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UNH 2025 Offseason: Where in the World is MS7?

Chuck Murray said:
Habs eliminated the Wings, Rangers and CBJ in one fell swoop last night with a 1-0 OT loss to Toronto.

TvR continues to dominate the internecine proceedings at Chez van Riemsdyk, could have a legit shot at a second ring.

JvR hanging on by a thread, backsliding from last season with the B's, back to being a net negative contributor ... :(
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Au contraire, mon ami. The Blue Jackets live for another day. DET and NYR were eliminated yesterday, but not CBJ.
If CBJ wins their last 3 games (rematch tonight vs. the Capitals, PHI and NYI later this week) and the Habs lose their last 2 games, CBJ is the last team in and MTL is out.
Btw, in addition to the 3 point afternoon yesterday, JvR had a Gordie Howe hat trick ... 2 assists in the 1st, fight in the 2nd, goal in the 3rd. I was watching the game.
I'm guessing that could be JvR's 1st career Gordie Howe HT, given the rarity of a vR in the box for fighting.
TvR also had a skirmish in the 3rd, although he didn't get 5 for FIghting.
It will be interesting to see if Ovechkin plays tonight. The Caps had a bunch of regulars resting yesterday, including Ovi.
 
TheGrouchyCat said:
I think he was exposed this season.

Always a cheapshot artist behind the play, both his game and reputation took a hit this year. He gets frustrated, finds himself out of position and then makes a dumb play resulting in a penalty or goal.

If he can't handle Hockey East talent, good luck in the pros.
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Pretty ironic there was a Hockey Humanitarian campaign for him
 
TheGrouchyCat said:
And, what does that have to do with his game on the ice or his professional hockey future?
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Though there was a stretch he had some bone headed penalty's he did up his point total had 62 blocks and made 3rd team Hockey East so he wasn't a complete bust and would be a good addition if he decides to come back for a 5th year. JMHO.
 
Robert Balin said:
Though there was a stretch he had some bone headed penalty's he did up his point total had 62 blocks and made 3rd team Hockey East so he wasn't a complete bust and would be a good addition if he decides to come back for a 5th year. JMHO.
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More than a stretch. His questionable decision making and cheap shots behind the play has been going on for years. It finally caught up with him this season.

If I'm noticing this, you bet your ass Tampa's scouts are as well.

Yes, he is a mountain of a kid but is caught out of position far too often and simply isn't quick enough to defend against elite college players. While you can't coach size, you can coach footwork and positioning.

MS7 owns that and, unfortunately, Gags never progressed in a way a two time captain and NHL draft pick should have over four years IMHO.
 
Felger said:
Thrilled somebody is actually talking hockey.

Love the RIT guys. Probably too much to ask.

Most concerned about the goaltending. Would really like to see them grab one out of the portal even if its only for a year. Not impressed with Whale (why couldn't Jensen have backed into him in October?) and ESL can't crack the top 20 in the USHL in either GAA or save percentage. But not sure what the scholarship situation is when it comes to goalies. If you can find a reliable veteran, thoughts about pushing ESL back a year, let him and Grout fight it out in 2026?
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Wilde and Fukshusa made up 33% of RIT’s 82 goals this past season. I saw each of them get 4 points in the Tigers 6-2 win following 5-0 loss at Bentley in November and they would no doubt play ahead of the MacPherson twins for UNH at this point.

Speaking of goaltending, Bentley’s Connor Hasley , who gave the Iggles a scare in Manchvegas, entered the portal for his senior year but is no longer available.
 
TheGrouchyCat said:
More than a stretch. His questionable decision making and cheap shots behind the play has been going on for years. It finally caught up with him this season.

If I'm noticing this, you bet your ass Tampa's scouts are as well.

Yes, he is a mountain of a kid but is caught out of position far too often and simply isn't quick enough to defend against elite college players. While you can't coach size, you can coach footwork and positioning.

MS7 owns that and, unfortunately, Gags never progressed in a way a two time captain and NHL draft pick should have over four years IMHO.
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Just to add to the mix ... like recent UNH teammates Ryan Conmy and Luke Reid, Gagne was a 6th round NHL draft pick. "Hope & pray" territory, extremely unlikely to ever establish themselves as pension-drawing NHLPA members, and unlikely period to even make it to The Show.

