS7 has his Cats prepared from the opening face-off against our old nemesis RIT Tigers in a few hours.

 

[norbert]

I am going sidebar now as we won against a bad team and did not play well. Tomorrow post game is more important.

UNH Men's Hockey Prostate Cancer Awareness's fundraising page for Massachusetts General Hospital

The goal is close, we need more. We need to get MS7 to participate. I am working on seeing if $500 will do it. Anyone willing to contribute if we get him to agree?

 

[TheGrouchyCat]

If Nick Cafarelli plays in a game and doesn't get sent to the box, did he really play and did the game ever happen?

 

[Snively65]

If Nick Cafarelli plays in a game and doesn't get sent to the box, did he really play and did the game ever happen?

CHN box score clocked Nick Cafarelli with 13:48 minutes in yesterday’s game, more ice time than nine UNH skaters. Because I did not see the game on TV or in person, I must rely on CHN’s box score, and trust that the game was played, as UNH climbed one spot to 21st in the PWR after yesterday’s results. And now we have a winning record, despite still being in the HEA basement.

 

[Chuck Murray]

I could be wrong, but that's what I recalled. If his mind was elswhere and not focused on his game, then I can't think of any reason why Umile would have benched him at the start of the season. Clearly he was unhappy being in Durham.

I've always felt the "homesick" thing was a Umile Era cover story for trying to explain why one of the more promising players in the program was leaving mid-season, while the "Senior Checking First Line" soaked up his ice time. If he was truly homesick, then why would he have returned to Durham for the start of his sophomore season in the first place, when he easily could have stayed home right from the start, after a decent-but-not-great frosh UNH season?

The incident was early into the era of New Media, where no one asks any tough questions, and the program communicates only when needed via press releases or Instagram messaging, etc. This was hardly the first time Umile slow-played an underclassman player, but it was the first time in awhile where someone with legit NHL expectations called BS on the exercise, and UNH recruiting frankly has yet to recover from it.

 

[Chuck Murray]

I am going sidebar now as we won against a bad team and did not play well. Tomorrow post game is more important.

UNH Men's Hockey Prostate Cancer Awareness's fundraising page for Massachusetts General Hospital

The goal is close, we need more. We need to get MS7 to participate. I am working on seeing if $500 will do it. Anyone willing to contribute if we get him to agree?

So, you're telling me that the program is running a fundraiser (for an out-of-state charity FWIW) ... and the guy in charge of the program needs to be cajoled on-line into participation, rather than leading the charge?!?

I'll forego further commentary for now, but this all really kinda speaks for itself, sadly ...