Recruits 2018 (and beyond)

[billhoward]

.
Hell, I'd trade a lot for this too.

A friend had given us tickets, so my wife and happened to be at this game.  It's a interesting week in Chicago when the two biggest sports stories are an accountant and a nun.

So they walk into a pub, and the bartender says, "__________________"

a) " ... still doesn't add up"
b) " ... but don't get into the habit"
c) " ... and that those prices, you won't get many talking giraffes"
d) " ... not unless Toews skates a better game"

[Trotsky]

The wages of sin is death.

[billhoward]

The wages of sin is death.

Or, "I was talking to the duck."

[Scersk '97]

Hell, I'd trade a lot for this too.

A friend had given us tickets, so my wife and happened to be at this game.  It's a interesting week in Chicago when the two biggest sports stories are an accountant and a nun.

His database page is an instant classic. If you watch the saves, you can tell he's getting into a groove after a slow warmup; his rebound control was excellent on the last couple. What a story!

[Weder]

Hell, I'd trade a lot for this too.

A friend had given us tickets, so my wife and happened to be at this game.  It's a interesting week in Chicago when the two biggest sports stories are an accountant and a nun.

His database page is an instant classic. If you watch the saves, you can tell he's getting into a groove after a slow warmup; his rebound control was excellent on the last couple. What a story!

Oh, hey, Cornell couldn't beat him in two tries.
http://collegehockeystats.net/0304/boxes/mcorwmu1.o31
http://collegehockeystats.net/0304/boxes/mcorwmu1.n01

[BearLover]

Would be nice to see the program build on this season's success with some new higher-end commitments soon...

[Tom Lento]

Would be nice to see the program build on this season's success with some new higher-end commitments soon...

You got me curious about commit timing so I took a look at Heisenberg's list. It appears most of Cornell's commits have come during the season - I just eyeballed the commit dates column for the past couple of years but I'd guess 80% happened in the fall. BC and BU (they were at the top of the "by school" listing sheet) seem to follow the same pattern. Makes sense - the NCAA has rules about this stuff so I suspect most kids end up committing on the recruiting calendar.

Even if nothing much happens in the spring you can still hold out hope for September through November.

[abmarks]

Hell, I'd trade a lot for this too.

Jesus- it's a small hockey world.  

I'd missed seeing this story until reading marty's post.  While reading it, one of the beer-league guys was quoted and his name rung a bell.  When I was in B-School at Michigan, we had a club team from the B-School and one of our best players was an undergrad - turns out that he, Mike Hendrie, the beer-league guy quoted extensively in the article.  Great player, could have played in college, just not at Michigan.

[Trotsky]

Would be nice to see the program build on this season's success with some new higher-end commitments soon...

How will we know who is a blue chippah, though?  There doesn't seem to be a resource equivalent to Rivals.

[scoop85]

Would be nice to see the program build on this season's success with some new higher-end commitments soon...

How will we know who is a blue chippah, though?  There doesn't seem to be a resource equivalent to Rivals.

It is harder to get a read on hockey recruits compared to some other sports because of the differences in the competition levels among the various leagues.  Based on who we believe to be coming in the fall, I don't think the incoming class will be quite as impactful as this past season's freshman class--but then again, few of our freshmen classes have ever performed as well as the most recent group. Centers Mike Regush and Max Andreev from the USHL appear most likely to be immediate contributors, as they put up 45 points and 40 points respectively this season in the best junior league in North America. Forwards Liam Motley of Whitecourt of the AJHL and Chase Brakel from the MJHL put up strong numbers against somewhat lesser competition, so it's a harder to forecast how much they will contribute early on.  

Given that all of our defensive corps is coming back, I wouldn't expect Joe Leahy or Andong Song to see much ice time next year. Nate McDonald, the goalie recruit, did not put up great numbers in the OJHL, but it seems he played for a couple of lousy teams.  Of course with Galajda coming back, barring injury I don't think we'll see much of either McDonald or McGrath in the net for the next few years.

