Re: UNH Wildcats 2017-2018 Season - The Quest Continues
WNTK Production, Umile has an ironclad contract to be coach, and don't you dare insinuate that he might quit on the team before that contract expires. He's going to change the culture of the team from the malais that the prior administration produced, and would do so for another couple of years if offered that opportunity to do the right thing for his school.
You have to get the feeling that NHL organizations won't be sad to see Coach packing it in at the end of this season. At least when he had Tortorella working for him, they turned out TvR and Pesce, so the Carolina folks have to be happy. But since then, just looking at the kids on the roster this season who have been drafted by the NHL (and even a couple who haven't) ...
* Shane Eiserman (4th round 2014 to Ottawa) - 15 points and a plus player as a freshman, "Yzerman" seemed to be a promising find. Not exactly a stud talent destined for The Show, but (as they say) he was in with a chance. Almost three years later, he's never bloomed into the offensive player his draft status and frosh season at least hinted at. 12 goals/21 assists in his last three seasons, during which he's turned into a consistently negative plus-minus role player type, and it's hard to argue UNH has done his "development" any favors;
* Marcus Vela (7th round 2015 to San Jose) - like Eiserman, a pretty decent start (16 points as a frosh), but unlike Eiserman, Vela can at least look back and show that he's gradually (and just barely) become a plus guy after being a negative plus-minus his first two seasons in Durham. But he's never matched his frosh stats either. Sure, injuries have been an issue here and there. But you have to think more was expected of Vela. At least he's got another year-plus left at UNH (or so one might think) to turn it around before he fades into ECHL oblivion like most 7th round picks eventually do. Wonder if San Jose gently nudges him closer to the door with an AHL deal this Spring?
* Max Gildon (3rd round 2017 to Florida) - started the season on fire, lots of discussion about a "one or two and out" future in the NHL, First Team Hockey East, etc. ad nauseum. But the early season fireworks have flattened out into a very talented player with lots of tools who probably isn't getting a lot of helpful guidance and instruction, as the rest of the D-1 world catches up to him. The absolute right player at the absolute wrong time for a UNH program that lacks the talent and depth to keep opponents honest, and prevent them from keying off this kid. If he leaves early now - and he may still do so - you get the sense it would be from his parent club trying to protect him, as opposed to pushing him early because they'll need him in The Show quickly;
*Benton Maass (6th round in 2017 to Washington) - the "yin" to Gildon's "yang", Maass looks like a young Brett Pesce to me, and while he's skated on the same pair as Gildon for most of the season, he's definitely been playing in his shadow. It's early yet, and like Gildon, it will be interesting to see how they develop if they both come back next season. But with the parent club in a good place, you have to think that Maass will be in Durham for at least three seasons, like his "comp" Pesce. Unless of course his development kicks into neutral;
* Mike Robinson (3rd round 2015 to San Jose) - taken in the same draft four rounds after Vela, Robinson has taken his time getting to Durham, and hasn't exactly shaken perceptions of him in some circles as a "project", or just another big body to fill up a goal. Missing out on anything but token game time, and focusing on steady practice time at the D-1 level were probably to be expected, and Big Mike's chance arrives in Durham next season, when the two experienced guys leave (or Tirone leaves, and Clark continues to get ignored). However, with the Souza/Stewart recruitment juggernaut no doubt looking for a <s>diamond in the rough</s> cubic zirconia in the recycle bin to challenge Robinson next season, and likely with no allegiances to their returning in-state netminder ... once again, one has to wonder what is made of all this by the parent club on the Left Coast;
* Matt Dawson (undrafted) - late commitment when he first got here, slotted right in as a frosh and had a decent season, posting plus numbers and being considered at least a minor "find" (FWIW much better numbers than similar late "find" Anthony Wyse posted last year as a frosh). But last season, the wheels fell off the Dawson cart, and he plummeted into -23
and while no doubt some of that was due to playing with less talented partners on the blue line ... in the end, it was Dawson's UNH career that effectively got kicked to the curb this season by the elevation of Dylan "Foxhole" Chanter. Let that one sink in for a moment, boys and girls;
* Ara Nazarian (undrafted) - I heard a lot of really favorable things about this kid, and it's not like he hasn't been a good player at UNH. In fact, I'm guessing San Jose could have spent that 7th rounder more wisely on Nazarian than on Vela. If nothing else, Nazarian has consistently outscored his drafted classmate (and it's not really that close), and has recovered from a -13 last season to the same almost neutral level he started at as a frosh. Problem is, he's basically had the same season three years in a row now. Kids like these used to gradually progress through their years at UNH. I mean, imagine that Eric MacAdams hits the 15 point mark this season, now that he's getting regular ice time with the top two lines ... and then he repeats those same seasons as a soph and junior. That's Nazarian to date.
It used to be fun to speculate about which junior/senior class UNH player was going to have that breakout season. There always seemed to be at least one. Last season, the jump from McNicholas and Salvaggio had to come from Hobey should-have-been Tyler Kelleher, who only looks better and better the further his time away from UNH grows. Heck, the elder Kelleher posted a scoring line last season alone that will likely eclipse the career stats of guys like Eiserman and Vela (and maybe Nazarian too?). But now, that speculation seems to be more like "which junior/senior class UNH player is going to crater?"
In the meantime, in his mind, Coach is grabbing for his 3 iron in that fairway bunker on the 18th near Key Largo ...
), other previous recruits deserting the Good Ship Wildcat. Not a pretty picture.
