Re: Wisconsin Hockey Part 3: Just win, baby!
I would have to completely agree with you. I don't see this badger team making the NCAA playoffs for another 4 years. The only way I see us making it is next season MAYBE. With two Senior goalies leaving after next season, I don't see anyone or hear anyone that will be great....not good...GREAT when they come in their Freshman year. So right there could be two years not making it, give the freshman goalie a year or two to get use to the college level and if that all pans out.....at least 4 years before we make it.
Of course I hope I am wrong.
I thought I was pessimistic...wow.
if this team goes 4 years without an NCAA berth Eaves will be shown the door. I don't think UW goes 4 years out of the NCAA's, in fact if they go 2 consecutive years w/out an NCAA berth that would be a major disappointment, and the more I think about it it would be surprising...
on the optimistic side...
Mark Zengerle = GREAT. those are Heatley-esque numbers my friend.
beyond that. Turnbull will be a **** good every game player next season.
Derek Lee is a wild card as we only saw him in about 15 games this season but he should be as good or better than bombach/bendickson/grotting #'s wise and might even put up Street type numbers. he's a playmaker and he's going to be getting stronger in the off-season.
then you've got experience and talent in Jordy Murray, Derek Stepan, Sean Dolan.
add to that some guys in Jason Clark, Tyler Barnes, Frankie Simonelli, and Michael Mersch that appear to have solid D-1 tools and this team should pan out ok. at this point maybe not top 3 wcha, but 4th or 5th is not out of the question. and we simply don't know yet how these kids will develop.
Jefferson Dahl and Keegan Mauer = unknowns to me. Dahl put up *ok* numbers but it will probably be into January before we know how these kids are going to be playing night in and night out as they're going to be so many new faces and quite a steep learning curve.
if 3 d-men leave
UW will still have Gardiner, Schultz, and Ramage as starters, while Craig Smith will step up and adding Simonelli probably to the starting corps and possibly Little. that group on paper sounds closer to the 05-06 squad in talent level vs the 09-10 squad.
glass 1/2 full this time?