I think the 2019 class may have a bit higher upside.  Travis Mitchell has been one of the better defensemen in the USHL this season, and forward Ben Berard is tearing it up for Powell River in the BCHL. After putting up 67 points in 58 regular season games, Berard has lit it up with 20 points in just 15 playoff games. Unfortunately his team is down 3-1 in their playoff series to Prince George, so Ben's season may soon be coming to an end.  But he looks like a pretty high end offensive player, and with another year in junior he should only get better.

[billhoward]

Would be nice to see the program build on this season's success with some new higher-end commitments soon...

How will we know who is a blue chippah, though?  There doesn't seem to be a resource equivalent to Rivals.

... because he committed to BU or Penn State or North Dakota? We do well with what we get. It has been a while since we've had a Rob Pannell or Jeff Teat-on-skates.

[Trotsky]

I know we do well with what we get.  I'm quite satisfied with both our recruiting and our performance.  But it would be interesting if hockey had star-ratings for prospects.  The data might be garbage -- it might be garbage for the football sites.  But it would add a little more information on incoming classes.

[Swampy]

I know we do well with what we get.  I'm quite satisfied with both our recruiting and our performance.  But it would be interesting if hockey had star-ratings for prospects.  The data might be garbage -- it might be garbage for the football sites.  But it would add a little more information on incoming classes.

It's been quite a while since I've looked at Heisenberg's site, largely because he changed its look & feel to something less user-friendly than the old format. But he used to rank players within their leagues. I don't know how he did it, but his rankings and the schools players committed to seemed to correlate.

Hockey also has the NHL draft and the NHL's prospect rankings. We'd be great if we could get say 4 of the top 5. Oh wait, BU & Michigan already have 2 of them.

[Trotsky]

I know we do well with what we get.  I'm quite satisfied with both our recruiting and our performance.  But it would be interesting if hockey had star-ratings for prospects.  The data might be garbage -- it might be garbage for the football sites.  But it would add a little more information on incoming classes.

It's been quite a while since I've looked at Heisenberg's site, largely because he changed its look & feel to something less user-friendly than the old format. But he used to rank players within their leagues. I don't know how he did it, but his rankings and the schools players committed to seemed to correlate.

Hockey also has the NHL draft and the NHL's prospect rankings. We'd be great if we could get say 4 of the top 5. Oh wait, BU & Michigan already have 2 of them.

I don't think we're ever going to get a top 10 NHL prospect.  Not to put too fine a point on it, but those guys aren't going to school for school, so why go to a place where you have to study?  At all?  That's what the Minnesotas and North Dakotas of the world exist for.  Not to mention that those guys are 2 and screw if you're lucky.

I would be pleased with the kind of 3 or 4 (out of 5)-star recruits that go in the middle rounds.  Guys who are pretty much assured of an AHL career and who are hopeful of developing into an NHL talent, but it's not a lock so they are going to get the degree as a fall back.  Guys like Ferlin, Sawada, Hynes, Bitz, O'Byrne.  Sometimes it works out for them in the pros; sometimes it doesn't.  We get them for 3 or 4 years and they are really solid albeit not spectacular.

Stock a team with a half dozen of those guys and I'll take my chances in the NC$$ against anyone not named RPI '85.

[Scersk '97]

It is harder to get a read on hockey recruits compared to some other sports because of the differences in the competition levels among the various leagues.  Based on who we believe to be coming in the fall, I don't think the incoming class will be quite as impactful as this past season's freshman class...

I think the 2019 class may have a bit higher upside.  Travis Mitchell has been one of the better defensemen in the USHL this season, and forward Ben Berard is tearing it up for Powell River in the BCHL. After putting up 67 points in 58 regular season games, Berard has lit it up with 20 points in just 15 playoff games.

This. One wonders if Berard might come in next year, given the recent departure.

Also, and I hate to say it: Harvard really looks to have an unusually good recruiting class coming in next year.

I know, I know... They're all blue chippahs when they commit to Harvard, and then Teddy finds a way of squandering the talent. I keep repeating that to myself.

But... ::help::