Re: Wisconsin Hockey: Episode XXXI: A New Hope
Piggybacking on Wisko, here is the chart on just forwards that I had in a recent article.
I read that while I was compiling this, and it's good info. Because I couldn't quite get it all straight in my head I decided to go with all the skaters for a little broader picture.
A couple of comments on events leading to where we are:
1) Patrick Daly
"Daly, a 6-0 and 180-pound defenseman, from Benilde-St. Margaret's High School. The Victoria, Minn., native was a finalist for the 2011 Minnesota Mr. Hockey award following his 40-point and plus-52 season that included 27 games on the blue line. A team co-captain as a senior, the left-handed shot posted 12 points in 10 games during an injury-shortened junior campaign. An all-conference selection as a sophomore in 2008-09, he has also skated two seasons in the Upper Midwest High School Elite League."
Daly, a NJ Devils Draft pick, was an elite skater and elite student with good size who projected very well for the Badgers. After his freshman year, he decided to transfer to St. Thomas, reportedly to focus more on academics and to play hockey there. He hasn't played college hockey since leaving the Badgers. (Would be a Senior)
2) Tyler Lapic - Tyler was listed as a Top 10 Minnesota High School League Player and the all time New Prague HS scoring record holder. He left after his Freshman year to join his brother at Gustavus Adolphus where he has been successful. At 6'2", 200#, he's a hard-nosed physical presence, and leader for the Gusties that can still put the puck in the net. (Would be a Senior)
3.) Jason Clark, a 3rd round Islanders pick stuck behind a big group of forwards surprised by signing a pro contract in late August before his Jr. year. While he would have been a senior last year, his late signing put Spencer Bell, a good kid who had already enrolled at UW after hanging up his skates onto the roster. After Bell was recruited over, it obviously shifted yet another roster spot down to the underclassman level this year. Clark's bounced back and forth between the AHL and ECHL since leaving. (Bell's spot would be a Junior)
4.) Jr. Mitch Thompson departs rather than be elevated, forcing Adam Miller into what is now the Jr Class, rather than that spot being in the So class. This is of lesser import really, just an observation and probably less of an effect than bringing in Bennett as a transfer, putting both top goalies in the same (now Sr.) class. But it's how 3 of 9 upperclassmen are all goalies.
5.) As noted by DC, Brendan Woods a 5th round pick by Carolina, and a (mostly) projected 4 year player, surprises by departing to the AHL after his So. season, pushing yet another spot to the lower classes and depriving Bucky of another strong Senior this year.
6.) There is always somebody saying that departures should be "planned for". Expected departures are planned for but it doesn't change the fact that that you are replacing an elite player that understands your system with an inexperienced player you have to start over with. Unexpected departures, especially Freshman and Sophomores, tend to lead you to either accelerating players, or bringing in players that you might not normally out of need, and again those departures are a lost investment.
6.) Kerdilles leaving marks 5 straight years of Sophomores departing to the pros. A huge difference from Junior departures IMO.
7.) Of the 28 Departures shown, note that 22 of them come from the classes that are Juniors and Seniors this year, which has shifted those roster spots downward.