There are seven (7) rounds overall in each recent NHL Draft. Below is a link to the 2020 NHL Draft, where you can see both Reid and Filip Engaras drafted in the sixth round, only a few players apart. We are now five (5) years out from that draft ... and as you can see, Rounds 5 thru 7 contain mostly players you've never heard of (or will never hear from in the future). Rounds 1 and 2 are the players who regularly hit, and are considered "busts" if they don't hit. Round 3 players are closer to 50-50 shots, and 4th rounders tumble to 25% reaches, most with low potential "ceilings". The 2021 Draft (Gagne's year) looks similar.

https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/nhl2020e.html

Just for craps & giggles, I noticed DRW had three second rounders in the 2020 Draft. One (Neiderbach) never developed, so he's a clear "bust". Cross Hanas (now 23) has stalled at the AHL level, and will probably be cut loose by the organization in the next year or so. Wallinder (1st pick 2nd round) has actually developed well at AHL level, and has a 50-50 shot at sticking with DRW as a 7th D-man next season out of camp, depending on what else Yzerman does in their offseason. The difference between a second round pick and a sixth round pick is exponential. You expect to hit a 2nd rounder; you hope on a 6th.

So, "NHL draft picks" are not created equal. Gagne surely got drafted based on his size, in hopes the rest of his game could be developed over time. I doubt TBL has spent a whole lot of time - other than due diligence - on monitoring Gagne's development. On the other hand, LAK is probably paying a decent amount of attention to Conmy, whether it's through their scouting network OR informal contacts with a UNH assistant with solid past LAK ties (Guiliano), and he's probably (at least so far) overperforming his draft position, maybe effectively being the equivalent of a 4th or even 3rd round pick. Reid and Engaras never got to even sign an NHL ELC (entry level contract), which is not unusual for a late pick. It shouldn't be a shock that Gagne hasn't been offered an ELC yet by TBL - and no, it's not that he's playing coy or negotiating ... if you're a typical 6th round pick and offered an ELC, you have no leverage, you sign it, and you go play wherever they tell you to play. OR you sign a tryout deal (like Reid) and go play in the Coast (ECHL), and hope things break for you.

So please readers, keep perspective ... and if I'm pessimistic about/downplay the future of 6th round picks, it's not personal - it's objective and historical.
 
Dan said:
I’m

** Rumor per Mark Diver is the two RIT transfers will go to the same HE school. I hope that is UNH.
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Dan said:
I’m finished with the coaching/facility conversation for the time being. The facility upgrade is not coming this off-season and Souza is signed for another two years. So what does UNH need to improve in 2025-26…

Prior to Ryan Conmy entering the transfer portal (and regardless of what anyone says he is a huge loss) I already believed UNH needed to add another impact forward, defenseman and goaltender to make significant improvement. Now its two impact forwards…

Newcombe - Ring - (TBD)
(TBD) - Oliver - LeClerc
Winters - Lavins - Turner
R. MacPherson - C. MacPherson - Siedem
Skrastins

Walsh, Bradshaw, DeTurris


DeAngelis - Conn
(TBD) - Carr
Fitzgerald - Player

Grimes, DeHaro, Philbrick, Hahn


Whale / (TBD)
Seguin-Lescarbeau

If they can fill these holes, that leaves a lot of unknowns but also brings quite a bit of potential.

Two top scoring lines, one elite-skating, match-up line with offensive upside and a fourth line to rotate players in and out of the line-up and see what sticks.

The wild-card is Ryan MacPherson. I think it was a mistake not to play him in a much larger role last season. I think he has a chance to be a very good player. Now? Who can say, but if he could fill the 2nd-line LW role as a playmaker for Oliver and LeClerc that would be one less need.

Defensively, they’re completely starting over considering Player’s limited role this season. I do like Conn and the two CHL commits on paper, and hopefully Fitzgerald continues to grow, while Player proves he was also underplayed. They could use a truly dependable shutdown guy.

In goal, Whale is more than good enough, but he was completely overworked last season and the lack of faith in a rotation-fit back-up proved a big mistake. I’m not sure I have that faith in ESL, so adding a 1A or 1B to the mix and splitting time to start could benefit everyone.

