Re: UNH Wildcats TD Garden and Beyond 2015
The skinny on Pesce please? Property of Carolina, they have to sign him by August or he is a free agent. Question, does he look at Carolina, a floundering organization located in a town where hockey is third or fourth on the totem pole behind college hoops, pro football and most likely college football. Does Carolina love him enough to make a good offer or do they see a kid who needs more development. If Pesce sees Carolina as not a good option, he will wait and sign with someone else. If he sees Carolina as a real opportunity, then he will sign with them. Either way, based on his second half performance, I think he is ready for the next step and will leave. Hope not, but that's the reality, don't you think?
Carolina has until August
2016 - a year and a half from now - to sign Pesce. Mike Paliotta, a UVM defenseman who, like Pesce, was drafted in the 3rd round (2011 by Chicago in his case), chose to play his senior season at Vermont. He was their captain. He just signed a contract with the Blackhawks.
No doubt, the Blackhawks wanted to sign Paliotta last March/April at the end of his junior season. They were hungry enough for defensemen that they signed free agent Trevor van Riemsdyk. Paliotta did not accept the offer and returned to Vermont to lead his team. One year goes by and now the Blackhawks
really wanted to sign Paliotta before he became a free agent this August. One can imagine that the Blackhawks offered Paliotta at least the same amount of money (probably more) to sign yesterday as they did a year ago. By returning to Vermont, Paliotta improved his leverage in the bargaining process.
The quote from Red Berenson came from a series of tweets by Jason Rubinstein yesterday. Coach Berenson was not pleased that one of his stars, Andrew Copp, left early. Copp, a junior at Michigan and 4th round pick of Winnipeg, chose to leave Ann Arbor and sign with the Jets. Copp centered Michigan's first line and was their third leading scorer with 14 goals and 17 assists.
http://www.michigandaily.com/sports/andrew-copp-will-forgo-senior-season-join-winnipeg-jets
Berenson also said:
"I gave him all the reasons he should stay. It’s not a rush. It’s an emotional thing. It was a tough three days the way he explained it. He thinks the opportunity is exceptional, but they tell you all those things and you believe them. I just wish he would stay and do it right — graduate with your teammates and classmates. Take this team to another level. We lost to a senior-laden Minnesota team. Well, how about a senior-laden Michigan team? I just told Andrew that I hope he makes it and plays in the NHL next year because I will feel sick if he is playing in the minors and giving up his senior year at Michigan to play in the American Hockey League.”
Since he hasn't signed yet, nobody knows whether Brett Pesce will leave UNH early or return for his senior season. It's quite possible that Brett doesn't know for sure. He and his advisors will weigh all the options, including the factors that Coach Berenson articulated, and Brett will decide what's best for him.
