Re: UNH Commits & Recruiting: 2019 and Beyond
The new Lucas worries me. If we were going to pick up decommit / castoff I would rather somebody who puts the puck in the net a bit more... One of the younger guys or Budy...
It certainly seems like a bit of a lateral recruiting upgrade. I thought UNH needed/should look to add two, top-six type forwards this off-season and now with BVR's departure that is even more of a need (both to capitalize on next season and for the future). I think Herrmann is a real upgrade on guys like Miller and Cefalu - and while Vela was a far bluer-chip, I think he could match the type of career #17 ended up having. He looks like a nice piece on a third/fourth-line who can skate, defend, forecheck and mix it up, while chipping in offensively here and there. An Esposito or MacAdams type. He isn't a goal scorer, however - he never has been - and UNH needs guys (and, quite frankly, a depth of guys) who can fill it up.
They could have accelerated a guy like Sweeney or Wazny and filled this role. The strategy heading into this off-season should have been to aim-high with available scholarship money, and if you can't land a high-end talent be willing to bank that money for a top talent in the future. Watcher may be on to something in Herrman being a quick strike to replace BVR who appears (all but) officially on his way out the door. If so, that makes sense. But I more potential prospects for this coming season adhere to the strategy I outline above. High-end now, first or high-end later, second...
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With BVR apparently on his way out - UNH's top-six (and overall goal-scoring), which already needed improvement, is looking even more thin...
Crookshank - Pierson - Kelleher
Stevenson - Blackburn - Grasso
Herrmann - Engaras - Fregona
Esposito - Sacco - MacAdams
Sato/Cippolone
This line-up is a stretch to generate much more, if any, offense than the team did last season and raises a lot of questions. Without getting into those questions here - adding a couple more talented bodies could slot a lot of players into more comfortable roles, build depth of scoring, spread the defensive attention around and much more. UNH needs to seriously look into accelerating Margel and targeting one of the high-end goal scorers left on the market. This would look a lot better...
Crookshank - Pierson - Kelleher
[Scorer] - Blackburn - Grasso
[Margel] - Engaras - Fregona
Hermann - Esposito - MacAdams
Stevenson