Ben Robertson transfer

[andyw2100]

Obviously, the NHL is the dream of dreams, but hockey players want to play, and getting paid to do so is a rare thing.

Cue NIL discussion...

[billhoward]

Always a bit of yada-yada, space-filler posts and navel gazing this time of year as the season goes into playoff mode and we all want to say something just to be part of the discussion.

I felt bad that Ben Robertson transferred to Michigan but maybe he was thinking about what (he believed) is best for him and his future. And, wow, did Xavier Veilleux step up the Cornell defensive cadre.

I used to think it was silly for someone to go pro early because "why would anyone give up an Ivy education." But you can always come back and finish the degree. And it is their life.

[arugula]

I referred to ECHL as "glorified semi-pro".  Not meant as a shot at the skill level.  Those guys are great great players.  Look at some of those rosters.  Just meant that the pay is bad and the conditions worse.  Hence the player strike this year.  AHL is head and shoulders better.  Plus, even if the talent level were the same (it isn't) the conditions would make the AHL teams better. 

[arugula]

Always a bit of yada-yada, space-filler posts and navel gazing this time of year as the season goes into playoff mode and we all want to say something just to be part of the discussion.

I felt bad that Ben Robertson transferred to Michigan but maybe he was thinking about what (he believed) is best for him and his future. And, wow, did Xavier Veilleux step up the Cornell defensive cadre.

I used to think it was silly for someone to go pro early because "why would anyone give up an Ivy education." But you can always come back and finish the degree. And it is their life.

Yes.  Plus in Robertson's case, assuming he cares about school, he went to a great one.

[arugula]

Now that we've locked the NCAAs and met my bar for a good year, I will look back on the most shocking moment of last offseason, Ben Robertson ditching his friends, teammates, coaches, and school in favor of Michigan.

1. Robertson's departure was mitigated by the arrival of Veilleux, another offensively minded left-handed defenseman who is frankly just a better player.

2. Moreover, viewing the portal gains/losses in totality, I might argue that 3 years of Fisher + 3 years of Ashton is worth more than 2 years of Robertson. That is to say, we quite possibly came out ahead.

3. However, I believe this is the wrong framing. The goal with the portal is not merely to improve your team; it's to improve as much as, or more than, the teams we want to beat in late March and April. From that perspective, we did well by "Cornell standards" but not by "making the Frozen Four standards." Particularly since Robertson went to one of those teams we want to beat.

4. If Robertson's goal was to get an NHL contract, I think he has so far failed in his mission. With the caveat that I've watched 0 of his games this year, putting up 0 goals and 18 assists in 36 games for a stacked team which he leads in ice time and quarterbacks the first PP unit is...really not impressive. It's frankly worse than his freshman year at Cornell. Of course, the fact he's on the ice so much is itself a positive indicator, but half a point per game with 0 goals? Really? Unless (and probably even if) he's been playing otherworldly defense, no NHL career for him.

5. Cornell being good this year takes a lot of the sting off.

6. Still, all of this is beside the point: we'd be a better team this year if Robertson were still on it. Imagine the highly realistic world where Robertson and Bancroft return. We'd probably be looking at a 1-seed right now.

7. Overall, if I could press a button to undo everything that has happened since Cornell's 2024-25 season ended, I would not press it. I'm too content with where things stand. At this point, the most troubling part of all of this is...

8. I do wonder whether Robertson's departure set some kind of precedent or is some kind of harbinger of what's to come. Are we going to see our best players transfer out on a semi-regular basis? Or is this a one-off event? That's the key question at this point. It's a problem that has afflicted many mid-majors. Are we one of them?

Thought a lot about this.  If he and Bancroft stay, I would think not every newcomer arrives. Maybe no XV? Or Fisher? Or Ryan?  Highly speculative.  Would love to know why Ben left.  Dalton pretty clearly made a mistake. 

XV was 100% coming regardless.
Probably no Ashton if Robertson stays, as both are left handed defensemen.
Maybe no Ryan if Bancroft stays. Not sure though.

If those were indeed the outcomes, then can't say we're much worse off.

The "trades" worked out

[adamw]

For any of you saying the AHL or ECHL are 'semi-pro' hockey and not 'worth it' you simply do not know how good you have to be to even sit on the bench in these leagues. Ask anyone who has played any competitive hockey, they will tell you. Obviously, the NHL is the dream of dreams, but hockey players want to play, and getting paid to do so is a rare thing.

At this point, college hockey has risen to just about AHL level. The ECHL was never on par with college hockey as a whole. I've worked in the minors at that level. And most college players earn more money than ECHL players, if you factor the scholarship.  A lot earn more than AHL players at this point.