Re: UVM Offseason Thread- Summer 2013
Rankings of recruiting classes always tend to assume that players on NHL watch lists/drafted are intrinsically much better players and that younger "true freshmen" will improve more than the older players. Both assumptions are flawed.
Most NHL drafted/watch list players will never set foot on the ice in an NHL game and many will not be good college players. The NHL loves anyone who is big and has "potential" to get better, but most don't get much better. And many of the one's that do have success in college will leave after 1-2 years, meaning the school has to roll the dice with another "top prospect". There is also plenty of recent proof that older "overage" players do improve over the course of their college careers, and in fact have the advantages of being more physically ready right from the start and will usually stay for 3-4 years. Nobody thought UML had any good recruiting classes over most of the last 7-8 years and they focused almost entirely on older players. Now they are genius after winning HE and going to a F4. Union, Merrimack and Ferris have also had significant success with mostly older players.
I'm not saying that younger prospects that are drafted in the rounds 1-3 or are otherwise coming off big seasons in juniors/USNDP aren't the cream of the crop. But there really aren't a lot of these players and BC, BU, Michigan, Minny etc. usually scoop them up (this year is no exception). I realistically don't expect UVM to win battles for those type of players, and going after some older players makes sense. I continue to think that this class will help the talent level this season and over the next couple year's. Puskarich is fast & skilled, Shaw is a load who knows how to score, and Bradley is a hard worker that makes his teammates better. They were overlooked by other programs for a number of reasons, but no reason they can't succeed with the Cats.
Rankings of recruiting classes always tend to assume that players on NHL watch lists/drafted are intrinsically much better players and that younger "true freshmen" will improve more than the older players. Both assumptions are flawed.
Most NHL drafted/watch list players will never set foot on the ice in an NHL game and many will not be good college players. The NHL loves anyone who is big and has "potential" to get better, but most don't get much better. And many of the one's that do have success in college will leave after 1-2 years, meaning the school has to roll the dice with another "top prospect". There is also plenty of recent proof that older "overage" players do improve over the course of their college careers, and in fact have the advantages of being more physically ready right from the start and will usually stay for 3-4 years. Nobody thought UML had any good recruiting classes over most of the last 7-8 years and they focused almost entirely on older players. Now they are genius after winning HE and going to a F4. Union, Merrimack and Ferris have also had significant success with mostly older players.
I'm not saying that younger prospects that are drafted in the rounds 1-3 or are otherwise coming off big seasons in juniors/USNDP aren't the cream of the crop. But there really aren't a lot of these players and BC, BU, Michigan, Minny etc. usually scoop them up (this year is no exception). I realistically don't expect UVM to win battles for those type of players, and going after some older players makes sense. I continue to think that this class will help the talent level this season and over the next couple year's. Puskarich is fast & skilled, Shaw is a load who knows how to score, and Bradley is a hard worker that makes his teammates better. They were overlooked by other programs for a number of reasons, but no reason they can't succeed with the Cats.