—

So, who can they get? The general consensus is that underage CHLers are waiting to commit to NCAA programs to avoid tension with their current major junior clubs and coaches. If so, that could open up the floodgates for opportunity in the coming weeks. Let’s hope that’s real. I really couldn’t tell you who the best options are in the CHL - maybe Sparkee could fill us in on the goal scorers, playmakers and shutdown defender options available to UNH…

As for the portal, the real prize left at forward for UNH would be to add an elite set-up man like Owen McLaughlin. He’ll be in demand and I’m surprised he hasn’t chosen already. Guys like Jack Cronin or Evan Werner could be solid additions as scorers. Otherwise, there are a few AHA players looking to make a jump that are somewhat intriguing like Fukakusa** and Wilde** from RIT, or Walter Zacher from RMU…

Defensively, a lot of the best portal guys are offensive defenseman. I think UNH would hope DeAngelis and Carr could handle those roles. Ben Robertson was a great two-way guy at Cornell. Shoudy? Felicio? Gadowsky has to be heading to Penn State, right? Would they finally kick the tires on Bow, NH native Nate Benoit after he hasn’t quite lived up to expectation at North Dakota and Quinnipiac?

Reidler (UNO), Zacher (Brown), Clark (AIC), Knapp (UMD), Korpi (UM), Musser (CC) would all fit the bill in goal as minimally rotating with Whale, and capable of winning more. I think Korpi or Knapp will end up at Miami.

In a perfect world, I’d grab McLaughlin, Werner, Robertson and Reidler.

More realistically, I don’t think Fukakusa, Cronin/Wilde/W. Zacher, Benoit and L. Zacher would be an impossible ask; with the CHL as an ever-changing option for prospects as their season winds down...

Let’s hope the staff is busy and prepared to add.

—

** Rumor per Mark Diver is the two RIT transfers will go to the same HE school. I hope that is UNH.
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That would be helpful and encouraging, but the odds are long...
 
Any thoughts on who will wear the "A" and "C" next season with all this seasons lettered players moving on? Have to think Lavins will be "C" and maybe Winters "A". Not many experienced candidates.
 
2013hockeyfan said:
Any thoughts on who will wear the "A" and "C" next season with all this seasons lettered players moving on? Have to think Lavins will be "C" and maybe Winters "A". Not many experienced candidates.
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If memory serves, I don't think that news was released until late summer-ish.

Based on conversations with some players, Lavins is a very strong contender and is highly respected. Fitzy is a dark horse.
 
TheGrouchyCat said:
If memory serves, I don't think that news was released until late summer-ish.

Based on conversations with some players, Lavins is a very strong contender and is highly respected. Fitzy is a dark horse.
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Good call on Fitzy, hadn't thought of that. He quietly had a nice season. Curious to see how he'll do with what I assume will be top pairing and step up in minutes.

The team is obviously going to struggle on all fronts but matching up with skilled first lines from the top conference teams is going to be very difficult with the blue line personnel. Going to have to ask a lot of forwards who are already going to be having a hard time scoring to help on the backend.
 
2013hockeyfan said:
Good call on Fitzy, hadn't thought of that. He quietly had a nice season. Curious to see how he'll do with what I assume will be top pairing and step up in minutes.

The team is obviously going to struggle on all fronts but matching up with skilled first lines from the top conference teams is going to be very difficult with the blue line personnel. Going to have to ask a lot of forwards who are already going to be having a hard time scoring to help on the backend.
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From a leadership standpoint, who knows will happen. Did anyone in the world expect Sweeney to get an A last season?

I would normally say that Cy wouldn't be considered for a C or A, but based on last year's precedent, who the hell knows? With the LeClerc family history, I would say it's a pretty good bet to see him with at least an A. He's a fan favorite and the biggest "name" the program has, deserved or not.
 
Noticed today that Luke Reid was loaned to Utica and has logged two games with the AHL club. Not sure if he got on the ice and can't find a way to confirm. Looks like he quietly logged in the scorebook nicely on the ECHL squad, as well.

I thought he had the best season among the defensemen last season and seemed to be the only person team-wide who made a marked improvement from the '24 campaign.
 
Robert Balin said:
I was reading an article on 247 sports and they say Conmy has taken visits to BU and BC and they say BC is going hard.
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So much for those early reports suggesting BU was a done deal.

Curious if those schools were initially on his wish list first time around but no slots were available so used UNH to demonstrate his abilities for a planned transfer.
 
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